You don’t need expensive exercise equipment to stay in shape. Chair exercises at home provide plenty of conditioning options. That’s particularly true if your goals are to maintain functional strength and flexibility, not to build muscle mass. The following six chair exercises target a range of muscles. The first four are strength exercises: Try to do two to three sets of each of these daily, with each set consisting of 15 to 20 reps. The final two are stretching exercises. Perform these once or twice per side every day, holding the described position for 30 to 60 seconds.
Heel Lift
Stand behind a stable chair, such as a dining room chair, with your feet together, your toes pointed straight ahead, and your hands resting on the chair back for balance. Slowly lift your heels so your weight is on the balls of your feet and your toes. Hold this position briefly, then lower yourself back down until your feet are flat on the floor. Your knees should remain unbent throughout this process, and your movement should be as close to vertical as possible. Don’t lean forward towards the chair. Your leg and foot muscles should provide all of the lifting power. Your hands are on the chair back purely for balance, not so that your arm muscles can assist. Heel lifts are a great workout for the calf muscles of the lower leg. They’re also a good way to get the blood circulating in the legs, reducing leg swelling.
Too easy? When you can do three sets of 20 heel lifts without it feeling like a challenge, switch to single-leg heel lifts. These are the same as the exercise described above, except they’re performed with one foot lifted off the ground so the other leg must do all the work. Then switch legs and repeat. Single-leg lifts are especially beneficial for balance. If single-leg heel lifts also become easy for you, perform them while wearing a backpack containing something heavy and gradually add to this weight.
Sit-to-Stand Exercise
Sit in a stable chair that does not have armrests, such as a dining room chair, with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Using leg strength alone, slowly lift yourself to a standing position, then slowly lower yourself back down to the seat. Position your backside somewhat towards the front of the seat and lean your torso slightly forward as needed to balance your body weight above your feet during this movement. The chair you choose for this sit-to-stand exercise should be a height that allows you to sit with your knees and hips at 90-degree angles and your feet flat on the floor.
Do not use a rolling desk chair or lightweight chair. They could accidentally move, causing a fall. If you suffer from balance issues, you could perform this exercise with your chair facing a countertop or table and rest your hands on that for additional balance rather than cross your arms against your body. If you do this, use your hands only for balance, not to assist with the lift. The sit-to-stand exercise offers a nice workout for the muscles of the thighs and butt, and it can help people remain independent as they age. Losing the ability to lift oneself up from a chair is among the issues that can force people out of their homes and into assisted living facilities.
Too easy? If doing three sets of 20 sit-to-stands isn’t challenging for you, perform this exercise while using your hands to clutch something heavy against your torso.
Seated Double Knee Lift
Sit on stable chair slightly forward of the normal seating position. Your backside should be towards the front of the seat and your back should not be resting against the chairback. You should not be so far forward in the seat that you feel at any risk of slipping off the chair, however.
Use your hands to grip the sides of the chair seat. If the chair has armrests, it’s fine to grip those instead. Slowly lift both of your knees as close as you can get them to your chest, then slowly lower them back down until your feet are flat on the floor. Your back should remain as straight and vertical as possible throughout. This is a great exercise for the muscles of the core, including the abs.
Too easy? If it becomes easy for you to complete three sets of 20 seated double knee lifts as described above, try holding your knees in the elevated position for 30 to 60 seconds instead of repeating the movement.
Chair push-ups
These are similar to standard push-ups, except the hands grip the sides of the seat of a stable chair rather than being placed palm down on the floor. The balls and toes of the feet are positioned on the floor as they would be with standard push-ups, the body maintains a straight line from head down through heels, just as it does with standard push-ups, and the same familiar push-up motion is employed—the elbows bend to lower the body down, then the elbows are straightened to lift the body back up. The hips should remain unbent throughout, and the elbows should remain relatively close to the sides. The key difference between chair push-ups and standard push-ups is that chair push-ups orient the body in a much more upward-pointed angle. This makes chair push-ups significantly easier to accomplish while still providing a nice workout for the triceps, pectoral muscles and other muscles of the chest and core. As an added benefit, chair push-ups are much easier on the wrists than conventional push-ups, and it’s easier for people who have limited mobility to get back up after completing them, since chair push-ups don’t require getting as far down onto the floor.
Too easy? When completing three sets of 20 chair push-ups apiece is no longer a challenge, switch to standard push-ups. If the awkward wrist angle makes standard push-ups uncomfortable for you, inexpensive products known as “push-up handles,” “push-up bars” or “push-up boards,” available online or in sporting goods stores, offer a solution.
Hamstring Stretch
Arrange two stable chairs of similar seat height so they face each other, a couple of feet apart. Sit in one of these chairs and place the heel of one of your feet on the other. Place both of your hands on this extended leg, then slowly lean forward, sliding your hands down your extended leg towards your foot as far as you can reach. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. This is a safe and simple way to stretch the hamstrings. Tight hamstrings are a common problem as people age, and can lead not only to declining mobility but also chronic pain elsewhere in the body—tight hamstrings can cause a tilting of the pelvis that in turn causes back pain, for example.
Upper Trap Stretch
While seated in a chair facing forward, hook your left hand under the edge of the chair seat and use your right arm to reach up over the top of your head, placing your right hand over your left ear with its fingers pointing downward. Drop your shoulders, then use your right hand to gently pull your head down in the direction of your right shoulder. You don’t have to touch your head to your shoulder, just pull until you feel a good stretch in the top of your left shoulder, then hold this stretch for 30-60 seconds. Switch your hands and repeat on the other side. This stretch can help reduce shoulder tension the upper trapezius muscle, which is very common as people age.
