‍Chair Exercises For Seniors: How To Do It & Benefits

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May 11, 2022

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Regular exercise is essential no matter what your age or gender is. So, even people who are over 60 should try to include workouts in their daily routine. That being said, not every exercise for beginners is suitable for seniors. They should add only special exercises for senior citizens that take care of their age-related strength and do not lead to any injury.

In this article, we have jotted down some of the best chair exercises for seniors. These chair exercises can be done easily at home without any special assistance. However, you can always seek an expert’s guidance to ensure that the workout gives maximum benefit. But if you are a beginner and just want to know a bit more about chair exercises for older people, here is a quick guide. From how to do the chair workout to various chair exercises’ benefits, you will get to know it all. Let’s get started.

Top 3 Chair Exercises For Seniors

Single-Leg Calf Raises

Mobility of the lower body is quite essential when people age. This is why we have included one of the best chair exercises for legs. Calf raises will not just improve mobility but also strengthen and alleviate any stiffness in the legs.

You can also modify it to create more chair exercises for legs by adding weights or using a resistance band. But these are not suitable when doing chair exercises for beginners. for now, here is the easiest way to do a single-leg calf raises:

Sit comfortably in a chair and place your feet flat on the floor with a hip-wide distance between them.
Now, engage your core and look straight. Slowly raise your right leg’s heel as high as you can. This will engage your calf muscles and stretch them.
Once you have reached the possible height, lower down your heel back on the floor.
Do at least 10 reps.
Repeat the movement with the left leg for another 10 reps.
After the 10 reps on each side, try to lift both the heels at the same time. Do two more sets of 10 reps and then finally, hold the lifted heels up for 20 seconds before lowering them down.

Heel Slides

If you have even done hamstring curl, you can easily do this wall chair exercise. Heel slides can strengthen the thigh muscles, your glutes, and knees as well. Also since your core gets engaged during heel slides, it can also be performed along with other chair exercises for abs.

Here is how you can do this chair sit exercise:

Sit comfortably in a chair with feet flat on the floor. They should be about hip-width apart.
Now, extend the right leg and flex it so that only the heel remains in contact with the ground but the toes point upwards.
Engage your glutes and hamstrings to drag your right heel back toward the chair without breaking the contact with the floor.
Do it again at least 10-12 times and then switch the leg.
Try to complete 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg.

Tip: While such chair exercises do not require any equipment other than a chair, you can use a paper plate or a small towel to easily slide the heel across the floor. ‍

Seated Knee-to-Chest

If you are looking for specific chair exercises for abs and core muscles, this is the best option. The seated knee-to-chest workout can engage the core muscles while also improving your body posture. This is especially beneficial for seniors who end up slouching their back. Also, since this workout presses your abdomen, you can also use it as an exercise for constipation.

Let’s learn how to do this wall chair exercise:

Sit on the chair. As for the posture, ensure your back is straight and your core muscles are tight.
Stick your chest out and place both sides of the chair.
Slowly, bend your knees and raise both legs closer to the body. Try to bring the knees as close to the chest as possible.
Lower the legs and then repeat this chair sit exercise for at least 10 reps.

What More?

Other than the ones mentioned above, you can also do specific chair exercises for constipation or chair exercises for belly fat. Just have a clear aim and then find suitable chair exercises. Here are some other chair workouts for beginners based on your goals:

Chair Exercises For Arms

Seated Shoulder Press
Seated Chest Press
Isolated Triceps Extensions

Chair Exercises For Constipation

Seated Twist
Chair Squats
Leg Kicks

Chair Exercises For Weight Loss

Knee Raises
Side Bends
Sitting Crunches

Benefits of Chair Exercises

Different chair exercises offer different benefits. But some of the basic chair exercises benefits include the following:

Engage and strengthen calf muscles
Prevent calf injuries
Suitable for abs workout for beginners
Improve body posture and stability
Alleviate any back and neck pain
Improves mobility in joints
Improves blood circulation in the body
Prevent digestion issues with chair exercises for constipation

Chair Workout: Precautions and tips

Whether you are doing chair workouts for beginners or advanced level, it is always recommended to follow the guidelines and tips to get the best results. For the chair exercises mentioned above, keep the following things in mind:

Always perform an easy warmup before starting chair exercises.
Do not eat heavy meals before the workout.
If you have any chronic condition related to knees or joints, talk to your doctor before performing any of the chair exercises for belly fat or even exercises for the shoulders.
If you experience any sharp pain or strain even when you are doing chair exercises for beginners, stop immediately.
To get the best results, complement your chair exercises for weight loss with a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle habits.

Conclusion

As you get older, your mobility will become limited. The best way to reverse that is by trying basic chair exercises. And now that you know a bunch of them, you will realize you don’t even need a gym to improve your health. Try these workouts and start your journey to a healthy life.

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