Functional Fitness For Women Over 50: Why Getting Off The Floor Matters More Than Crunches

Midlife Matters: Diane Amelia Read

Reclaiming The Spotlight: Why Getting Off the Floor Matters More Than Crunches

You likely remember the commercial. In 1989, a frail-voiced woman declared: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” It was meant to promote an emergency call device, but it quickly became a cultural punchline.

At 67, that memory feels far less like a joke. Recently, a longtime friend …someone who has always been strong and athletic …confided that she can no longer get down on the floor and back up without pushing off the furniture. That hit me. Hard.

Would this long-time badass begin to lose her confidence? Her sense of freedom? This simple change from can to can’t has ripple effects.

Why Functional Fitness For Women Over 50 Matters:

Being able to rise from the floor without using your hands is more than a party trick. It’s a measure of core strength, balance, and mobility which are foundational for showing up fully in your day-to-day life.

Think about it:

• Sitting cross-legged to play marbles or LEGOs with your grandkids.
• Kneeling to garden, pray, or grab the shoe that’s hiding under the couch.
• Stretching or playing with your pets … on their level, not just from above.

These aren’t gym goals. They’re life goals. And when we lose that ability, we risk shrinking … not just physically, but in our ability to say yes to the people, places, and moments that light us up.

How To Build Balance And Mobility After 50–The Challenge:

So, dear one, here’s a challenge: Once a day this week, practice getting down on the floor and back up again without props. Just your limbs, your core, and your balance. But before you do, assess.

And, do this without judgment, please. Focus on awareness. Just notice:

• How do you naturally try to rise?
• Do you roll to your knees first?
• Do you lead with one leg?
• Does it feel shaky, or steady?

That awareness? It’s your starting line for strength.

Practice Makes Perfect:

Now that you know, it’s go time. First, you’ve got to get down there …

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend forward and run your hands down the front of your legs as far as you can.
• Curtsy one leg behind the other and extend your hand to the floor as it comes into reach.
• Balancing your weight between your hand and both feet, pivot your standing leg as you lower your “curtsied cheek” to the floor.

To rise, move slowly, breathe steadily, and allow wobbliness to be part of the practice.

• Roll to a side-seated position.
• Place the foot of your top leg firmly on the floor perpendicular to the opposite shin.
• Leaning forward, place one hand in front of your knee on the ground and the other next to your seated hip.
• Distribute your weight between your arms and the planted foot, and pivot your body so it’s centered between your arms, freeing your other leg, as you push to rise.

Strength Beyond Vanity:

Midlife strength? It ain’t about six-packs or jean sizes, fun as those can be, it’s about agency. Visibility in your life and in the world. Feeling free to say YES …to playing, moving, laughing, and taking up space in our own skin.

Every time you practice this simple exercise, you’re reinforcing your independence and your boldness. You’re reminding your body, and your spirit, “I trust you to carry me into the life I want.”

And that’s worth far more than crunches.

Step Into The Spotlight:

I’ll be practicing right along with you this week. One mindful moment a day, one down-and-up at a time. If you discover a technique that works for you, I’d love for you to share it in the comments. We can learn from each other.

Yes, aging brings changes. But it also brings wisdom. And with a little intentional practice, it brings strength, confidence, and presence, too.

So today, don’t worry about reps or routines. Just get down. Get back up. And notice how strong you already are.

Reclaiming the spotlight isn’t about applause. It’s about living fully, boldly, and without apology … in the body you’ve got, in the chapter you’re in.

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