Physical exercise is vital to ensure good health, regardless of your age. However, mobility difficulties, injuries or certain health conditions can make it harder to stay active. With the festive season upon us, keep up with your exercise routine with chair exercises that you can do at home or when visiting friends or loved ones.    

While doing your chair exercises, it’s crucial to wear comfortable, breathable clothing that allows you to move freely without restriction. The right gym clothing can significantly enhance your workout experience by providing support and flexibility. This is where Built for Athletes comes in—offering gym apparel specifically designed with the active individual in mind. Their clothing is made to move with you, offering a perfect blend of comfort, durability, and performance.

With Built for Athletes, you can feel confident and supported while you maintain your exercise routine, whether you’re at home or visiting friends and family.

Benefits of chair workouts

Staying active with chair workouts provides a host of benefits for seniors:

• Build stronger muscles to prevent age-related muscle loss which can lead to impaired physical function and limited mobility.
• Improve balance and flexibility which can lower the risk of falls.
• Improve mobility, which makes activities of daily living, like bending, walking, and standing, easier, so you can stay independent for longer.
• Staying physically active also boosts your mental health and can slow cognitive decline.

Seated exercises you can do anywhere.

While chair exercise is safe at home, discussing any new exercise program with your healthcare provider is important. Once you get started, take your time and pay attention to your body. If something doesn’t feel right or causes discomfort, stop and try something else. If the discomfort persists or you experience pain, consult your healthcare provider.  

When you’re ready to start exercising, make sure you choose the right chair. You need a sturdy chair without arms. Avoid folding chairs or chairs with wheels which could lead to injury. You also need to make sure the chair is in an open space so you can move your arms and legs freely. You can find plenty of exercises to try online, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

Wrist Circles

This is a great warm-up exercise and also helps with circulation.

• Sit with your back straight and your feet on the floor.
• Clench your fists, opening and closing them three times and then roll your clenched fists in circles 10 times in each direction.

Ankle Stretches

This exercise stretches and strengthens your ankles helping with mobility.

• Sit with your feet on the floor, your back straight, and your palms resting on your thighs.
• Lift one leg straight out in front of you and slowly roll your ankle. To make it interesting, imagine you’re on the beach, writing and drawing with your toe in the sand. Make the movements as big as you can, but only move your foot rather than your whole leg.
• Repeat with your other leg.

Sit to Stands

This exercise will work your legs, hips and abdominals to improve your balance and help with daily activities like getting out of a car.

• Sit toward the front of the chair with your feet on the floor, hip-width apart, your back straight, and your hands resting on either side of your thighs.
• Draw your belly button toward your spine and lean forward from your hips, shifting the weight to your feet.
• Stand up slowly, pause, then bend your knees and sit back down.
• Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Marching

This exercise will work your hips and legs. You can do this seated or standing behind the chair, using the chair for support.

• Sit towards the front of the chair with both feet on the floor and your legs about hip-width apart.
• Keeping your knee bent, raise it a few inches before lowering it and repeating the movement with the other leg.
• Do 10 repetitions for each side.

Conclusion

Staying fit and active greatly improves your quality of life as you age, and you don’t need a gym to do it. All you need is a sturdy chair and some time, so don’t let your fitness slide this festive season!