Movement is essential for our health, circulation, and balance as we age. Unfortunately, many aging adults find themselves becoming increasing sedentary: spending too much time seated, and inactive. According to the National Library of Medicine, approximately 93.6% of older adults are sedentary 8 hours or more per day.
We have one elderly client who is proactive doing chair exercises one or more times per day. It gives her the strength, flexibility, and stability to be able to move safely about her home and take short walks around her neighborhood with her walker. We have another elderly client who after daily complaining about her "laziness" and lack of movement, spending most of her day and evening in her recliner resting, napping or watching TV, was excited to learn from her caregiver some basic chair exercises that gave her immediate relief from stiffness in her back, noticeably increased circulation in her legs and feet, and energized by the increased movement. Now she asks that all her caregivers remind her to do chair exercises every day.
Try some of these chair exercises with your client or loved one at home. In the video below, Mike a physiotherapist, offers a free 35-minute full chair seated workout for seniors (beginner level) to exercise every area of the body: neck, shoulders, upper back, arms, core, hips, knees and relaxation.