Celebrity trainer, 51, says you need this one dumbbell exercise to build full-body strength and balance as you age

(Image credit: Shutterstock) As a fitness expert in my 40s, my priorities have definitely changed. Yes, I still want to build muscle and feel strong, but I'm increasingly interested in exercises that challenge my balance, test my coordination and help me stay agile for the long haul.I want to move well, in as many different directions as possible, for as long as possible. Because for me, it's no longer just about lifting heavy weights. It's about building a body that can move well and cope with life. And it turns out celebrity trainer Simone De La Rue thinks along similar lines.The former professional dancer and founder of Body By Simone has worked with an impressive list of A-listers, including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Garner and Gigi Hadid, and recently shared a full-body compound exercise designed to challenge strength, balance and coordination in one go.There’s quite a lot going on, but that’s exactly why I like it.What are the benefits?You’re strengthening your glutes, quads and hamstrings as you lunge, working your shoulders and arms as you press the weights overhead, then challenging the stabilizing muscles around your hips as you move laterally.Your core has to work throughout to keep you stable and controlled, while the little hop to the side adds another challenge, asking the muscles around your hips, knees and ankles to power you up, then help you land safely again.It also gets your balance and coordination involved: two things that become increasingly important as you get older.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Want to give it a go? Grab a pair of dumbbells and follow the steps below.How to do itStart in a split stance with your right leg in front of your left, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height.Bend both knees and lower into a split squat, keeping your torso upright and your front knee tracking in line with your toes.Push through your front foot to return to standing.From here, press both dumbbells overhead, bracing your core as you extend your arms.Lower the weights toward your shoulders, hop out to your right with control, then hop your foot back into the middleRepeat the sequence, then switch sides..The trick here is to break the move down and practice each part separately. There are several movements to coordinate, so start with lighter weights until you can move smoothly from the split squat into the press and lateral hop without losing your balance or letting your knees collapse inward.Aim for two sets of six to eight repetitions on each side, using light dumbbells until you've mastered the move.Why I like this exercise for longevityThere’s a lot packed into one move. Here’s why I’ve added it to my strength workouts:It builds full-body strengthThis is the big one. Rather than isolating a single muscle group, you’re asking several to work together.The split squat targets your glutes, quads and hamstrings, while the overhead press works your shoulders and arms. Your core has to stabilize your torso as you move between the two.For me, that makes it a great option when I want to get more from one exercise rather than spending hours in the gym.It challenges your balanceSplit squats already reduce your base of support compared with a regular squat. Add an overhead press and lateral movement, and your body has a lot more to deal with.You need to stay stable as your weight shifts and your arms move overhead, which makes this as much a balance and coordination challenge as a strength exercise.It’s a known fact that balance can decline as we get older, so exercises that challenge balance alongside strength are becoming a regular and important part of my own workouts.It works your body in more than one directionMost of us spend plenty of time moving forward and backward, whether that’s walking, running, or doing exercises such as squats and lunges.The lateral hop changes that.Moving sideways recruits the muscles responsible for stabilizing your hips, including your gluteus medius. Strong hip stabilizers are important for controlling the pelvis and keeping the lower body stable when you walk, run, or stand on one leg.You’ll find that the hop to the side takes a little effort to start with; your foot almost doesn’t want to jump out to the side, but it doesn’t take long to click, and you just really have to think about it, which I like when training. It's challenging. Think deep mind-muscle connection.It makes your core work harder than you might thinkYou know those standing abs moves that we often talk about? Well, this is a great example. Your core is active throughout because it has to work to keep your torso stable during the split squat, stop you wobbling as you change direction and hop and provide a solid base as you press the dumbbells overhead. There’s a lot going on here.You’ll probably notice it even more as you fatigue, which is why I started with a lighter pair of dumbbells and kept the entire movement controlled rather than overloading my body and losing form.VerdictThere’s no shortage of exercises to keep you strong as you get older, but I like this one because it combines so many things I want from my training in one sequence: strength, balance, coordination and mobility.It’s also surprisingly challenging. You don't need particularly heavy dumbbells to feel your shoulders and legs working, and adding the overhead press and lateral step means your core rarely gets a chance to switch off.Would I replace my squats and deadlifts with it? No. Those big compound lifts allow me to go heavier, which is crucial for building and maintaining strength as I get older. But as an accessory exercise in a full-body strength session, this is definitely one I’ll be keeping in my repertoire.Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. More from Tom's GuideForget back pain, this low-impact ab workout builds strong abs in just 3 movesI’m a weightlifting coach — 5 ‘old-school’ exercises that still build functional strength and muscle all overNo squats! I just tried this 8-minute chair workout, and it’s perfect for seniors, beginners, and anyone looking to build strength without impact Lucy Miller is a Journalist, Level 3 Personal Trainer, Nutritional Advisor and Children’s Fitness Specialist. She holds fitness qualifications from NASM Training and Premier Training International and has been a fitness journalist and model for over 20 years.