Chair exercises are a low-impact workout that can benefit people with limited mobility or energy, including those in wheelchairs and seniors. They can also help those with medical conditions such as arthritis. Group classes and warm-up routines are recommended, and patients should consult their doctor before starting any exercise routine.
Chair exercises refer to a seated exercise routine. Some people in wheelchairs, as well as older people or others with limited mobility or energy, do chair exercises. Office workers who stop periodically to stretch can also do some exercises while sitting. Moving your arms and legs while sitting in a chair can give your body a low-impact workout.
The term, medical condition exercises, also describes a chair-based workout, since many people with a disease or disorder are able to do some arm and leg movements while sitting. For example, many people who suffer from arthritis, which is inflammation of the joints, can benefit from chair exercises. Raising each arm and leg, then holding it for a few seconds before lowering it can help strengthen and relieve joints. Contacting official associations or societies for diseases such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis (MS) and requesting exercises for sitting or with medical conditions can be a good way to find disease-specific chair training.
Senior centers and other community resources may offer chair exercise classes. This type of group chair or workout for seniors can also serve as an opportunity for seniors or others who tend to spend much of their time indoors to get out into the community and interact socially while staying fit. Group chair exercises led by a community center leader may include a game in which participants throw a ball to each other while sitting down. In addition to leg and arm raises to help tone the limbs and provide a low-impact aerobic workout, chair ball games can help improve hand-eye coordination.
Although chair exercises are typically seated movements, people who can stand can also use the back of a chair to support themselves with their hands as they move their legs back or from side to side. The same number of lifts should be done on each side, with the number only gradually increasing. Holding on to the chair can help the athlete maintain balance.
Patients interested in starting any type of chair exercise routine should first get their doctor’s permission. Inactive people who have spent a lot of time sitting may have muscle weakness, so only a few repetitions of stretching and lifting should be done when beginning chair exercises. Regular sitting exercise routines can help seniors and others have more energy for daily life. A warm-up routine of slow, gentle stretches should begin each seated exercise session, while slower, more comprehensive movements that help cool down the body gradually should end the chair workout.
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