The new year sees a lot of people try to jump into their ‘new me’ with strength training or running etc, when their body actually needs some mobility first-off.
These are awesome goals, ones that I stand by and help my clients develop; but, if you’ve done no exercise over the past month, 6 months or this time last year, there’s a smarter and ultimately a safer starting point.
If you’re feeling stiff, unfit and struggle with every day tasks, adding more intensity right off the bat will usually just compound your problems and end your ‘new me’ goals.
Mobility training will ready your body, your joints, improve your posture, and actually make your fitness and strength training safer and more realistic.
Mobility training isn’t just stretching as many believe. It’s also not complicated and doesn’t require straps, bands, rollers and expensive gear. Mobility training helps you to regain the movement, control and articulation that your adult joints and muscles are meant to have.
I have a few open time in my schedule so let’s hit the reset button this new year and get you ready for your 2026 goals.
Reply RESET and let me help you bulletproof your body and your goals.
No one appreciates the values of strength until weakness becomes a reality of life.
A straight-up statement but it’s based on the realities I see whenever someone decides to start training.
I’ll hear some of the following… and you can fill in the blanks with any number of verbs.
‘I struggle with ____ing’.
‘I can’t ______ anymore’!
‘It’s painful to ______’!
The problem is clear and the solution can be very simple.
There are plenty (read too many) of over complicated strength programs online to impress the impressionable but in the real world, exercise to improve your strength and health is simple.
At MoveStrong, my clients have long practiced the stalwarts of strength.
Simple, safe and progressive programming leading to the most productive time in the gym where just two training sessions a week prove sufficient at building real world strength.
My programs are always built around how your body moves. Limitations, natural abilities, safety and goals are always prioritised.
If you want to use winter to explore and build your strengths, let me help you.
I will be opening up new training times this winter in my Limerick locations to accommodate a small number of new starts.
Walk into any gym and you’ll see a multitude of ‘stuff’ happening. Stuff is an apt description! Some of it might look awesome, inspiring, frightening or downright weird! Is any or all of it a requirement for optimal or maximal physical health? Do you really need to do dozens of movements to benefit?
I’m a long term practitioner of essentialism, verging on minimalism even. In fact, the most successful program I run is the Amazing 12 transformation program that utilises just five strength movements to create outstanding physique and strength development.
Now, as for the top, essential movements for a healthy, strong and fit life over 50, let’s learn about five essential movements for optimal health and strength.
In terms of adding to our lives productively, we should endeavour to practice movements that will consider our physical design as well as movements that will make us more resilient for our future lives.
What’s this mean? Our design dictates that we should physically push, pull, lift things up from the ground and bend our oftentimes creaky knees to squat down. The 5th I’ll add here will most likely result in a raised eyebrow or two… …Getting down to the ground and learn to move around down there aka ‘ground based locomotion‘.
This brief list of movements might sound like a physical day in the garden. You lift up bags of compost, dig a few holes, plant some new perennials, wrestle the mower around and trim a few of the neighbours branches overhanging your property.
This might also sound like a potential day in the future looking after the grand children (if you’re not there already). Bending over picking up toys or little Liam and Olivia, pushing buggies around the shops, crawling around the floor playing games or heavens knows what haha. The grandparent thing is not quite on our schedule yet, but the Daughter is just starting university, so new chapters are on the horizon for all of us, you included.
To be more tolerant, physically for all the exhausting parts of life, requires practice and preparation. And that’s what an essentialist gym program is perfect for.
Apart from getting physically prepared for life now and the future, strength training also adds to our health. Increased bone density, stronger joints, lowered blood pressure, improved heart health, lowered LDL, lowered body fat, lowers blood sugars, reduced risk of diabetes, decreased risks of developing cancers, decreased risk of developing cognitive decline and associated disorders. Any kind of google search on ‘disease reduction and strength training’ will pop up numerous supportive studies.
Okay okay, I will now get to the good stuff; the exercises I like to promote.
What I’ll do below is briefly introduce the key movements and then go a bit deeper with some video demos. Keep in mind that each key movement is part of a family. Pushing for example includes multiple forms. Squatting too may include a wide variety of options. There is always a solution for every body regardless of limitations or experience.
ONE
Lift stuff up from the floor. Also known as deadlifting or hip hinging, this movement is probably the most common activity of a physical nature that we undertake frequently. For my over 50 trainees, I like to build this in with loaded carrying. This bonus movement is just an add-on to lifting a weight up. Lift and carry for a number of steps and put the weight down.
TWO
Pushing is a vital movement that recruits our upper torso muscles like the chest, shoulders and arms. Done correctly (read safely) any pushing movement should involve the whole body or as many muscles as possible.
THREE
Pulling movements are the act of pulling something towards us from above or from in front of us (or any angle between these). Yet again, done correctly a pulling move will strengthen the upper back and arms but will utilise as many muscles of the body as possible.
FOUR
Squatting is yet another high frequency movement we all perform daily. From sitting down on anything and getting back up to perhaps squatting down to tie your shoelaces unless you’re a cool kid with slip-ons of course; is all part of the squat family.
FIVE
Ground based locomotion is perhaps one the most essential practices an over 50 exerciser should perform. If you came to me and said, “hey Jamie, I’ve only got 15 mins a day to do some strength training, what should I do?” I’d give ground based locomotion as my preference to practice. Number five on this list actually includes two key parts. The getting down act and then the ‘moving around whilst you’re down there’ part. Oh, and then you have to get back up too. Ground based movements include a massive family of activities, but here’s just one quick post I made a while ago. READ ON
Let’s summarise
Push, pull, squat, lift stuff and get down to the ground can be just as simple as that.
Pick a movement that fits each description and practice the skills of that movement. You don’t need to train each move to exhaustion in fact that is something quite detrimental to good strength training practice. Best programming entails practicing each movement until your effort may be defined as moderate or 70% of your maximum ability or maybe until you feel you could only perform a few more repetitions safely.
If you’re local to me, I’d be more than happy to build a program for you. I meet people in Limerick and help formulate a routine to practice and this can an ongoing arrangement or an infrequent check up, accountability arrangement.
Don’t think too long about it though, spots are filling up.
How resistance training will strengthen your bones and slow down osteopenia
Wish I had a more interesting title for this post, but I want to be clear, so here we go!
Our bones aren’t just our scaffolding, and we don’t often think about their well-being as we go about our day-to-days. Bones are living tissue that gain mileage (aka get older) just like our muscles, and they respond very well to the forces we place on them through load-bearing exercise to prevent loss of density – regardless of age.
Practising strength training is known to increase or preserve bone mineral density, especially in people at higher risk of bone loss (for example, postmenopausal women and older adults).
Below I’ll cover the research (if you want to read it) and give practical, safe exercises you can carry out in the gym or a home set-up if you’re not a gym person.
What the research shows (short version)
Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses find that exercise programs that include resistance training increase bone mineral density at clinically important sites (lumbar spine and femoral neck) compared with usual activity or non-exercise controls.
Effects are small-to-moderate but clinically meaningful because even small improvements or the prevention of decline reduce fracture risks over time.
Exercise programs that emphasise progressive overload and moderate-to-high intensity (rather than only low-load, high-rep work) tend to produce larger gains in spine bone mineral density and hip / femoral neck bone mineral density. Some recent analyses show high-intensity protocols (when appropriate and supervised) outperform low-intensity approaches.
Combining resistance training with other osteogenic stimuli (jump training for example) or pairing it with aerobic work often produces additive benefits, but resistance training alone already delivers measurable bone benefits.
It’s a win-win for load-bearing exercise.
Exercise program guidelines
These are general recommendations drawn from trials and clinical guidance.
Frequency: Aim for 2–3 resistance sessions per week targeting major muscle groups.
Intensity & load: Use moderate-to-high intensity. For many people, that means working at a load that allows 8–12 reps per set for 2–4 sets but always leaving 2-3 repetitions in reserve. Not training to muscular failure is imperative to prevent the risk of injury. This is valid for all age groups, to be honest. Progressively increase load (or reps) as strength improves.
Exercise selection: Favour multi-joint, load-bearing compound moves that load the hip and spine, e.g., squats, deadlifts, step-ups, hip bridges, loaded carries. These transmit larger forces through bone than isolated single-joint machines.
Progression: Gradually increase resistance (load), then volume (sets/reps), or complexity (unilateral variations, range of motion) — the key is progressive overload so bone gets a new stimulus.
Include impact or high-velocity components if appropriate: Short bouts of jumping, hopping, or fast concentric lifts (for those able) can be osteogenic when safely programmed. High-velocity resistance training has shown benefits in older adults in recent studies.
Consistency: Bone remodelling is a slow process — meaningful changes typically require months to years of consistent training. It’s a good idea, therefore, to make it playful, enjoyable, perhaps adding a few goals and challenges. Maintenance of training is crucial.
Safety first
Most adults will benefit from resistance training, but people with advanced osteoporosis, recent fractures, uncontrolled medical conditions, or certain spinal problems should consult a healthcare provider before starting high-load lifts. Programs can, of course, be adapted with alternatives. Supervision by a qualified trainer or physiotherapist is recommended when starting. The following is an example program not a personal exercise prescription.
Let’s put this altogether with a sample program
1. Warm-up: mobility movement preparation.
2. Goblet squat: 2–3 sets × 8–12 reps (leave 2-3 reps in your reserve)
3. Hip hinge movement: 2–3 × 8–12.
5. Inverted row: 2–3 × 8–12.
6. Push-up variation: 2-3 x 8-12 reps.
6. Loaded carries: 2 × 30–60 seconds.
7. Jumping 5 sets of 2-3 jumps.
Check out the videos below that demonstrate a few options following the above guide.
Progress loading when you can do extra reps comfortably — add weight or a set. Keep rest 1–2 minutes between sets. This is a practical, progressive template many studies mimic.
Summary
Progressive resistance training is a proven, practical way to build and preserve bone density. It works through well-understood mechano-biology, produces measurable increases (or reduces declines) in clinically important bone mineral density sites, and provides muscle and balance benefits that further lower fracture risk. For most people, especially postmenopausal women and older adults, a consistent, progressively overloaded resistance program performed 2–3 times per week provides one of the best lifestyle defences against osteoporosis and fractures.
Talk to your friendly neighbourhood trainer / clinician who can create a safe and progressive plan.
Yours in health
Jamie Hunter
Your friendly neighbourhood trainer
⸻
References and further reading
Mohebbi R., Exercise training and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2023.
Wang Z., Network meta-analysis: comparative efficacy of resistance training protocols on BMD. 2023.
O’Bryan SJ., Progressive resistance training increases hip BMD and strength in older adults (systematic review). 2022.
Chang X., Regulation of bone health through physical exercise (mechanisms review). 2022.
Exercise is Medicine — “Exercising with Osteoporosis” (practical exercise guidance).
Let’s get straight to point for all you over 40s and 50s who want and need to get healthier and stronger now.
When you’re in your 40s and 50s, there really is no time to waste. Random workouts, thrashing it out in group exercise classes, following a ‘killer online program’ that the sexy celebs follow… is all just too general and not for you if you want real results.
By the time you’re in your 50 plus, you really are the very special version of yourself. That’s not necessarily the good kind of special though. You’ll have your own habits like maybe late nights, comfort snack foods, too much alcohol, injury history and a bad case of the ‘used to’. The “I used to squat 200kg and live on pizza and keep my body fat at 15%”!
Loaded carries
I turned 50 a couple of years ago and on reflection, I’ve spent 30 years as an athlete and a trainer of others and I have consistently tried to figure out what matters in training and especially for those who are stuck in ‘not enough time to train’ mindset.
I’ve tried the gadgets and different gym equipment, and whilst some are legitimately better than others, they pale in comparison to the important overarching principles. I have in fact within the past lot of years become a principle based trainer rather than a barbell, or a kettlebell or a CrossFit based trainer.
Principles
Getting healthy, stronger, fitter in our 50s plus comes down to practicing the skills in the 5 keys areas below.
The big 5 keys:
Sleep 7-9 hours a night
Aerobic fitness
Real life strength
Body composition
Flexibility and mobility
For long term results we really need to focus on these 5 key areas and plan our lifestyle and exercise with that in mind. Short term gratification needs to step aside in favour or longer term achievements.
“You’re an adult, eat like one”. I refer to this line from coach Dan John I heard him discuss in a podcast a few years ago. It rings true for most adults who commiserate, celebrate or generally cushion their emotions with food, and not always great food.
Results and a good plan go hand-in-hand. If you truly want to live a healthier, strong, fitter life, a life where you feel capable of joining in any activity without risk of embarrassing or injuring yourself; we start with a progressive plan. Now don’t be thinking this will result in gut wrenching pain. Nope, the goal is to stretch your comfort zone to build strength and fitness.
Sleep is paramount to recovery and adaption to the physical demands of exercise and life. Crappy food and alcohol will disrupt this process. We start with little steps towards improving nutrition and cutting back on the booze to allow for better sleep and hence recovery.
A healthy aerobic system starts with the simple task of just getting your heart rate up to a comfortable rate for a few hours week. The specifics depends on you, but to be honest, frequent brisk walks are that most people need.
I talk of real life strength. You are most likely not a powerlifter or bodybuilder right now, so training maximal strength is superfluous but building up a wide base of relative strength will logically improve your maximal strength, for when you need it. A plan using your body for strength movements that prepare you for real life physicalities is most appropriate. Think pushing and pulling movements, lifting and carrying, learning to brace your torso – these category of moves work best rather than isolated muscle exercises on machines.
Progressive training can lead to great strengths, even as we age.
Strength movements should stay pertinent to safely building healthy strength that will benefit your life moving forward.
Body composition and fat loss goes back to eating like an adult. Whilst we may have our favourite dishes, sweets and delights, we aught to practice mindful eating and of course portion sizes. Unprocessed meats and carbohydrates, unlimited vegetables and suitable flavourings like sauces, herbs and spices are on the cards along.
No one should have to torturously weigh food, or count calories. You can, but there is a better use of your time when time is limited.
I have tried and practiced many of the movement systems taught in the fitness industry over the past 18 years or so (since mobility started to become a focal point). Whilst I enjoyed them, many have not ticked the boxes of being a reasonable practice for everyday people. These days I prefer a flexibility and movement practice that anyone can join in and complete without feeling like a fool.
Mobility training keeps joints healthy and ‘lubricated’
If a routine is reasonable, it will more than likely be practiced often and that is the goal. It’s common that I ask clients to practice their mobility / flexibility routine daily and in most cases, this happens without hesitation.
Change is difficult, especially if we have become stuck in our ways, but if we can get out of our way and let in a few reasonable changes, we can allow the positive changes to happen, and that feels good.
Making little changes like walking a few times a week, following a guided strength and flexibility plan won’t rob the time bank.
A healthier, stronger life is achievable. It requires some guidance at times but don’t be thinking you have to crush yourself or take time away from your already busy life.
It can happen in an instant. A literal bulb flashes above you like an internet meme; an inspirational notion to do something urgently, to change yourself, the direction you’re going or stop something toxic you’ve let into your life.
It happened to a client of mine and thankfully I had the solution to the problem they had at that moment.
The epiphany moment? There’s always an epiphany, a shock of reality. In this case J (let’s call him J) was sitting down to a burger and chips with the family on a Saturday lunchtime and catching a glimpse of a roll of body fat tightly pressing into his shorts button and his t-shirt caused an instant upset. “How the hell did that happen and let’s change it now.” That’s what he told me, the words that ran through his head in that moment.
It felt like he had just woken up overweight and unhappy with what he saw.
But the moment was hot and J was geared up to take action.
Thankfully J spoke to me first thing the next morning in the gym. He’d seen the results of the Amazing 12 program with other clients and now all of a sudden, he wanted in. The Amazing 12 program helps clients lose body fat, gain strength, fitness and learn how healthy eating is very possible and simple.
To cut a long story short, J completed the program and lost his spare tyre around his waist and continued to get stronger at the same time.
You can see these results and other clients in the before and after photos below.
The light bulb can flicker on at any time, and I’m proud to say I have the keys for successful waistline, strength and movement transformations ready to go at any time.
I’m here to help, I’m just waiting for you and your epiphany.
I was chatting to a client this morning between sets and he mentioned how he’s been encouraging his wife to take up some gym training.
She’s not the most motivated potential gym customer however.
It’s a common byproduct of the convenience lifestyle we’re blessed with. If you don’t want to be active you really can avoid it.
It’s easier to curl up on the sofa!
But as we know, not exercising is an invitation for all the sedentary lifestyle associated ailments. I’ve written aplenty on the subject of longevity and health outcomes of exercise, so I’ll not dig in deeper here.
As he’s (the client) getting closer to successfully having his wife visit the gym all the wee excuses are peeking out!
“I’ve not got a gym bag, I’ll have to leave it”. Now that’s a great excuse haha.
I’ve heard some classic excuses over the years from lacking the footwear, it’ll take too long, “I don’t want to sweat”, “I need to get fit before starting the gym / PT”!
My advice that I’ll probably offer in most of these situations is to only do things of interest or fun(ish) to start with.
Change is hard, really hard and feeling physically uncomfortable on purpose to boot, is very uncomfortable and goes against the very nature of being a living entity. Surviving is a natural instinct and undertaking unnecessary physical exertion is not. Exercise whether in a gym or other, is just a simple replacement for the physical lifestyle we evolved to undertake, foraging, hunting, building, being social etc.
But the endorphin rush after surviving a physical effort is always worth it. It feels good to feel good, and satisfyingly completing a physical task from gardening, a good walk or a strength training session; feels good.
Add in partaking in movements that are enjoyable plus the post survival rush…. Surely this is a winning factor to help path the way to a healthier lifestyle.
Other options to making the start easier may include:
Start with a short session. Even 15 minutes 2-3 times a week is a super start.
Just turn up. Putting on a brave face and just showing up to the gym, no agenda, no plan; just start playing on whatever equipment you feel like. This ‘keep it simple’ approach may help build a habit of just turning up before even thinking of a more detailed program.
Hire a professional. I’m biased I know, but hiring a trainer even for two to three sessions might help you understand what you need to know, need to do and take any concerns away that may be lingering in your head.
Online training could be a good fit provided exercising at home, in the spare room or garage is an appropriate and reasonable idea.
An overarching idea for a beginner is also this – take it easy. Not lazy, just practice each movement to a reasonable level of exertion. Forget ‘no pain, no gain’. Practicing the skills of strength and fitness have better longevity than an all out battle.
Let me throw down a wee summary. I know change is hard and sometimes the voices in our head argue the should vs the could scenario.
I’ve helped thousands of people make a start with simple solutions.
I’m here to help.
Get in touch and let me know the thoughts your having
It’s new, it’s exciting and it’s spreading around the world as one of the newest fitness trends.
‘Some classes in action‘
Here are some top 5 reasons why you should try an Animal Flow class and why it’s soooo good.
Animal Flow can be used for a variety of training purposes. It can accompany your normal training as part of a warm up, or as a stand-alone training method. Let’s dive into the top 5 reasons to try it today.
1. Mobility & Flexibility
A major benefit of practicing Animal Flow is the gain and increase of flexibility and mobility. People often think static stretching is the only way to improve muscular flexibility and range of movement about a joint. With Animal flow, you are consistently practicing dynamic moving, in and out of controlled full ranges of movements and teasing out your strength and flexibility at the same time.
2. Trunk Stability
Forget sit-ups and crunches – Animal flow consistency uses the ‘core’ trunk muscles to maintain stability and control through every movement of the training session. You will be reminded often about the key points of your posture and how to get the best out of your core for the best and safest workout.
The core muscles encompass the abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, hip flexors and spinal muscles.
3. Endurance
With a few different ways of training Animal Flow, your muscular endurance can be boosted to improve your overall physical capacity. The flow side of the class will employ various Animal Flow movements and transition from each with particular techniques. This flow is a fantastic way to prevent fatigue in one posture but keep going by moving into a different posture and movement. Interval training can also be practiced by using a few movements individually and training them for time for a few rounds.
4. Fun
Training is often hard we’ll all agree, but Animal Flow is fun. With no equipment to faff around with you can enjoy just seeing what your body can do, how it adapts and learns the challenges. It’s great fun too to share the experience with a group of class mates.
5. Strength
Moving yourself around the floor with style takes calisthenics to a new level. Moving your own body will build real strength. I love lifting weights, but you should always be able to manage moving yourself too.
NEW Animal Flow Classes.
I can run small group training in Limerick as well as one-to-one exploration sessions. Get in touch to start your own Animal Flow.
Ground-based movements mimic the moves that first strengthened our muscles and skeletal systems for walking, running and performing all the functions of a healthy human. It helps to think of it as reconnecting with our original strength and purpose. Back when we were all young children, we were experts at ground based movement. Growing up into relatively sedentary adults robbed us of that original strength.
These movements utilise certain patterns that hold benefits we have long forgotten, since we rarely spend much time moving on the ground.
In short, everything we are meant to be able to do get worked during ground based practice.
Think getting down to the floor and back up, core trunk stability, spinal control, wrist, arm, shoulder and hip strength and endurance and yes, plenty of fun too.
Animal Flow is not yet well known in Ireland but where I learned the system in Australia, it is huge. All around Asia and Japan, Animal Flow is well known and understood for its benefits.
Check out this other article where I outline 5 top reasons to try out Animal Flow.
If you are keen now to try out some ground based movement, get in touch and let’s get you moving.
Not all strength and fitness training needs gym equipment, yoga mats or special equipment. With just a bit of floor space and a can-do attitude everyone with an open mind can have fun, learn some new skills, get stronger and fitter and look cool at the same time.
Yes, I’m being upbeat; must be all the summer sun, but that’s exactly how I feel when practicing Animal Flow.
I get to escape in the details of each and every movement, the alignments, the breathing and how to transition from one position to the next movement.
A typical session will see me mobilise my joints in preparation before ‘switching on’ all the important muscles needed for the work ahead. I’ll then typically practice each movement on the planned flow before building that flow from start to finish.
I could talk more, but if you’ve read this far, maybe you’d like to join me in some impromptu small group classes or one-to-one, to learn more about this unique strength and fitness system.
Here are a couple of videos to get you thinking more…
The practice of the Kick through movement.
2. A full flow demonstration with some extras at the end.
To really encourage people to try Animal Flow I am currently offering personal sessions at a reduced PT price.
