Strength and Conditioning Specialist Reveals the 5 Exercises Every Man Needs to Do to Maximize Longevity

There's no question that strength training is one of the best ways to age well. As the years go on, our bodies begin to lose bone density and muscle mass, which can impact balance, mobility, and overall function. Building strength not only helps counteract age-related muscle loss but can also support better coordination and joint health. Plus, newer research suggests maintaining muscle strength may even contribute to a longer, healthier lifespan.

In an interview with Steve Bartlett, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and founder of ATHLEAN-X, Jeff Cavaliere, broke down the five exercises every man needs to do to maximize longevity. 

"These five moves are ones I want you to be able to do at any age to check and make sure that you're maintaining your strength, your mobility, and you're staying injury free," he says.

1. Single-Leg RDL

How to Do It

1. Grasp two dumbbells in front of your body. 
2. Push your hips back and raise your right leg behind you as you lower the dumbbells toward the floor. 
3. Keep your low back in its natural arch, then extend your hips to come back up.

"You want to be able to touch the ground, keep that leg back behind you, and then come up out of that. We go back, though, and we try to do a total of five repetitions each time, maintaining that body control."

2. Squat & Reach

How to Do It 

1. Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. 
2. Drop into a bodyweight squat. 
3. Place your elbows inside your knees and gently press them outward to open your hips. 
4. While holding your toes or ankles, keep one hand down and raise the other arm straight up, rotating through your mid-back and following your hand with your eyes. 
5. Lower your arm back down and repeat the motion on the other side. 

Related: The Hidden Exercise That Targets Shoulders and Core Simultaneously

3. Sumo Squat

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly out. 
2. Bend your hips back and squat down, keeping your lower back flat and reaching your hands to your toes in the bottom position. 
3. Hold the position for a few seconds and then use your elbows to push your knees further apart so you can sink deeper into the squat. 

4. Posterior Chain Pushup

How to Do It

1. Perform a pushup and then lie face down on the floor with your arms extended straight out in front of you and your legs fully extended behind you. 
2. Engage your entire backside—squeeze your hamstrings, point your toes, lift your chest, arms, and legs off the ground like you would in Superman. 
3. While maintaining this lift, think about pressing your arms down as if you’re pushing the floor away, but don't actually touch it. 
4. Hold the contraction for a few seconds, then lower your body back to the ground in a controlled manner. 
5. Next, slide your hands back to a pushup position and perform a standard pushup. 

5. Hip Abduction

How to Do It 

1. Lie on your right side to start with your bottom leg straight and your top leg slightly bent, and your toes pointed down into the ground. 
2. From there, slide your top leg back behind you as far as you can. 
3. Lift that leg until you feel a contraction in your glutes. 
4. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds.