Best Online Exercise Programs for Women Over 50 for 2024

Fitness is a huge concern for women over 50 and many of us take it very seriously. Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to stay healthy and look younger. No beauty device can replace it. But finding the best program to meet our aging and changing bodies is not always easy. In my opinion, exercise should be fun and not torture.

Going to the gym isn’t always convenient and can be expensive. A 20-year-old trainer may ask you to do exercises that could cause you to get hurt. That’s why it’s helpful to know where to find online exercise programs specifically designed for older women. A well-balanced fitness routine will focus on core strength, balance, and flexibility because as we age we become prone to falls or other disabling injuries.

Fitness over 50 is not just about losing and maintaining weight and is the least important thing about it. It’s more about feeling good in your body and mind, enjoying overall health, and reducing stress.

Embrace this mantra. . .

The more I move, the longer I can move.

Once you stop moving, it’s harder to move later in life. There are ninety-year old’s still picking olives and staying active all over the world. They are constantly active, walk everywhere, garden, do laundry, care for animals, or do other physical activities. Most have never seen the inside of a gym.

Adopt an overall fitness body regime

My favorite exercise is walking because it’s excellent for cardio and heart health. It also gets me out into nature which is great for stress reduction.

But, walking may not be enough to stay in shape and be healthy over 50. Combine it with cardio, balance, flexibility, and strength training exercises geared toward older women.

Seniors are staying active and even running marathons but you must find something right for you. You can do all sorts of exercises in the comfort of your home without leaving home or spending money.

To make it easy for you, I have curated a list of online exercise programs that cover all the basics and preferences for older women’s fitness. Please click on the links and have fun trying them out.

The best online exercise programs for women over 50

These fitness programs are appropriate and safe for active women over 50. If you want to get rid of middle-aged spread, flabby arms, and feel better all over what do you have to lose?

1. Silver Sneakers

If you are eligible for Medicare in the U.S., you can join a Silver Sneakers program. It is included in most Medicare Advantage Programs. I signed on with my health plan and got a free Garmin Vivofit 4 Activity Tracker (with options for other free goodies) and a free gym membership at my local fitness center. Silver Sneakers is also available online for your convenience.

2. Debra Atkinson

Debra Atkinson is the founder of the website Flipping 50.  She’s been featured on numerous media outlets like The Huffington Post, Prevention, and Living Better 50, to name a few. Her YouTube TV channel Flipping 50 TV offers a variety of exercise videos for women over 50.

Her main focus is strength training and she will show you how to perform exercises in a way that’s safe and effective. She likes to work with a combination of light to heavy weights because each has a particular set of benefits. Do you have an issue with belly fat? Debra’s a fabulous resource to get rid of it forever.

3. Tami Peavy

Tami Peavy’s website is called PracticalTherapy4u.com. She is a well-known physical therapist who has been featured on NBC and The Today Show. Her online exercises for seniors focus on posture decline and she believes it’s important to strengthen your “muscle of balance.” (otherwise known as your butt) Her exercises are designed to help prevent falls, which can be devastating when you’re over 50.

You will also find tips and exercises for sciatica, injuries, neck pain, plantar fasciitis, and carpal tunnel.

Her DVDs are available for purchase online here.

4. Lori Michiel Fitness Inc

Lori Michiel has designed a series of online exercises for seniors to help you stretch, improve your range of motion, strengthen your muscles, and reduce pain. She’s a Brooklyn-born woman over 60 who lives in Los Angeles and works with seniors. Her individual and group exercise routines address those who may be dealing with Parkinson’s, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

Visit Lori’s website here

Subscribe to her YouTube Channel here.

5. Be Healthy Enough

Amy Van Liew posts online exercises for seniors on her website Be Healthy Enough. She will help you get moving even as the aches and pains of age creep in.  Numerous exercise options and over 130 workout videos can be accessed on her site.  

Sign up for her next challenge by signing up for her FREE Fit Over 50 – Beginner 4 Week Program.  It’s an easy-to-follow program with daily beginner workouts for a whole month; Strength Training, Core Work, Stretching, Low Impact Warm-Up. All are laid out in a 4-week plan. 

6. Tai Chi

One of the most effective exercises for seniors is Tai Chi because it focuses on balance and mobility. It’s a form of meditation as well and is practiced regularly by Asian cultures. Discover Tai Chi For Balance and Mobility Scott Cole Wellness Series is available on Amazon and is gentle and easy to follow.

It includes breathing, stretching, and chair exercises. Scott Cole has been featured in over 500 publications and on TV in shows like Regis and Kelly, CNN Headline News, The View, The Doctors, Food Network, and more.

7. Nia On Demand Movement Classes

Nia on Demand combines dance, Tai Chi, martial arts, and more but you don’t have to be perfect at it as long as you move. As a woman over 60, I found it relaxing but also invigorating. It is almost spiritual in a sense. There is a large selection of classes that are different lengths and styles. I enjoyed its Quick Nia classes that are 20 -30 minutes which is just right for my aging body.

8. Ballet-Based Movement

Did you ever dream about becoming a ballet dancer when you were young? Susan Jacobson teaches simple online ballet-based movement exercises using her 70-ish mother as an example that can be done at home. It’s made for beginners so your fitness level doesn’t matter and no ballet experience is needed. Her mother told me, in an interview, that the movement exercises helped her physically and mentally improve her fitness levels.

Visit their website here.

9. The Nourished Body

The Nourished Body is an intelligent exercise program including Pilates and Integrated Movement. It covers pelvic floor health, chronic pain management, injury recovery, and prevention. Melanie McGray, the creator of NBO, guides you with expert knowledge to help you feel more like yourself with safe and effective exercises. You will attain better function, fluidity, and form as a result.

Each session addresses her client’s needs incorporating Melanie’s extensive movement and rehabilitation training background. The beauty of The Nourished Body Online is that her sessions, privates, and classes, are LIVE. That way she is with you every step of the way. It’s like having a personal trainer right in the comfort of your own home.

Visit the Nourished Body here.

10. Fabulous 50s

The Fabulous 50s YouTube channel with Schellea Fowler has become a favorite of mine and my roommates. We do a 15-30-minute segment with her almost every day.

In addition to her fitness videos, her channel focuses on lifestyle and healthy living. Her fun and effective workouts incorporate strength training, balance, fat-burning, and more. Most have you walking for 30 seconds and then doing a standing exercise. This repeats throughout the video so there is no choreography to learn, which my non-dance-oriented roommates love. The time goes fast, her voice is soothing and is pleasant to listen to, which isn’t always the case on YouTube.

Here is an example of one of the 30-minute workouts with her we’ve been doing.

11. Rebalance and Reboot Your Body

In an article on Today, Miranda Esmonde White, a former ballerina, prescribes “a full-body routine that uses all of a person’s 650 muscles and 360 joints (for women over 40) in one low-impact workout. She demonstrates the moves, which she calls the  Essentrics technique, in her “Classical Stretch” series on PBS.” Order her DVD called Rebalance and Reboot Your Body. A good stretch exercise routine keeps you flexible which is critical over 50.

12. Body Groove

If you enjoy free-form dancing, you will love Body Groove Delicious Dance. It’s designed for all ages and you can do it at your own pace. Misty Tripoli leads the class and there are no rules. You can rock out or move in whatever way fits your mood and fitness level. She also includes stretching and flexibility exercises. I always have a blast doing her workouts.

13. TheOptimal.me – Functional Movement exercises

TheOptimal.me is an extensive online collection of Integrated Movement Routines that will help you move more freely with less pain. It was founded by Liz Grantham who is in her 50s and feeling great today, but six years ago she was not.

Her journey to wellness led her to functional movement and Integrated Movement Routines (IMRs) with functional movement expert, Jannie Claassen.  Bringing on board chronic pain management physiotherapist, Simone Levy, Liz brought Jannie’s routines online and created TheOptimal.me so that others could benefit from IMRs.

Like the sound of Physical Freedom?

Start with their 21-day guided course, First Steps to Physical Freedom.  Click on Free Trial (no card required) and select the Survive and Thrive Plan to take advantage of their 30-Day Free Trial Offer which gives you access to the course and so much more! 

To sign up go to theoptimal.me

14. Healthwise Exercise TV

Healthwise Exercise TV, founded by Suzanne Andrews, is an online 40 + fitness channel that gives you access to many exercise modalities. It costs $19.99 monthly and has programs for functional fitness, circuit training, walking, strength training, and yoga. Its exercise programs work perfectly for seniors who have specific conditions like osteoporosis, stress, sleep disorders, painful joints, COPD, and more.

The series has been touted as one of the best exercise programs on PBS TV. You can also order her programs on DVDs.

Check out the Healthwise Exercise TV website here.

15. TherHab Fitness at Home

Patrice Hazan has a doctorate in Physical Therapy from Des Moines University and a Master’s degree in Gerontology from Roosevelt University. She is a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist and a member of the Academy of Geriatrics with the American Physical Therapy Association.

Her company, TherHab Fitness at Home offers live active aging classes online including aerobics, strength training, balance, core, yoga, and tai chi. You must sign up for an assessment by a physical therapist who will evaluate you and make recommendations based on your needs. Classes are available live online or via their video library.

To learn more about the program, click here.

16. Nielsen Fitness – Online Personal Training

Nielsen Fitness is a Canadian-based fitness company. However, you can book fitness training sessions with qualified fitness coaches virtually. I wrote a review of my experience here. As long as you have a web device with a camera like a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and about 5′ x 5′ of space you can easily have fitness success. Equipment is optional.

17. Fitness with Cindy

I accidentally found Fitness with Cindy on YouTube and thoroughly enjoyed her energetic and well-rounded senior fitness videos. Cindy is a senior who makes exercise truly fun with great music, easy routines, and a wealth of knowledge about fitness over 50. She will give you an invigorating and targeted workout that covers just about every body part to live longer and healthier.

18. YouTube

Sometimes I like to browse through YouTube to find exercise videos that are fun to do. If you search for “exercises for women over 50” you will find a wide variety. It’s a crapshoot, though. Some are good and some are downright awful but it’s a good way to add variety to your fitness routine. It all depends on what you like.

Other online fitness resources for women over 50

• Monitor your vital signs – Check out these fabulous medical wearables here.
• Virtual Exercise Trends Guild – Find multiple ways you can work out online.
• Buy these books on Amazon: 5 Minute Core Exercises for Seniors: Daily Routines to Build Balance and Boost Confidence and 10 Minute Strength Training Exercises for Seniors: Exercises and Routines to Build Muscle, Balance, and Stamina

Over 50 Fitness DVDs on Amazon

• The 28-Day Size Down Challenge Low Impact Workout DVD for Women and Men – A Full Body Fitness Program for Seniors
• Little Black Dress Full Body Exercise DVD for Women – Seniors and Beginners – 8-Minute Low-Impact Workouts for Home, Including Healthy Eating Guidance
• Evergreen Wellness Rock The Walk 30-Day Workout Challenge DVD for Beginners and Seniors – The Low Impact, Indoor Walking Exercise Program

Do you feel motivated to get in shape?  I know I do. What are your favorite online exercise programs? Please leave a comment below.

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