Hello everyone and welcome back to the Daily
Senior Safety Advice podcast. We're going along
with the theme of March is Mobility and Independence
Month and today we're going to talk about safe
chair exercises that you can do at home. I'm
Esther Cain, a retired occupational therapist
and a certified aging in place specialist. So
I want to say this right out of the gate here.
Exercise does not have to mean standing, sweating,
or risking a fall. Not at all. Some of the safest,
most effective movements that you can do happen
right in a chair. And honestly, this is actually
one of my favorite topics because it helps so
many people feel capable again. As an occupational
therapist working with older adults, I often
encourage chair exercises when The other forms
of exercise just weren't feasible or safe. Some
of the safest, most effective movements you can
do again are right in a chair. You know, what
you hear a lot of from older adults is anything
like, I'm afraid I'll fall if I exercise. Well,
yeah, because they're thinking of jogging or
running in place or any type of activity like
that or They may say something like, I can't
do what I used to do. Well, that may be true,
but it doesn't mean that you can't do anything.
So what I always would tell them is this, your
body still wants to move. It just wants to feel
safe while doing it. And that's where chair exercises
come in. What I've noticed over the years is
that when people stop moving because they're
afraid, everything gets harder. Your strength
tends to fade, your balance can slip, and of
course your confidence ends up dropping. And
then everyday tasks start to feel overwhelming.
So instead of avoiding movement, we bring it
closer to home and safer. we bring it to a chair.
And here's where this really matters. Chair exercises
can improve circulation, joint movement, strength,
posture, and even your mood, all without standing.
So let's walk through this together, some of
the most basic and simple exercises that you
can start off with. So first thing though, before
we get to exercise, I do want to say the chair
itself matters. You want a sturdy chair, nothing
with wheels, nothing that swivels, and if possible,
one with arms, because it just makes it a little
easier and safer. All right. Feet flat on the
floor at all times. keep your back supported
up against the back of the chair if that's too
far then put a pillow back there like a lumbar
pillow and then that's it you're ready to to
start So let's start with something simple, a
seated march. You're sitting tall in your chair,
your nice sturdy chair, and if you have arms
it would be great to put your arms on those arms.
You lift one knee up just a little, then set
it down, and then the other knee, and that's
it. And this helps to wake up your hips, it helps
with circulation, it helps with the strength
of your your thigh muscles and it connects directly
to walking and you keep marching in place while
you're sitting. If you want to do it to music
that's great. I would always tell my patients
that one way they can do it is while they're
watching television they could be sitting in
a comfortable chair that's sturdy and they can
then march in place during the commercials. Although
I will say nowadays the commercials are really
long so you may want to do it one or two commercials
Now let's talk about leg strength because this
is huge for getting out of chairs and staying
independent Straighten one leg out in front of
you hold it for a second then lower it back down
and then switch sides You're working the muscles
that help you stand, walk, and climb steps, and
you're doing it safely because you're doing it
from a chair. If you feel tired, you pause. No
rush. Now let's move up to the arms because upper
body strength matters more than people actually
think. You use your arms for balance, for pushing
up from chairs, for catching yourself if you
stumble. So here's an easy one. Seated arm raises.
Lift one arm forward or up toward the ceiling,
then bring it back down and switch arms. You
don't have to lift, excuse me, lift high, just
what feels comfortable. And if possible, if you
can do it with a one pound weight, a two pound
weight, or if you're fairly strong, a five pound
weight or more. If you're holding these weights
or if you don't have weights, you can use soup
cans or water bottles. That'd be fine too. But
you don't necessarily need them. It just depends
on what level you're at. It's the movement alone
that really counts. Now here's a favorite of
mine for posture and breathing. I do this often
because I work at a desk all day. Seated shoulder
rolls. You're sitting down, posture up, and you
roll your shoulders forward, and then you roll
them back. And then you just keep doing that
a few times, forward and back, and forward and
back. And you can do it five times, ten times,
whatever you're comfortable with. This helps
to open up the chest, it eases the tension in
your neck, and it reminds your body what upright
posture actually feels like. I myself can suffer
from upper back pain and that really helps me
a lot. Now let's talk about ankles and feet because
people usually forget about exercising ankles
and feet and actually they're pretty critical
for balance. You can lift your toes up, but while
both feet are on the flat on the ground lift
your toes up while keeping your heels down on
the ground and then lower them and then lift
your heels up while keeping your toes on the
ground and then lower them and Just keep going
back and forth like this. You're just swinging
back and forth but what I would do is I would
lift my toes up and hold for one two three and
then put it down lift your heels up one two three
and hold it down And if you're strengthening
the muscles, that can strengthen the muscles
to help prevent tripping. But if you want to
strengthen your muscles even more, if you find
the exercise too easy, then put a little weight
on your knees so that when you're going up, especially
with your toes down and your heels up, you're
pushing up against some weight. You can also
put one foot out and make gentle circles with
your ankles. Some circles to the right and then
some circles to the left and make it slow and
controlled. It's not meant to go fast. It's just
the idea of giving it some movement. This is
especially helpful if your feet feel stiff in
the morning or maybe after sitting for a while.
All right, now let's talk about core strength.
You know, that strength in the middle of your
trunk without sit -ups or strain. You want to
sit tall in your chair. You want to gently tighten
your belly muscles like you're bracing for a
cough. Hold for a few seconds and then relax.
And you keep doing that and I would do that several
times, three, five, ten times, whatever is comfortable
for you. This helps to support the spine, it
helps to strengthen those core muscles, it helps
your posture, and it makes movements like reaching
and standing a bit safer. Nothing extreme, just
awareness. Now here's something that I always
like to add, a little stretch, and it's called
seated reaching. you're going to take one arm
while you're sitting up straight you're going
to reach with one arm across your body so take
your right arm and reach all the way to the left
without turning your trunk and then come back
and then do the same with the left arm and reach
all the way to the right without turning your
trunk and then coming back this helps with rotation
flexibility coordination And it connects to real
life movements, like reaching for something on
a table. I would do several without turning the
trunk, just so you can get that really good stretch
in the upper body. And then I would do several
with turning the trunk. That way you get a really
good stretch along your core muscles, along your
trunk. And honestly, these exercises don't have
to be done all at once. You can do a few in the
morning, a few during TV commercials, a few while
you're waiting for the mug, the hot water in
the microwave to boil for your coffee or tea.
That's usually when I see people stick with it,
when you do a few exercises throughout the day.
So if you're a caregiver for an older adult,
this is something that the both of you can do
together, side by side, no pressure, no comparison.
Movement can become a shared time, not just another
task. And here's something important that I want
to say. If anything, if any of these movements
cause pain, dizziness, or discomfort, stop. Rest.
and adjust the movement. Of course it's always
important to speak with your physician and if
possible get a physical therapist to come in
to assess how you do these movements because
a lot of times we think we're doing the movements
correctly. but we may not be there may be a better
way to do them. So don't be afraid to ask your
doctor for a referral for physical therapy either
outpatient therapy or for physical therapists
to come to your home and just show you some of
these exercises these chair exercises that can
help you with you know to be more flexible and
have decreased overall body pain. So over time
while you're doing these exercises something
really really great tends to happen. You tend
to trust your body again. You feel stronger,
you feel more stable, and you're more willing
to move. I mean chair exercises can really help
to reduce fall risk simply because people feel
more prepared to move and they're not in that
stiff kind of little achy pain that you feel
as you get older. I know I certainly feel that
every morning. And that's the goal at the end
of the day is to reduce the fall risk, feeling
ready for life and not afraid of it. So start
where you are, use what you have, and remember,
movement doesn't have to be big and powerful.
Well, that's all I have for you today. I want
to thank you again so much for being here with
me. If today's episode gave you some useful insights
or some new ideas, then please share it with
someone. who might find it helpful as well. You
can discover even more expert tips and helpful
guides for seniors and caregivers at our website
at seniorsafetyadvice .com. And if you're searching
for an Aging in Place specialist or senior care
services, then visit our other website at aginginplacedirectory
.com. And come back tomorrow for more useful
tips, insights, and ideas right here on the Daily
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