Five Surprisingly Simple Exercises That Actually Slow Down Aging—Here's the Science

You don't need a gym membership or fancy equipment to fight aging—just five specific exercises that target the movements your body needs to stay independent and healthy. Fitness coach Vanja Moves has identified five science-backed exercises that can naturally reverse some effects of aging, and the research supporting them is compelling. These aren't complicated gym routines; they're movements you can do almost anywhere, and they directly address the physical decline that often comes with getting older.

What Makes These Five Exercises So Powerful Against Aging?

The key insight is that aging doesn't have to mean losing strength, developing stiff joints, and eventually losing your independence. Instead, these five exercises target the specific physical capabilities that research shows are linked to longevity and quality of life. Each one addresses a different aspect of functional fitness—the ability to do everyday activities without help.

Which Five Exercises Should You Actually Be Doing?

Here are the five movements that fitness experts and researchers recommend for slowing aging:

• Dead Hangs: Hanging from a bar decompresses your spine, rebuilds your shoulders, and trains grip strength. A 2022 study published in the journal Age and Ageing found that increases in handgrip strength reduced the risk of dying from any cause, making this a surprisingly powerful longevity tool.
• Deep Squats: This is the original human resting position, and losing it means losing ankle mobility, hip function, spinal health, and eventually your independence. Commit to this movement daily and you'll maintain the ability to sit down and stand up—a critical functional skill.
• Sitting to Standing: The ability to get down to the floor and back up again is literally the line between dependence and independence. A recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that lower sitting-rising test scores in midlife adults were associated with a markedly increased risk of both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related death during a roughly 12-year follow-up period.
• Hip Mobility Work: Stiff hips equal poor balance and higher fall risks. Falls are the number one way aging robs people of their independence, and older adults who sustain hip fractures have about a 20 to 30 percent chance of dying within a year.
• Isometric and Core Stability Exercises: Planks, wall sits, and holds train stability, balance, and resilience—your shield against falls. Research has suggested that isometric work also reduces hypertension (persistently high blood pressure) and promotes better blood flow.

How Should You Actually Start These Exercises?

The beauty of these movements is that they scale to your current fitness level. "Stability equals survival—train it daily," explains Vanja Moves. Beginners don't need to jump into advanced versions; they can start with modifications and build up over time.

For dead hangs, beginners should start by using a chair to support some of their weight, hanging in five to ten-second increments. Intermediates should do full dead hangs for between 20 and 40 seconds, aiming to increase time spent in the dead hang to five minutes daily. If you're already advanced, build up to 10 minutes daily across variations like mixed grips, scapula pulls, and one-arm hangs.

One of Vanja's students—a 61-year-old woman—started with a two-second assisted dead hang but within weeks reached 30 seconds unassisted, showing that progress is absolutely possible regardless of where you start.

For deep squats, beginners should hold a door frame or couch and elevate their heels on books, aiming to accumulate two to five minutes daily in this position. Intermediate squatters should squat unassisted with chest tall and aim for 15 to 20 minutes daily. Advanced practitioners should explore different stances and aim for 30 or more minutes across the day.

The sitting-to-standing exercise starts simple: sit down and get up from a chair without using your hands, then gradually lower the chair over time. As your mobility improves, you should eventually be able to get up from the floor unsupported. "If you can stand from the floor without help, you are literally lowering your risk of early death, so train this daily," says Vanja.

For hip mobility, beginners should improve their 90/90 hip rotations with gentle rocks on the floor using their hands to assist, before slowly increasing the difficulty. Intermediates can explore side Cossack squats, pigeon poses, and low-gate flows with the intention of increasing load and reducing assistance. Advanced practitioners should aim for full locomotion patterns—moving across the floor like a cat, crawling, stepping, and flowing with ease and freedom.

Isometric work follows a similar progression: beginners start with wall sits, planks, and supported balances; intermediates do longer planks, isometric squats, and single-leg balance moves; and advanced practitioners try loaded carries, gymnastic holds, static strength work, handstands, and straight-arm strength work.

Why Does This Matter for Your Long-Term Health?

The research connecting these specific movements to longevity is substantial. Grip strength, trained through dead hangs, has been consistently associated with improved longevity in scientific studies. The sitting-rising test—which measures your ability to get up from the floor—is so predictive of mortality risk that it's used in major cardiovascular research. Hip mobility directly impacts fall risk, which is one of the most serious threats to independence in older age.

The takeaway is straightforward: these five exercises address the exact physical capabilities that research shows matter most for living longer and staying independent. You don't need expensive supplements, fancy equipment, or hours at the gym. You need consistency with movements that your body was designed to do, performed at a level that matches your current fitness. Start where you are, progress gradually, and train daily for the best results.