Core Feels Weaker After 50? Do these 4 Moves

Strength training for women over 50 feels different, especially when your core suddenly feels weak, disconnected, or harder to use.

In this video, I’ll show you how to organize your core so your body feels stable again, plus 4 simple core exercises that actually work in menopause.

If your workouts feel harder than they used to, your core may be the missing piece.

These are the exact movements I used to rebuild my core strength after my hysterectomy, and they’re still the ones I teach today.

You’ll learn:

• how to activate your core before you move
• why your core feels different after 50
• 4 simple core exercises for strength and stability

If you haven’t watched this yet:
👉 Why workouts feel harder after 50: https://youtu.be/aBaJuu4PnIg?si=O4zul3XJtJb1RW6K
👉 How to start strength training after 50: https://youtu.be/-8DsFDmW174?si=S_RVs1gK3-19ISB2

Menopause Minis | 10-Minute Strength Workouts for Women 45+
https://www.camoyler.com/meno-minis
Use CAMYOUTUBE to save $20

Free Menopause Sleep Guide
https://www.camoyler.com/opt-in

Strong Bones in Menopause | Free Guide for Women 45+
https://www.camoyler.com/boneguide

Foundational 4 Supplements | Menopause Nutrition Made Simple
https://www.camoyler.com/supplements

Free Menopause Home Gym Guide | Strength Training at Home
https://www.camoyler.com/gym-equipment-guide

Wins Beyond the Scale | Free Checklist for Midlife Women
https://www.camoyler.com/wins

Chapters:
00:00 Core Strength for Women 50+
05:14 Post-Surgery Core Exercise Tips
09:00 Core Stability for Women 50+
10:01 Menopause Strength Training Tips

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#menopauseworkout
#buildmuscleafter50

Transcript

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In the last video, we talked how to start strength training after 50, and we use the Midlife Muscle Protocol. The Midlife Muscle Protocol has 4 simple steps so that you can have stronger muscles and bones without exhaustion or spending hours in the gym. And once women begin lifting, they suddenly notice something pretty quickly— that their core becomes incredibly important. And if you're here on the internet searching for core exercises for women over 50, Here's what I want you to know before we even get into the exercises. I've been training people since 2010, and one thing I know for

certain is this: 0:37

the more organized your core is, the better your arms and your legs are going to move. And believe me, it's not just about visible ab muscles. So in this video, I'm going to show you 4 core exercises that every woman over 50 should know and use and I'm going to show you how to organize your core so movements like squats, rows, and deadlifts actually feel strong and stable instead of stressful on your back. Hey there, I'm Cam Allen, and this channel is for women over 50 who are done guessing about fitness and menopause. On this channel, we talk about strength training so that you can build those muscles, support your metabolism, and feel strong in everyday life. One of the biggest misunderstandings I see with core training is that people think their core is just about their abs. But your core is actually all of your muscles from your shoulders all the way down to your hips, anything that stabilizes your spine when you move. So that means the muscles in the front of your body, your abs, the muscles along the side of your body, like your obliques, and all of the muscles in your back. And when those muscles work together, your spine feels supported and your body moves really well. And when they don't, the lift starts to feel a little awkward or a little unstable. Have you ever had that experience? I really noticed this at the end of 2019 after my hysterectomy. Movements that I had done for years suddenly felt very, very different. Things like rowing or deadlifts or even front squats took a whole new meaning. I could feel my core working in a way I had never paid attention to before. You know, that happens when they cut through all the layers of your core muscles. But that experience made me realize how important it is to organize your core before you move. Before you do any core exercises, start by organizing your core. So I want you to think of it like this. It's kind of like wearing a corset or a belt on the inside. So this is how you do it. First, I want you to squeeze your glutes. You can do it if you're sitting. If you're standing, it's even easier. Squeeze your glutes. And then I want you to think about taking the bottom of your ribs and slightly tipping them towards your pelvis. You should be able to breathe in this position, but you should have your corset or your belt on on the inside. Can you feel that? Now, you're not sucking in your stomach. We were told to suck in your stomach, but actually when you inhale, your belly should get bigger. And when you exhale, your diaphragm is pushing the air out of your lungs. Your belly is supposed to move. So we're not sucking in our stomach. You're just creating this gentle brace that stabilizes your spine from the inside. This is an internal support system that allows the rest of your body to move with strength and control. And remember what I said earlier, the more organized your core is, the better your arms and legs are going to move. If you found this helpful so far, be sure to hit subscribe and follow along on this channel. Every week we talk about strength training so you can build that muscle, support your metabolism, and feel strong again. Now let's look at 4 core exercises that I believe all women over 50 should know. The first one is the dead bug. And you're like, the dead bug? Yeah, the dead bug. This one was actually, um, a core piece of rebuilding my core strength after my hysterectomy. Dead bugs teach your body how to stabilize your spine while you move your arms and your legs. This is one of the safest, most effective core exercises ever for beginners or anyone. So how do you do it? I want you to lay on your back with your, um, your legs at 90 and your arms straight up. And from here, you're you're going to move your opposite arm and opposite leg away from your spine and then back to center. Move really slowly and focus on keeping your core organized. So remember, your ribs are towards your pelvis, and opposite arm and opposite leg are moving away from your center and then back to center. Nice and slow and controlled. The next essential core exercise is bird dog. We're borrowing this from the yoga world. Again, this was a core exercise that really helped me feel strong and stable after my hysterectomy. And by the way, if you're struggling with pelvic floor issues in menopause, these two are amazing. Dead bug and bird dog. Do them, do them, do them. After I had my hysterectomy, I'd never leaked urine before, but when you give birth to your uterus and literally birth yourself into menopause without being dilated— fibroids were equal to a 5-month pregnancy— when that, all that pressure happens, Things change. Okay, bird dogs build that coordination between your hips, your shoulders, and your core. So for this one, I want you to start in a tabletop position, so your wrists are stacked under your shoulders and your knees are stacked under your hips. And now I want you to move opposite arm and opposite leg away from your center, nice and slow, and then slowly return it back to the ground. Slow and controlled is what makes this exercise effective. Now CrossFit Cam was like, what? These things don't count. Oh no. Menopause Me knows that these two movements, the bird dog and the dead bug, are essential when it comes to building core strength. You gotta give 'em a try. Movement number 3 is side planks. Now side planks strengthen the lateral, the side part of your core. Those muscles along the side of your body help protect your spine and stabilize your pelvis. So we're connecting our upper body to our lower body through our core. They support everyday movements like carrying your groceries or maybe your suitcase or lifting your grandbaby. So to set up for the side plank, lay on your side. I'd start with your elbow. So you're going to start, start on a side plank on your elbow and then go ahead and lift your hips off the ground. The goal here is to have your body in a straight line from your shoulder all the way down to your heels. Oftentimes I feel like people have their plank curved in, so really check to make sure you're in a straight line. If you need to, set up your side plank along a wall to make sure that you are in a straight line. And the fourth movement are suitcase carries. Suitcase carries is one of the most functional core exercises you can do. You simply hold a weight heavy for you in one hand and you walk. Now, if you're like me and you love midlife adventures, you're practicing for your next trip, right? That's what you're doing. So when you have a weight on one side, your body has to adjust to not let that weight pull you over. Your core automatically activates to keep your body upright and balanced. You may have heard that grip strength is actually an indicator of longevity. And I believe that's true. Suitcase carries definitely train that. But I think that test about longevity is more about having an active lifestyle versus in actually training your grip. So if you're doing dead hangs from the pull-up bar or suitcase carries, or you're holding on to a dumbbell or a barbell, you are living an active life, and therefore your grip strength is stronger. See what I mean? So to do a suitcase carry, you literally pick up a weight that's heavy for you and walk around. Now make sure that your shoulders are stacked over your hips and hips over heels. It's really easy to tip over, so make sure you're standing up nice and straight, your core is organized, those ribs are towards your pelvis, and you walk around. That's all you got to do. This teaches your body to be stable while you're moving, and when your core is organized and strong, everything else improves. Your squats are going to feel stronger, your rows are going to feel more controlled. Deadlifts, you're going to be able to lift more weight. So again, before you move, squeeze your bottom, pull those ribs towards your pelvis, and turn on those internal muscles in the middle of your body before you do the next exercise. When your body becomes one coordinated system instead of separate parts trying to keep up, you're going to feel so much more stable. And stability becomes even more important as we build more muscle after 50. So when it comes to core exercises, focus on your stability, squeeze your bottom, pull those ribs towards your pelvis, turn on that internal system of muscles. And then the 4 exercises we talked about today are dead bugs, bird dogs, side planks, and suitcase carries. These movements train your body to protect your spine and move with strength and confidence. Now you know how to organize your core and train those stabilizing muscles. The next question most women ask is, what does a full body strength workout actually look like? So in the next video, I'm going to show you how to structure a full body workout so you, a woman over 50, can build muscle safely and efficiently. I've pinned a few videos for you here. Menopause changed your body. Here's what works now. Be sure to check that one out. It explains— that video explains the bigger picture of how strength training works differently now in midlife. And make sure you hit subscribe so you don't miss the next video. And I'll see you next week.