Carry a bag
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A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.
Walk a short, clear path while you carry a light bag. Carrying groceries is strength work you already do.
- Main focus
- Everyday movement
- Level
- Building
- Equipment
- Household objects
- Load
- Free weight
- Stability
- Free: you control the whole movement
- Balance type
- Walking balance
Keep something steady within reach: a counter, wall or sturdy chair.
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
A bag with a sturdy handle and a clear path indoors.
How to do it
- Fill a bag with a light load, such as a few cans, and hold it by the handle with your arm straight at your side.
- Stand tall and keep your shoulders down and level.
- Walk 10 to 20 steps along a clear path at an easy pace.
- Set the bag down by bending your knees. Switch hands and repeat.
How much
To start: Not a starting exercise. Begin with sit-to-stand.
As it gets easier: Start with about 2 to 5 pounds (1 to 2 kg). 10 to 20 steps with each hand. Add weight slowly, over weeks.
How it should feel: The weight feels light. Do not let it pull your shoulder or your body to one side.
Make it easier
- Use less weight.
- Walk fewer steps.
Make it harder
- Add a little weight, a pound or two at a time.
- Add more steps.
Safety
- Keep the weight light at first.
- Bend your knees to set the bag down. Do not bend from your back.
- Never carry a bag up or down stairs while you are building this up.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel pain in your back, shoulder or hand.
- You feel unsteady or the load pulls you off balance.
Other ways to do this movement
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Where this comes from
NIA: carrying heavy items such as groceries is a muscle-strengthening activity; start light and build gradually. The 2 to 5 pound start, step counts and set-down technique are Fitafter50's own conservative choices that the reviewer must confirm.
- Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, National Institute on Aging, NIH (Content reviewed Jan. 14, 2025).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.