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Armchair Exercises For Older Adults

Keeping physically active is important at every stage of our lives. Keeping fit can benefit our mental and physical health in both the long and short term.

Marching

  1. Sit upright and away from the back of the chare. Hold the sides of the chair.
  2. Lift your leg, with your knee bent as far as is comfortable. Place your foot down slowly.

Repeat with the other leg. Do 10 on each leg.

Illustration of a man performing seated leg exercises, alternating between raising each knee while sitting on a chair. - Home Instead

Leg Raises

  1. Sit tall and away from back of your chair with your knees slightly apart. Hold the sides of the chair.
  2. Slowly lift your left leg, shifting your weight slightly to your right side. Keep your core tight, your leg straight, and your foot flexed.
  3. Once raised hold for a few seconds then lower slowly, repeating with the other leg.

Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Illustration of two people on chairs raising and lowering their legs with knee flexing and extending movements. - Home Instead

Arm Circles

  1. Hold your arms out to the side, at shoulder length.
  2. Slowly rotate your arms in a circle up and down.

Repeat 20 times –  10 clockwise and 10 anticlockwise

Illustration of a man in a blue shirt performing arm circles exercise with both arms extended sideways. - Home Instead

Neck Turns

  1. Sit tall in your chair facing forward.
  2. Slowly rotate your head to the left as far as it can go. Hold for 5 seconds
  3. Slowly bring it back so it is facing forward.

Repeat on the right side, holding for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times

Diagram of a person seated, one image looking forward, the other image looking to the right, demonstrating head rotation. - Home Instead

Upper Body Twists

  1. Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor, cross your arms, and reach for your shoulder.
  2. Without moving your hips, turn your upper body to the left as far as is comfortable

Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do 10 on each side

Person sitting in a chair with arms crossed, rotating torso to the right with a green arrow indicating the movement. - Home Instead

Ankle Stretch

  1. Sit upright, hold on to the sides of the chair and straighten your left leg with your foot off the floor.
  2. With your leg straight and raises, point your toes away from you.
  3. Point your toes back towards you

Repeat with the other leg. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

A person seated performing three calf stretches, showing different positions of foot flexion and extension. - Home Instead

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