7 Workouts for Women Over 40 – Build Strength, Tone Your Body at Home

The good news? These seven workouts for women are simple, powerful, and tailored for women over 40. They are joint-friendly, metabolism-boosting, and proven to lift glutes, tone legs, strengthen the core, and improve posture and balance.

As women enter their 40s and beyond, their bodies naturally undergo various changes. These changes include a slowing metabolism, hormonal shifts (particularly a decline in estrogen), gradual muscle loss (a condition known as sarcopenia), and sometimes joint stiffness or lower energy levels.

The 7 Best Workouts for Women Over 40 – Build Strength, Lift Glutes, Tone Legs & Stay Fit at Home

This workouts for women routine should be performed four to six days per week. Each session takes 15–25 minutes. Do the exercises as a circuit, doing one set of each move back-to-back.

1. Hip extension

Muscles Targeted: Gluteus maximus (primary), hamstrings, lower back stabilizers, core

How to do it step by step:

1. Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Keep your spine neutral with a flat back and no arching.
3. Engage your core by pulling your navel toward your spine while keeping your lower back flat.
4. Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg upward.
5. Push your heel toward the ceiling and flex your foot.
6. Raise your leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor or slightly higher.
7. Focus on squeezing your right glute hard at the top.
8. Hold for one to two seconds at the peak (maximum glute contraction).
9. Slowly lower with control until your knee hovers just above the floor (don’t rest it).
10. Complete all reps on the right leg, then switch to the left.
11. Reps: 15–20 repetitions per leg × 3 sets

Why it works for women over 40: Glute activation tends to decline sharply after 40 due to sitting and hormonal shifts. This move isolates the glutes, lifts and rounds the backside, counteracts flattening/sagging, strengthens the posterior chain, and improves pelvic alignment (reducing anterior tilt that pushes the belly out).

2. Bridge Pose

Muscles Targeted: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core (transverse abdominis), lower back stabilizers

How to do it step by step:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and 12–18 inches from your buttocks.
2. Relax your arms by your sides with your palms facing down, or cross your arms over your chest.
3. Engage your core by gently pressing your lower back into the floor (a slight posterior pelvic tilt).
4. Exhale and drive through your heels. Squeeze your glutes tightly and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
5. Your body should form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, with no arching of your lower back.
6. Hold for three seconds at the top and imagine that you are holding a coin between your glutes.
7. Inhale and lower yourself slowly and under control until your hips are just above the floor, but don’t fully rest.
8. Reps: 4 sets of 10–15 reps

Why it works for women over 40: It strengthens the entire posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. It lifts the butt and flattens the lower abdomen by reducing anterior pelvic tilt. It supports better spinal health and improves hip extension power for walking, climbing stairs, and standing up from chairs.

3. Bodyweight Squat

Muscles Targeted: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core.

How to do it step by step:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider) and your toes pointed out 10–30°.
2. Engage your core by pulling your chest up, pushing your shoulders back, and looking straight ahead.
3. Begin by pushing your hips back as if you were sitting into an invisible chair while bending both knees.
4. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as your mobility allows without rounding your lower back.
5. Keep your knees in line with your toes and gently push them outward so they don’t cave in.
6. Keep your weight in your heels and mid-foot; you should be able to wiggle your toes the whole time.
7. Drive powerfully through your heels and stand tall.
8. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and push your hips slightly forward for maximum contraction.
9. Reps: 3 sets of 10–15 repetitions

Why it works for women over 40: The king of lower-body exercises, it builds leg and glute strength, boosts metabolism (large muscle groups burn more calories), supports bone density (important after age 40), improves hip mobility, and enhances posture when performed correctly.

4. Fire Hydrant

Muscles Targeted: Gluteus medius/minimus (side glutes), outer thighs (TFL), core

How to do it step by step:

1. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back neutral.
2. Engage your core and keep your hips square (do not twist).
3. Keeping your right knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right knee out to the side with your foot flexed, as if you were a dog at a fire hydrant.
4. Raise your knee to hip height or higher and squeeze your outer glute at the top.
5. Hold for one to two seconds at the top.
6. Lower your knee slowly until it hovers just above the floor.
7. Complete the reps on your right leg, then switch to your left.
8. Reps: 15–20 repetitions per leg × 3 sets

Why it works for women over 40: It targets the gluteus medius, the muscle that rounds the hips, lifts the sides of the buttocks, improves lateral stability, and prevents common knee and hip issues after age 40, such as IT band syndrome, knee pain, and hip bursitis.

5. Reverse Lunge

Muscles Targeted: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, balance muscles.

How to do it step by step:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, your core engaged, and your chest up.
2. Take a big step backward with your right leg.
3. Lower yourself until both knees bend to about 90 degrees, with your front (left) thigh parallel to the floor and your back (right) knee hovering above it.
4. Keep your torso upright and don’t lean forward too much.
5. Drive through the left heel to return to standing.
6. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
7. Alternate legs, or do all the reps on one side, then switch.
8. Reps: 15 repetitions per leg × 3 sets

Why it works for women over 40: Unilateral exercises address common age-related left-right imbalances, engage the gluteal muscles (particularly the glute max), build single-leg strength, enhance balance, and strengthen stabilizers, all while being gentle on the joints.

6. Bridge Leg Extension

Muscles Targeted: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core, lower back stabilizers

How to do it step by step:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Extend your right leg straight up, hovering a few inches off the floor.
3. Engage your core and left glute.
4. Drive through your left heel and squeeze your left glute to lift your hips high.
5. Keep your hips level and don’t tilt toward your straight leg.
6. Maintain pressure for a span of 2–3 seconds at the pinnacle.
7. Decrease the speed gradually and deliberately.
8. Conclude the repetition sequence on the left leg, then transition.
9. Reps: 10 repetitions per leg × 3–4 sets

Why it works for women over 40: The single-leg version increases the demand placed on each glute individually. It lifts the butt, firms the hamstrings, deeply engages the core, and corrects imbalances. It is excellent for counteracting glute amnesia, which is caused by weak glutes from sitting, and anterior pelvic tilt.

7. Cobra Pose

Muscles Targeted: Upper back (erector spinae), rear shoulders, chest (stretch), core, glutes

How to do it step by step:

1. Lie face down on the mat with your legs extended and the tops of your feet on the floor.
2. Place your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders with your elbows close to your body.
3. Engage your core and glutes and keep your hips grounded.
4. Exhale and press your palms down while lifting your chest and upper back off the floor.
5. Keep your shoulders away from your ears and your gaze slightly forward or up.
6. Hold for five seconds and squeeze your upper back and glutes.
7. Inhale and lower yourself slowly.
8. Hold/Time: 5 seconds × 10 reps × 3 sets

Why it works for women over 40: It strengthens the upper back (counteracting slouching and forward head posture), opens the chest (improving posture and breathing), tones the glutes, and supports a stronger core. This improves the appearance of the bust and reduces the rounded-shoulder look common after age 40.

Perform these workouts for women consistently, and you’ll notice your legs getting stronger, your glutes lifting, your posture improving, and your body becoming stronger and more confident, all while protecting your joints and spine! Start today, and a stronger, more balanced body awaits!

Last Updated: April 2026 – Completely Rewritten

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical. Always see a qualified healthcare provider for concerns about your health.