Take a Seat and Try These 10 Physical Activity Ideas for Older Adults with Mobility Limitations
Don’t let a physical ailment or chronic condition keep
you or a loved one you care for from getting health-boosting exercise!
If you are unable to stand or walk for long periods of
time, you may be looking for fun and effective exercises you can do from the
comfort of a chair. Don’t miss this essential top 10 list:
Medicine Ball Moves
The versatility of a
simple medicine ball is quite impressive. Sitting down, you can lift, throw,
toss, drop, and move a weighted medicine ball around, giving your core, shoulders,
arms, and upper back quite the workout.
Ask your physical
therapist or a knowledgeable trainer at your gym for seated medicine ball
exercise recommendations.
Water Aerobics
The wonderful
weightlessness of water makes it a prime environment for exercising when you
cannot stand or walk for long periods of time. With appropriate flotation
devices, you can take part in swimming, water aerobics, aqua jogging, and more.
Balloon Volleyball
Practice hand-eye
coordination and have a blast with a quick game of balloon volleyball with some
friends or the grandkids.
Essentially, have everyone
sit in a chair in equal lines across from one another. Set up a net (or use
something in its place like a couple of chairs) and then go about tapping
balloons back and forth to each other. Just don’t forget to have someone on
hand to fetch balloons that go awry!
Gentle Yoga
Standing or sitting, yoga
can generate powerful effects for your mind and body through its stretching,
posing, meditating, and deep breathing practices. Check out this helpful gentle yoga guide from Sixty and Me to get started.
Light Weightlifting
Dumbbells, kettlebells, wrist
and ankle weights… there are plenty of powerful moves you can do with free
weights from the comfort of your chair. Consult an expert trainer at your gym
or ask your physical therapist for best practices and weightlifting
recommendations.
Zumba
The Latin dance-based
fitness craze called Zumba is no stranger to people with mobility issues. It
can be modified for someone sitting in a chair by adding even more dynamic arm
movements and simplifying steps, i.e., doing toe taps instead of salsa steps.
Chair Cardio
Strengthen your heart and
break a sweat with a fast-paced aerobic workout you do right in your seat. You
might be surprised how much your heart rate can increase when you are doing
targeted stretches, arm raises, core twists, and more! Check YouTube for loads
of free chair cardio videos you can stream.
Resistance Bands
Lightweight, colorful
resistance bands are as easy to use as they are to pack and travel with. Simply
slide one below or behind your chair (or around a nearby sturdy structure) and
grab the ends with your hands to practice pulling, tugging, and stretching in a
variety of motions.
This type of accessible
strength training can improve your overall functional fitness to make other
daily tasks, like carrying groceries, easier.
Weight Machines
Weight machines can look
fairly daunting at the gym, but many, like cross cable machines, can actually
be adjusted to work for people who are in a wheelchair or other type of seat.
Check with your local gym to see what wheelchair-friendly machines can be set
up for you.
Arm Cycle
Whether it’s an ergometer
(stationary arm bicycle) at the gym or a lightweight portable pedal exerciser
you use at home, arm cycling can be done sitting down and is a great way to get
your heart rate up, mobilize and loosen joints, and improve circulation.
Quick
Seated Fitness Reminders
Because you won’t have all the strength and power that
your legs provide during standing exercises, it’s important to properly support
your upper body when taking part in seated activities.
Elbow sleeves and arm supports can help protect your upper body joints during chair exercises
and weightlifting or wheelchair gloves can protect your hands during
strength-training activities.
Don’t forget, too, that even though you are sitting and
exercising, you’re losing fluids through perspiration. Stay hydrated, get
creative, find a workout partner, and have fun!
What are your favorite
seated exercises to do? If you care for an aging parent, do you think they
would enjoy these types of physical activities? Please join the conversation
and share your thoughts with our community!
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