10 Best Chair Exercises For Seniors

If you feel discomfort in your shoulder joints, this is the exercise you should try. It is beginner-friendly and will be more simple to perform with a chair. Just sit on the chair and move your arms in circles.

How To Do It?

• Take a sit on the edge of a chair with a straight back.
• Extend your arms out towards your sides at shoulder height.
• Begin rotating them in a circular motion for a total of 15 repetitions for both front and backward circles.
• Try to do 2 to 3 sets every day for best results.

Seated ankle rotations is a chair yoga exercise for seniors that can improve the flexibility and movement of the ankle. In this exercise, you will have to follow multiple movement patterns with your ankles.

How To Do It?

• Start at a seated position with a straight back.
• Lift one of your legs to the front.
• Hold the lift and start rotating the ankles while keeping other parts of your leg stable.
• Perform the rotation on both sides at least 15 times before moving on to the next leg.
• Do the same with the other leg as well.

This is another easy exercise that engages the spine, upper back, hips, neck, and arms. The seated twists are one of the chair yoga exercises for seniors that helps in building flexibility in all these body parts by reducing strains and tightness.

If performed on a regular basis it is going to keep you far away from spine-related injuries for a long time.

How To Do It?

• Settle down on a chair with your hands resting on your thighs or the chair handles.
• Twist your upper body towards one side along with your head.
• Rotate as far as possible without hurting yourself and look over the shoulder.
• While controlling the movement, get back to the starting position.
• Do as instructed on the other side and complete a total of 3-4 sets on each side.

This exercise works well in reducing the stiffness of your lower body. While doing this exercise most of the pressure is felt on the quads and the knees.

Meanwhile, the sit-to-stand exercise also improves your balance which plays a significant role in most of your daily activities.

How To Do It?

• Begin at a simple sitting position and plant your feet hip-width apart on the floor.
• Rest your hands on the thighs and keep a straight back.
• Gently, stand up from the chair and get on your feet. Slightly lean forward while doing this.
• Shift the body back and bend your knees to sit back down.
• Complete 10 to 15 repetitions in a single go. 

With the change in bone and muscle structures, elderly people become more prone to hip and lower back-related injuries. Seated marching is the perfect exercise that can be performed to reduce the chances of facing these problems.

This exercise engages the hip flexors, quadriceps, and core muscles providing you with a stiffness-free hip and rest from muscle pain.

How To Do It?

• Find a chair and sit on the edge of the chair while holding the side rail with your hands.
• Slowly bring your right knee up as far as possible as if you are marching.
• Lower the right knee and do the same with the left one to complete the rep.
• Move one knee at a time and perform the march for around 1-2 minutes for best results.

To strengthen the shoulders even more, a shoulder press can be performed immediately after arm circles. This exercise will stretch the front and side deltoids which make up most of the shoulder.

It is mostly performed with weights but empty-handed shoulder presses are preferable for elderly people.

How To Do It?

• Begin by sitting in a chair with an erected back. 
• Place the fit hip-width apart and make a fist on both your hands.
• Drive your hands upwards close to your ear with palms facing front.
• Try to maintain a 45-degree angle with your elbow, positioning them sideways.
• Now push your hands over your head up to a lockout position until your arms become straight.
• Hold for a few seconds at the top and lower your hand down. 
• Conduct 10 to 15 repetitions.

If you are someone facing problems with back pain caused by muscle stiffness, a seated side bend is an ideal solution for that.

This 10-minute chair exercise for seniors enhances the flexibility and mobility of the back to ease out the pain in just a few weeks. 

How To Do It?

• Place yourself onto a chair with your hands resting on the sides.
• Maintain a straight and bend towards one of your sides.
• Your hand should slide along with the movement toward the floor.
• At the bottom, feel the stretch on your opposite side for around 5 to 10 seconds. 
• Now, return to the starting position and do the same on the other side.

Next on the list is the seated toe tap, an exercise that helps with leg and ankle strengthening. This will further assist you in standing for a long period without losing your balance.

How To Do It?

• Sit on a chair with a straight back and the legs on the floor.
• Steadily raise only your toes while maintaining the heels on the ground.
• Now, get the toes back to the ground and do the same for 1-2 minutes in a controlled way.
• Make sure that the heels are in full touch with the ground at all times.

This is another great exercise for your ankle to improve your walking ability. Although this workout is mostly focused on the ankle, it also helps in stretching other parts of your lower body to make you stronger in field activities.

How To Do It?

• Sit on the edge of a chair and grab the side handles to maintain stability.
• Lift one leg in front of you and use the foot to write the letters of the alphabet.
• Now, lower the foot back and do the same with the other.
• Perform a total of 3 sets for as many repetitions as possible.

The calf is one of the most neglected muscles. But training is as important as training other parts of the body, especially for seniors. It helps in multiple leg movements like walking, running, cycling, and many more.

This muscle can even prevent falls and reduce the risk of other injuries. You can also use weights like dumbbells or plates to make the exercise more challenging.

How To Do It?

• Sit down on the chair with your knees at 90 degrees.
• Press into the fingers of your feet and lift up your heels.
• Feel the contraction in your calf muscles while pressing up.
• Hold the contraction for two seconds at the top.
• Slowly lower your heel to the floor and do the same for 15 to 25 repetitions for effective results.

In the current fast-paced world, exercising has become an important aspect of human life, mostly for those in their golden age after retirement. Chair exercises among many other forms of exercise suits best for these seniors.

There are many benefits associated with it. So, among the numerous benefits, here are some of the key ones.

1. Weight Control

When you do chair exercises, energy will be used and you can burn calories. This, in a way, helps in avoiding further accumulation of fat and other related effects that may be a result of weight gain.

2. Disease Prevention

They can reduce severe diseases that are associated with the physical activity of the heart, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

3. Mental Health

Exercise will elevate endorphins, a natural substance that has a direct influence on compelling a human being to have happy feelings. It will do away with stress, anxiety, and even depression.

4. Physical Strength and Flexibility

Chair exercises can help maintain physical strength for a long period. Remember that old age can usually make a person physically weak. This exercise works in favor of balance, flexibility, muscles, and stamina.

5. Bone Health

Chair exercises can assist in the maintenance of bone mass density and the improvement of the structure of the bones. This is very essential for the elderly, specifically because it reduces their probability of falling.

There are precautions required to be observed when exercising on a chair for senior citizens to avoid putting too much strain on the muscles. Nevertheless, let it be specified that throughout the constant performance of the chair exercises, two more aspects can always be considered, especially since they relate to safety and effectiveness.

1. Comfort

Choose a strong chair. The chair should not have wheels and, preferably, should have arms. As for clothes, wearing something not that formal and not restricting the movements of the limbs is suitable.

2. Hydration

Never forget to hydrate yourself because working out without enough water in the body will make you feel uncomfortable and tired. Always have some water nearby. It is advisable to drink some water before, during, and after physical activities.

3. Controlled Movements

While exercising, one should be very careful and thoughtful in building up the right posture so that an injury is not a result. Don't put unnecessary pressure on the body.

4. Breathing

With various repetitive exercises, it is common to feel discomfort in breathing but it is important to not hold the breath. Follow a proper breathing technique with short inhales and long exhales.

5. Pain and Discomfort

It is critical to stop the procedure if the feeling of pain starts to kick in, or if the discomfort is rather strong. Some muscle rigidity is normal but stinging pain should not be present.

6. Listen to your Body

Your body has strength according to your age. Try to raise the degree gradually and the time you spend on each of the exercises depends on your physical capabilities and the tolerance of your body.

Although most of the seniors are uninformed about the importance of exercising, it can work wonders for them. So it is quite necessary for them to engage in chair exercises to maintain their fitness level and avoid the challenges that old age might bring in the future.

These exercises are easy, involve the use of small items, and are safe to do in the comfort of one’s home. Carrying them out increases your strength, flexibility, and balance. It contributes to the health of the body and also the mind.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be taken as a medical advice.