I'm a personal trainer: If you want to boost longevity after 40, these are the 5 exercises you should start with in the gym

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If I had 10 seconds to pick five strength exercises I'd give (most of) my clients for the rest of their lives, these are the ones I'd pick. While I would encourage most people to be versatile in the gym, these moves tick the boxes for being compound (multi-joint and multi-muscle), progressive, beginner-friendly, effective, and good for your joints and mobility.The benefits of strength training are well-documented: stronger bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles; a higher resting metabolism (lean muscle is more metabolically active than fat); decreased sedentary time, and a little boost in mental health. It's a longevity tool that we know becomes even more crucial after 35.You don't need a list of exercises as long as your arm, either. You can strengthen your whole body and even improve overall mobility with just five. Here they are.If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.5 exercises for longevityTry adding these five movements to an existing routine, aiming for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with roughly 30 to 60 seconds between, or use them to create a higher-intensity circuit. If you follow a circuit, aim for 45 to 50 seconds of work, aiming to hit the same reps for each exercise each time, followed by 10-15 seconds of rest, for 4-5 rounds.1. Push-upsPush-ups develop pushing power and are very functional for everyday life, whether it's pushing yourself up off the ground or pushing a pram uphill.Without weights, they strengthen your triceps, the fronts of your shoulders, known as the anterior deltoids, your core, which stabilizes your torso, and your pectorals (the chest).Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Avoid letting your hips sag and always lead with your chest. In the gym, or anywhere you like to train, pairing push-ups and pull-ups offers a pretty complete upper-body workout using opposing movements.Here's how to do a push-up:Start in a plank position, with your weight underneath your shoulders and your palms flat on the floor, shoulder-width apartEngage your core, thinking about sucking your belly button toward your spineMaintain a straight line from your heels to the crown of your headSlowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your elbows tracking backPause, then press upward to your starting position. 2. Pull-ups