- Chair Pilates
Pilates can improve posture, strength, flexibility, and mobility. It’s similar to yoga in that you need to hold poses and stretches. It can increase bone strength, dexterity and do wonders for your respiratory system.
There is a half hour Chair Pilates video you can access via the NHS website and for anyone suffering knee, joint or back problems, there is a range of Chair Pilates sessions that can help for specific mobility issues.
- Seated Dancing
Who doesn’t love to dance? It’s good for your heart, lungs, aerobic fitness and reduces the risk of osteoporosis – and it just feels fun to move to music. Seated dancing is popular with the elderly. Don’t feel self-conscious, just put on your favourite music and use your upper body for most of the dancing.
Alternatively, there are many videos with routines available on the internet, such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mAA9qNSTo4.
- Seated Workouts
For the no-nonsense gym-style workouts there are variations on levels of intensity, depending on your aims and mobility. Many moves are tweaks on exercises usually performed standing, including Seated Jacks (like Jumping Jacks – where you stretch out all your limbs) or Skater Switches (touching a toe with the opposite arm to foot).
Here’s a link to routine (http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/6-seated-moves-work-your-whole-body), courtesy of the magazine Shape. Reduce the number of reps to be comfortable if the workout is too demanding.
- Chair Tai Chi
For a gentle, more ‘spiritual’ experience – practice Tai Chi moves like ‘the crane’, where you will open up your posture and coordinate your breathing with precise and slow movements. Tai Chi is as much about relaxing as exercise but it encourages focus and precision of movement and it can boost energy levels. It’s also reported to be beneficial for arthritis sufferers.
By committing to exercising in your chair, you can improve your sleep, self-confidence, memory, and happiness. Of course, if you have medical conditions, seek advice from your doctor before embarking on exercises.
For the most comfortable mobility chairs and a range of products designed around mobility in your home, contact our friendly team at Oak Tree Mobility, who will be very happy to help you answer any questions you might have.
