#HomeFitness

From Bangkok’s high-rise condos to rural village houses, Thai families are discovering that seven affordable pieces of exercise equipment can prevent falls, reduce hospital visits, and preserve elderly independence for years longer than traditional care approaches.

The Urgent Reality of Thailand’s Aging Crisis

Thailand stands at a demographic crossroads that will define the next generation. More than 12 million Thais—representing over 20% of the population—now qualify as senior citizens aged 60 and above. This rapid aging transformation, occurring faster than almost any nation in history, places unprecedented pressure on Thai families who traditionally care for elderly relatives at home.

A new training trend is shaking up home fitness routines worldwide: swapping traditional core exercises like sit-ups and crunches for dynamic, dumbbell-based moves. As detailed in a firsthand feature on Fit&Well, journalist Yanar Alkayat shares her experience adopting a weighted core circuit, guided by musculoskeletal specialist Kelly Marshall, highlighting key reasons why Thai readers may want to reconsider their approach to ab training (Fit&Well, 2025).

In today’s fitness culture, core workouts are almost synonymous with endless repetitions of crunches—but new research and expert insights suggest this may be a missed opportunity. Many of us in Thailand follow online videos or fitness apps that focus mainly on “visible abs.” However, strengthening only the superficial muscles overlooks vital deep core muscles that underlie our posture, balance, and daily movements. Weighted core exercises, particularly those using dumbbells, have emerged as a way to target deeper muscle layers around the ribs, spine, and pelvis—muscles crucial not only for aesthetics but for practical function such as walking, lifting, and climbing stairs.