references
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine: "Strength Training in Older Adults: The Benefits for Osteoarthritis"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Arthritis"
Seated exercises for older adults let you build strength for healthy aging no matter your mobility levels or health concerns.
Image Credit: BakiBG/E+/GettyImages
Image Credit: BakiBG/E+/GettyImages
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com
Image Credit: Deborah Lensing/LIVESTRONG.com
Body Part
Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Sit tall with your shoulders back and down and your feet flat on the floor. Grip one end of a resistance band in each hand and hold it in front of your abdomen. Keeping your elbows tucked against your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the ends of the resistance band apart. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
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Image Credit: Deborah Lensing/LIVESTRONG.com
Body Part
Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
This move strengthens the upper back and rear shoulder muscles, helping improve posture.
Body Part
Legs
Goal
Build Muscle
Sit tall with your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Grip the sides of the chair for additional support, if needed. Brace your core, then lift one knee toward your chest while keeping your opposite foot planted on the floor. Keep your chest high and don’t allow your shoulders to round forward. Slowly return your foot to the floor and repeat with the opposite leg.
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Body Part
Legs
Goal
Build Muscle
To make the exercise more challenging, loop a mini band around both legs just above your knees.
The seated march helps build leg strength to climb stairs, lift your legs to get dressed and get out of maneuver over the sides of bathtubs with ease, Lensing says.
Sit tall with your feet hip-width apart on the floor and your toes pointing forward. Keeping your chest tall, push through both feet to stand up. Try not to use the chair for help. Return to a seated position by bending your knees to sit your butt down and back. Be sure to move with control; don’t plop down into the chair. Repeat.
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This exercise is key for maintaining hip and leg strength to get in and out of chairs without help.
Body Part
Butt
Goal
Build Muscle
Sit at the edge of the chair and loop a mini band around both legs just above the knees. Press the insides of your feet together and grip the sides of the chair for support, if needed. Keeping your chest lifted and your feet together, press your thighs against the mini band to pull your knees apart. Stop once you feel a gentle squeeze in your side butt muscles. Bring your knees back together with control. Repeat.
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Body Part
Butt
Goal
Build Muscle
The mini-band exercise works the outer hips and glutes, which often get weak from too much sitting. “Also, these are important muscles for walking,” Lensing says.
Body Part
Arms
Goal
Build Muscle
Sit tall with your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Place a resistance band under one or both feet and press your heels into the ground to keep it anchored. Grip one end of the band in one hand, palm facing up, and let your arm hang down at your side. Keeping your elbow close to your side, curl your hand toward your shoulder. Squeeze your biceps at the top before lowering your hand back down. Try to maintain constant tension in the band. Repeat for reps before switching sides.
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Body Part
Arms
Goal
Build Muscle
Doing seated biceps curls with a resistance band is a simple way to keep your arms strong for lifting everyday objects. “It also helps maintain upper-body bone density,” Lensing says.
Once you feel more comfortable, work on transitioning to standing exercises. You can even use the chair to help you balance while doing exercises, like squats, lunges and bent-over rows.
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Clinics in Geriatric Medicine: "Strength Training in Older Adults: The Benefits for Osteoarthritis"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Arthritis"
