Sit comfortably at the edge of the chair. Keep both arms to the sides of the body, let them hang naturally with both palms facing forward, keeping the elbows tucked (at the sides of your body). Secure the core by keeping the back upright and the spine straight. In younger years, they might have been able to run 10 miles a day or compete in a triathlon, now it’s just getting harder to even stand. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/10-minute-chair-core-workout Place both feet back to the starting position. To make this exercise more challenging, try not to touch the feet to the ground until the exercise is finished. Keep both legs at a 90-degree angle with the chair. Modified Planks If a senior is feeling resistance (tension) in their core, then they’re in the correct position. Here are 10-minutes of easy to follow, seated, core exercises. Without getting up and entertaining our muscles with movement, we reduce our chances to age healthfully. 16. Place the chair against a wall for more support. To perform a toe-tapping exercise that works your abs, take the same ball that you used for the chair twists and place it by your feet as you sit in the chair. Keep both feet flat on the floor. Now that’s exciting, isn’t it? Our shoulders carry massive loads, some of us sleep on our shoulders, we fall and lean on them, and there are a variety of regular movements we make in the day with our shoulders. It doesn’t matter what age we are, squatting is noted as one of the most beneficial exercises a person can perform. If their body is resisting any of the movements suggested, they shouldn’t push their body further. The following chair exercises for seniors are outlined with visuals to conceptualize exactly how to perform each individual exercise. After the time passes, rotate to the opposite direction. Here are our 5 favorite seated core exercises you can do right from a chair. The core is an essential part of everything we do in the day. An exercise that not only uses chest muscles but also the shoulders and triceps, this is known as a compound movement because of the variety of muscles used at once. Keep the helping hand in this position (without applying too much pressure). Tummy twists: strengthen sides of the waist (oblique abdominals) 3. or has recently gone through surgery. The only thing a senior needs is a chair; though, some of the following exercises may require a resistance band or dumbbells to perform accurately with results. Do eight to 10 reps and then repeat the exercise to the opposite side. Extend the arms up, reaching above the head until they’re fully extended (or get to a range that feels most comfortable). To keep it secure, think of using a strong clip or pin or try having a family member of the senior’s help install a couple of shelving brackets to the back of the chair to keep the band positioned appropriately. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Keep the core (abs and lumbar) tight. 19. Lift the ball a couple inches off the lap then rotate the upper body to the right, keeping the ball in front of the body. Scoot to the front edge of your chair and sit up straight. Rotate as far as possible to the left and then return to the starting position to complete one repetition. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds then shift sides. The exercises in this module benefit our bodies in many ways: 1. If they feel like it’s too easy and their body feels good about the movement, they can add weight by carrying a medicine ball or another of-equal-to weight object. This exercise is particularly useful for holding objects in front of the body or even just extending an arm forward.