At home chair exercises: a simple yet effective way to keep moving (part 1)

It’s important to keep moving

In an age of staying at home, it is all the more important to keep our bodies moving and functioning properly. Turning the house into a gym is a challenge, but reinventing household objects can help make it a little bit more enjoyable. Believe it or not, it is entirely possible to work out using the simplest staple of the modern home – a chair. Seated exercises, while not only gentle and easy to follow, prove to be an effective workout with a multitude of benefits.  

Effective for seniors

Chair exercises are especially effective for seniors. If an elderly loved one or friend is struggling with mobility, there is no better way for them to keep their bodies moving! By exercising regularly, ageing adults keep their hearts healthy, while keeping incidents such as falling and high blood pressure at bay. Not only that, but regular exercise has been proven to prevent strokes, heart attacks and chronic diseases such as dementia.

The following chair exercises provide extra support, enhance stability, improve range of motion, and can be done without any additional equipment nor a trainer. Chair exercises are similarly fantastic for the less agile members of our society. Even the younger members of society, who are plagued by tech neck can benefit from chair exercises.

To do these five exercises you should choose a chair that enables you to sit with your feet flat on the floor and keep your knees bent at right angles. I also recommend that you avoid chairs with arms, as these will restrict your movement.

Without further ado, here are the first two exercises that anyone can do using only a chair. And the rest will follow in part 2…

• Core twists

  Stretch your spine and work your core with the first chair exercise.

  •  Begin by sitting in a chair, with your feet flat on the floor and your back nice and straight

  • Extend your arms and bring your hands in so they touch your shoulders

  • While engaging your core, rotate to the right. The twist should originate from your belly button, not from your shoulders

  • Repeat the exercise 8 to 10 times each side, or as comfortable

• Seated side stretches

   To gently stretch your entire back, spine and arms, try the seated side stretch.  

  • Firstly, sit up straight and relax your shoulders

  • Raise both arms above your head

  • Hold your left wrist with your right hand and gently stretch to the right side from the waist. Hold this for 5 seconds.

  • Repeat on the other side. This is one rep.

  • Repeat 3-6 reps, or as comfortable, per side.

Our next blog will cover another three exercises you can do from your home, just using a chair. Until then, try these two to get your body moving!