If you want to infuse more energy and excitement into your day, then it’s time to incorporate seated exercises into your senior workout. Sitting exercises for seniors are a fantastic way to improve flexibility, balance, and mood, promoting both strength and cardiovascular health. While traditional workouts pose a risk of injury, seated exercises for seniors are a safe, effective alternative thanks to the added support from a chair or sofa. So grab a seat, and let’s dive into the best seated senior exercise programs you can start today.
The importance of building strength
Muscle mass can decline with age, leading to reduced strength, flexibility, and mobility. In turn, this can cause chronic aches and pains, bone loss, and an increased risk of dangerous falls.
But age-related decline in muscle mass is not inevitable. By regularly participating in senior exercise programs, you can build and maintain strength that allows you to perform daily activities easily and independently. Strength-building exercises are proven to help preserve bone density, lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, promote independence, and improve overall vitality and quality of life.
#1 benefit of seated exercises for seniors
Safety is one of the greatest benefits of seated exercises for seniors. Exercises like chair yoga offer an accessible way to reap all the benefits of strength training but at a much lower risk of strain or injury. Using a chair or sofa for support provides stability, making it easier for seniors with mobility issues, arthritis, or balance concerns to confidently participate in health-boosting senior exercise programs.
9 seated exercises for seniors
Below are nine of the best sitting exercises for seniors to start building muscle tone quickly.
1. Seated leg lifts
This exercise strengthens your quadriceps – the leg muscles that support your knee joint. Strong quads ensure smooth and efficient execution of daily activities like walking, standing, seating, and climbing stairs. Although this exercise seems easy at first, a few reps will have the fronts of your legs fully engaged and sore.
- Sit tall in your chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one leg straight out in front of you, hold for a few seconds, then lower it back down.
- Repeat on the other leg.
- Repeat 10 times.
2. Chair squats
Chair squats strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, making them a powerful addition to any senior workout.
Your hamstrings help bend your knee and extend your hips, which are critical for daily activities like walking, standing, climbing stairs, and more. Strong hamstrings also work with your other muscles to protect the knee from stress and help prevent joint injury.
The glutes are responsible for hip movement and postural support. Strengthening the glutes supports your spine and pelvis, helping to minimize lower back pain, align the pelvis, and improve posture.
- Sit at the edge of your chair with your feet hip-width apart.
- Slowly and carefully stand from the chair using your leg muscles.
- Gently lower yourself back down.
- Repeat 10 times.
- If you feel unsteady, use a second chairback as support in front of you.
3. Ankle rotations
Ankle rotations are among the best seated exercises for seniors because they help improve blood circulation in the lower leg. They also promote ankle flexibility, which is critical for balance and stability. Flexible ankles make you less prone to injury, as they can better absorb the impact forces from a fall. On the flip side, stiff ankles are more susceptible to sprains, strains, and injury. So add these short, quick ankle rotations to your list of sitting exercises for seniors to significantly reduce your fall risk.
- Sit tall in your chair with good posture. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one foot off the ground and rotate your ankle in a circular motion, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. Move slowly and deliberately.
- If anything hurts, stop or make smaller circles.
- Repeat with the other foot.
- Repeat twice.
4. Seated marching
The “seated march” exercise engages your core muscles, which are important for stability, posture, balance, coordination, breathing, digestion, and more. Seated marching is common in chair yoga for seniors because it improves hip mobility and encourages deep, mindful breathing.
- Sit at the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one knee toward your chest, then lower it back down.
- You can do this quickly, like a march, or slowly if you’d like more of a stretch.
- Repeat on the same leg 10 times.
- Repeat the entire workout with the other leg.
5. Arm circles
Like we did with the ankle rotations, now you’ll do similar circles with your arms. These arm circles help improve shoulder flexibility, promote upper body circulation, and tone your upper arms.
- While seated, extend both arms to the sides.
- Make small circles with your arms, gradually increasing the size of the circles.
- Imagine you’re making a circle the size of a golf ball, then a baseball, then a salad plate, then a dinner plate, and then the largest circles you can make.
- Do five circles at each size.
- Reverse the direction and move from large circles to smaller ones, with five repetitions at each size.
6. Seated shoulder press
The seated shoulder press is one of the most essential seated exercises for seniors, as it increases functional strength for daily tasks like lifting groceries, reaching overhead, or pushing objects.
- While seated, hold a light weight (no more than 5lbs) or water bottle in each hand.
- Bend your arms to a 90-degree angle.
- Press the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Slowly lower the weights back down to shoulder level.
To avoid injury when trying new senior exercise programs, follow guides on YouTube, like this overhead press tutorial from SilverSneakers.
GoGoGrandparent also offers free YouTube strength training and chair yoga for seniors. These full-length classes, led by professional instructors, are perfect for anyone looking to spice up their seated senior workouts. Check out these free classes here.
7. Seated bicep curls
Bicep curls promote functional strength that makes lifting, pushing, and pulling more manageable. They’re also one of the seated exercises for seniors that encourages joint health. These curls help strengthen the muscles around the elbow joint, which providing support, stability, and protection.
- Use the same light weight or water bottle from the previous exercise.
- With the weight in your hand, put your palms facing up.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the weights towards your shoulders.
- Slowly lower the weights back down.
- Repeat 10 times.
8. Seated chest opener
This exercise opens the chest and shoulders, encouraging flexibility in your arms, shoulders, and upper back. The seated chest opener is popular in senior exercise programs as it quickly and efficiently improves posture.
- Sit upright in your chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Clasp your hands behind your back (and behind the chair).
- Gently straighten your arms, pushing backward. This will lift your chest toward the ceiling.
- Breathe deeply and hold the stretch for a few breaths.
- Release, carefully un-straightening your arms and unclasping your hands.
9. Seated side stretch
Side stretches are one of the best seated exercises for seniors because they alleviate tension in the sides, promote spinal mobility, and enhance blood circulation. You’ll also start to feel more energy right after completing this exercise.
- Sit tall in your chair. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Reach one arm overhead.
- Gently lean toward the opposite side of the arm you’ve raised.
- Be sure to keep your hips firmly planted on the chair. Don’t let your hips lean.
- Hold the stretch for a few breaths.
- Switch sides, reaching the other arm overhead and stretching the opposite way.
Bonus: chair yoga for seniors
Chair yoga is among the most popular senior exercise programs because it promotes strong physical, mental, and spiritual health. GoGo clients love our chair yoga classes on YouTube because they boost flexibility, balance, and strength while encouraging mindful breathing and stress reduction. Try chair yoga with GoGo for yourself here, free on YouTube!
Want to learn more about chair yoga for seniors? Check out these nine benefits of chair yoga here.
Try sitting exercises for seniors
Incorporating seated exercises into your senior workout can profoundly benefit your physical health and overall wellbeing. Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve flexibility, or promote greater independence with daily functional strength, seated exercises for seniors are a convenient and safe way to stay fit and healthy.
If you’re ready to take your senior workout routine to the next level, check out GoGo’s free YouTube classes. We offer strength training, resistance training, and chair yoga for seniors, led by professionals who understand your unique mobility concerns. Find these classes here.
Note: Consult with a professional before starting any new exercise regimen.
