Hanging Exercises For Complete Beginners & Older Adults

Hanging (not the kind with a gallows) is great for the heath, improving not just strength and mobility, but also—critically—looking after spinal health too. Amanda Raynor explains in this video how this exercise is accessible to anyone (unless you have no arms, in which case, sorry, this one is just not for you—though hanging by your legs will also give similar spinal benefits!).

Hanging out

Hanging can be done at home or at a park, with minimal equipment (a bar, a sturdy tree branch, etc).

Note: the greater the diameter of the bar, the more it will work your grip strength, and/but the harder it will be. So, it’s recommend to start with a narrow-diameter bar first.

Getting started:

• Start with a “dead hang”: grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart, thumb wrapped around.
• Aim to hang without pulling up; build endurance gradually (10–30 seconds is fine at first).
• Work up to holding for 60 seconds in three sets as a fitness goal.

Progression:

• If unable to hang at all initially, use a chair or stool to support some body weight.
• Gradually reduce foot support to increase duration of free hanging.
• Start with 10 seconds, progressing by small increments (e.g: 15, 20, 25 seconds) until reaching 60 seconds.

Advanced variations:

• Move the body while hanging (e.g., circles, knee lifts).
• Experiment with different grips (overhand, underhand) for varied muscle engagement.
• Try scapular pulls or one-arm hangs for additional challenge and strength-building.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

How To Get Your First Pull-Up

Take care!