Moving quickly to cross the street, getting out of a chair or catching yourself before a fall all require power, the ability to deploy strength quickly. And power is something you have to train, particularly as you age.
One of the best ways to build power is through explosive strength exercises, called plyometrics, which enable your muscles to produce as much force as possible in a short amount of time. Beginning in your forties, muscle power starts to decline at a faster rate than the loss of muscle strength. That’s significant because power is a predictor of your ability to live safely and independently for longer.
These movements can also help improve your bone density, coordination and balance.
If you’re just starting out with plyometrics, take it slow and focus on your form. “People hear about the benefits of plyometrics and tend to overdo them,” said Dan Trink, co-owner of The Fort, a gym in New York City. “This doesn’t seem that demanding, but the forces being placed on your body are way more than you might think and it does add up.” Mr. Trink recommended sticking to the repetitions and sets outlined below for at least six weeks before adding more volume.
Because plyometric moves are fast and high-impact, it’s important to make sure you’re moving and landing with proper form on every rep, said Heather Jeffcoat, a physical therapist in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association. Before beginning a plyometric workout, she recommended warming up with some walking or dynamic stretching.
Overview
Time: 20 minutes
Intensity: High
Rounds: Perform three or four sets of each exercise, with two minutes of rest between each set, before moving on to the next exercise.
What You’ll Need
Adjust for You
If the number of reps or sets feels too difficult, begin by choosing just three or four exercises.
Once you become comfortable with each move and can execute them with proper form, you can make individual moves more challenging: use a lower box for the push-ups, a higher box for the box jumps or move to a full kneeling position for the medicine ball windmill slam.
Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Windmill Slam
Targets: Abdominals, shoulders, pecs
Repetitions: Three to four
Begin in a half-kneeling position, with one knee on the floor and your opposite leg bent in front of you. Keep your core engaged and your torso upright, being careful not to let your hips push out to one side. Hold a medicine ball in front of your back leg with both hands. Moving quickly and explosively, pull the ball in a circle out to the side, over your head and in one continuous motion, slam it down next to the opposite side of your body. That’s one rep.
A Skips
Targets: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Time: 20 seconds
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise one knee to waist height and keep the standing leg straight as you pop off the ball of your foot for a short hop forward. As soon as that foot lands back on the ground, switch legs, raising your opposite knee and performing the quick hop on your other foot.
These should be performed quickly and rhythmically. As you alternate knees, swing your arms with the same rhythm: the arm on the same side of your body as the standing leg should drive forward while the other arm swings back. If moving forward is too challenging, you can start by skipping in place.
Box Jumps
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves
Repetitions: Three to four
Stand facing a low box, about 12 inches high, with your feet hip-width apart. Bend at your knees and hips, allowing your torso to tilt forward. Draw both arms back, then in one motion, swing them forward while jumping up and forward to land on the box with both feet flat and your knees bent. Stand straight up, then step back off the box. That’s one rep.
Lateral Hops
Targets: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core
Time: 20 seconds
Stand with your feet together and your arms bent. Keeping a soft bend in your knees, hop as far as you can to one side. As soon as your feet touch the ground, hop as far as you can to the opposite side.
Jump Rope
Targets: Calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders
Time: 20 seconds
Stand with your feet together, holding one end of the jump rope in each hand so the bottom is on the floor just behind your heels. Spin the rope forward using your wrists, trying to keep your elbows straight, and jump over the rope as it hits the ground. If the coordination with the rope is too challenging, you can practice this movement without the rope in your hands first.
Plyometric Push-ups
Targets: Pecs, shoulders, triceps
Repetitions: Three to four
This is a slightly more advanced movement than the other exercises. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a box or an exercise bench. Step back so your body is in an inclined plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your weight on the balls of your feet. Squeeze your glutes and engage your core as you bend at the elbows to lower your torso toward the bench, keeping your arms close to your body. Press your hands into the bench and push off so they briefly leave the bench. Land softly and with straight arms. That’s one rep.
If you can, try to immediately begin the next rep by slowly lowering your torso to the bench again. If this move is too challenging, try performing it using a wall. Stand facing the wall, with your toes about 12 inches away. Place your hands on the wall at about shoulder height. Bend your elbows out, then push into the wall and explode back to your starting position. To increase the difficulty, move your feet further from the wall.
Alyssa Ages is a journalist in Toronto and the author of “Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength.”
On-set trainer: Tray Drew