10 Low-Impact Chair Exercises for Older Adults
If you struggle with joint pain or keeping your balance, it can be tough to do a high-intensity workout. Unfortunately, you could wind up falling or causing an injury. Seated chair exercises are a great option for older adults or anyone looking for a low-impact workout!
These chair exercises promote healthy aging by helping to keep your heart healthy, bones and muscles strong, weight under control, and mood at optimal levels.
Chair Workout Instructions:
Try incorporating this chair workout at least 2-3 times a week for the best results.
Do 10 repetitions for each exercise.
If you’re a beginner, start with 5 repetitions of each and work your way up!
If you do not have any dumbbells, you can use water bottles or any other small, weighted items.
1. Side Bends (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated side bends:
Sit in a chair with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Bend your right arm and move your right hand to the right side of your head. Allow your left arm to hang at your side. Keep an upright posture; don’t slouch or lean back in the chair.
Inhale. As you exhale, bend gently at the waist to lower your left arm toward the floor. Keep your chest open and pull your right elbow back to feel a stretch on your right side.
Inhale and return to starting position. Repeat on the other side.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Internal and External Obliques
2. Calf Raises (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated calf raises:
Sit tall on a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
Lift your heels off the ground until you feel a squeeze in your calves.
Slowly lower your heels back down and repeat.
To make the exercise harder, balance a dumbbell on the top of each knee.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Calves
3. Single-Leg Extensions (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated single-leg extensions:
Sit tall in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and grasp the sides of the seat.
Keeping one foot planted and your upper body fixed, extend your opposite leg until it’s parallel to the floor.
Bend your knee to return your foot to the ground. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch to the other leg.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Quads, Hamstrings, Abdominals
4. Knee-to-Elbow (10 Reps)
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How to perform a seated knee-to-elbow:
Sit in a chair with both feet flat on the ground. Clasp your hands behind your head, elbows wide.
Twist your upper body to the right and lift your right knee to tap your left elbow.
Return to the starting position and twist to the left to repeat the movement on the opposite side. Continue for reps.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Quads, Hamstrings
5. Chair Squats (10 Reps)
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Stand directly in front of your chair, facing away from it with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward.
Keeping your chest lifted, bend your knees to sit your hips down and back. Gently tap the chair with your butt.
Push yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings
6. Dumbbell Bicep Curls (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated dumbbell bicep curls:
Sit tall in a chair and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Let them hang at arm’s length by your sides, palms facing forward.
Keeping your arms tight against your sides, bend your elbows to curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
Lower the weights back down until your arms are straight again. Repeat.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Biceps, Abdominals
7. Dumbbell Overhead Shoulder Press (10 Reps)
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How to perform a seated dumbbell overhead shoulder press:
Sit tall in a chair. Lift your elbows out to the side to create a goal post position with your arms, dumbbells on either side of your head.
Tighten your abdominals and press the dumbbells up slowly until your arms are straight.
Slowly return to the starting position with control. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Shoulders, Biceps, Abdominals
8. Dumbbell Rows (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated dumbbell rows:
Hold a dumbbell in each hand down by your sides with palms facing each other.
Bend slightly forward at the hips. Keeping your elbows close to your body, squeeze your shoulder blades together and drive your elbows back until your upper arms are nearly parallel to the floor.
Slowly return to the starting position with control. Repeat.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Upper Back, Shoulders, Abdominals
9. Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated dumbbell tricep kickbacks:
Sit in a chair and lean forward until your chest is almost parallel to your thighs, with arms bent at 90-degree angles, and dumbbells to the sides of your chest.
Keeping your back flat and elbows hugging your sides, press both dumbbells back until your arms are straight.
Return the arms back to a 90-degree angle with control. Repeat.
Muscle Groups Targeted: Triceps, Shoulders, Upper Back
10. Forward Roll-Ups (10 Reps)
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How to perform seated forward roll-ups:
Sit in a chair with your legs extended, heels on the floor, and feet flexed towards your face. Extend your arms in front of you. Keep an upright posture; don’t slouch or lean back in the chair.
Begin curling your chin to your chest. Exhale as you roll the entire torso up and over, keeping your legs straight and abs engaged. Reach down towards the toes.
Once you can’t reach any further, inhale as you begin to roll back up to the starting position, one vertebra at a time.
Repeat moving slowly. Avoid using momentum; try to use your abdominals to lift and lower.
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Power walking is one of the most maintainable workouts a person can add to their life, so if you haven’t tried it yet, how about starting now?
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