Chair-based exercise
Lyn’s Chair Based Exercises.
For these exercises you will need a sturdy chair without arms, a pair of light weights.
Make sure you drink plenty of water and have quite a few short rest periods during the hour session.
Warm ups:
Sitting in your chair, begin to warm up by moving both your arms and legs. This will get the blood flowing and bring more oxygen into your system. Rhythmic music can help as you move your feet and pump your arms in a type of sitting dance, incorporating various arm and leg movements. Do this for 5 minutes or until you are feeling quite warm and you are beginning to breathe deeper.
Flexibility Exercises:
Shoulder flexibility:
Sitting straight with feet planted firmly on the floor and arms at your side.
Stretch your arms outward from your body at shoulder height. Turn your hands so the palms are facing the front then gently move your arms backward until you have reached as far as you can. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then drop arms and rest briefly. Do this movement three times.
Next, swing both arms backwards stretching as far up as they will go so you are feeling the strain in your shoulders and at the back of your arms. Hold position for the count of 10 now swing arms forward and up above your head, stretching as high as you can and count to 10. Repeat this movement twice more.
Shoulder Shrugs:
Sit straight with arms hanging loosely at your sides. Slowly draw your shoulders up into to very high shrug trying to get the shoulders somewhere up around your ears. Hold for count of 5 then lower shoulders slowly. As your raise you shoulders breathe in, and as you lower shoulders breathe out. Make sure the movement is slow and deliberate.
Repeat 5 times
Rowing:
Sitting straight, now lean forward with arms outstretched as if you are in a boat, rowing. then pull your elbows back very slowly till you are sitting a little straighter and your shoulder blades are almost touching. If you sit forward in your chair you will feel your stomach muscles working as you pull back, then as you lean forward you should feel a stretch through your shoulders and upper back.
Repeat movement 10 times
Stirring the Pot:
Sitting straight with arms stretched out in front of your body and hands clasped. Begin to make a large circle in front of you with your arms, reaching out as far as you can then bringing the arms back around towards your body till you are leaning back in your chair. Keep the circles going until you are back with your arms reaching out in front again. Try going clockwise for 5 circles, then reverse and go anti clockwise for 5 circles. It should feel as though you are stirring a very large pot. As you pull back you should feel it working your stomach muscles, and as you lean forward you should feel your legs taking some of the weight.
Twist to look behind:
Sitting straight, slowly turn your torso until you have turned enough to look over your left shoulder. Hold this position for the count of 10 then slowly rotate to the right hand side for the count of 10. For a more comfortable turn you can fold your arms across your chest.
Repeat 5 times.
Side Stretch:
Sit straight in your chair with both arms hanging down. Now slowly reach your left arm up high. Slowly bring it over your head until you feel a strong stretch along your left side. Hold in that position for the count of 10. Lower left arm and repeat movement with right arm.
Repeat this set of movements 3 times.
Shoulder Rotation:
Sit with arms hanging at your sides and wrists facing inward. Slowly turn your hands until wrist face outwards then slowly turn hands back to original position. This movement works the shoulders.
Repeat 10 times.
Wrist Flex:
Sitting with arms by your sides, bring your hands up in front of your, palm facing outward. Now flex the wrists by moving the hands back and forth. Try to push your hands back as far as they will go now drop your hands forward. This movement is working the wrists
Repeat movement 20 times.
Praying:
Siting in your chair, bring your hands up into a praying position. Now making sure your palms remain pressed together, slowly raise your elbows so that you can feel the pressure in your palms, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Press the hands together very hard (don’t let the palms open) and hold for the count of 10. This is working the whole arm from the wrists to the shoulder and the harder you press your hands together the more strength is being developed in your arms.
Repeat 3 times.
Have a break and a drink then get your dumbbells out.
Hand Weights:
All the exercises below can be done either standing or sitting. I have written the instructions for a sitting position
Press-ups:
Sit with your back straight. Bring weights to shoulder level. (Your wrists should be facing the front). Slowly push weights up toward the ceiling. At the top of the movement do not have a straight arm, try to have your elbows slightly bent so your arms not quite fully extended. Don’t lock the elbows and don’t look up.
Carefully and slowly return weights to shoulder height. This movement should be done slowly to the count of 4 up and 4 down.
Repeat three times at the beginning, gradually increasing over time to 10 reps.
Bicep Curls:
Sitting upright in the chair, let your arms hang loosely at your side with a dumbbell in each hand. Wrists are facing in towards the body. Tuck arms hard against your sides as if you are holding a newspaper under each arm. Slowly begin to lift weights up towards the shoulders to the count of 4 then just as slowly return the weights to the starting position at your sides. You will notice that as you bring your weights up you are turning your wrists then as you return to the starting position your wrists are facing the body again. . Although this works the upper arm muscles you will feel your forearms also getting stronger.
Again you can start with 5 repeats gradually increasing to as many reps as you can as your strength improves
Triceps Hold:
Sitting upright with arms at side, holding a weight in each hand, slowly take your arms backwards keeping the arms straight. At the highest point pause for the count of 4 then slowly bring the arms back to original position.
This strenuous exercise works the triceps (at the upper back of arms.) and the shoulders. Start with just one or two movements, increasing as you grow stronger.
Chest Fly:
Sit straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Raise hands so the weights are up around chin level and the wrists are facing the body. Begin this ‘fly’ movement by slowly pushing back elbows until the chest is fully extended and shoulder blades are almost together, then slowly bring dumbbells back together in front of the chin. Repeat 5 times and rest. As you grow stronger you can increase the repeats.
Having completed these four movements – Press-ups, Bicep Curls, Triceps Hold & Chest Fly - rest for a moment, then repeat all the movements again.
As you grow stronger you will be able to increase the weight of your dumbbells for these 4 movements.
Using Lightweights for this next set - which is a continuous movement.
With light dumbbells in each hand
Fully extend you arms and raise them to about waist height. Do this 10 times
Push the weights out and in, in front of you (at about chest height) 10 times
Hold weights in front of the body with arms fully extended, then bring the weights up to chin height (in a type of pumping action) making sure the elbows lift high as arms come up. Do this 10 times.
Rest then repeat these 3 movements once. Later you will do be able to do them3 or 4 times but always use light dumbbells.
Put dumbbells away and have a drink.
Neck and Finger Exercises:
No 1 Neck Movement:
Sitting with shoulders straight, but relaxed gently tilt your head so your left ear drops toward you left shoulder then slowly raise your head and tilt towards the right ear.
Make sure the head movements are slow and you do not put yourself in a position to feel any pain. Repeat this set of movements 5 times to begin with, increasing over time as your neck grows stronger.
No 2. Neck Movement:
Sit with shoulders straight yet relaxed and rotate your head so you are attempting to look back over your shoulder. Hold for count of 5 then slowly turn head until looking over the other shoulder. Hold for the count of 5 and slowly return to the centre.
Repeat 5 times to begin with, and increase this movement as you become stronger.
No 3 Neck Movement:
Sitting straight, allow the head to bend forward until your chin is on your chest. Count to 5 and then slowly lift your head until it is tilting back and you are looking at the ceiling. Again count to 5.
Repeat 5 times to begin with, increasing the movement as you grow stronger.
Finger Movements:
Sitting relaxed in your chair, clasped you hands together very tightly and hold for 3 seconds, now open hands and stretch fingers as wide and hold for the count of 3.
Repeat 3 times. Now clasp hands and turn them away from you as your stretch your arms out in front. Feel the fingers stretching and count to 3. Now lift this stretch so your arms are above your head, and again count to 3 before returning hand to your lap.
Repeat
Another Finger Movement:
Sit upright and clasp hands as if making a fist. Now open fingers as wide as possible. Repeat this 3 times then with closed fists pretend you are trying to punch the air in front of you, using one hand then the other. Punch out 10 times.
Repeat
Stretching Fingers:
In this movement we are going to stretch each finger (on both hands) starting with the little finger.
Push down and hold so each finger is stretched hard making sure you do each thumb as well.
Thumb Circles:
Do large slow thumb circles so you can feel the movement along the forearm. 10 circles one way then 10 circles the other way.
Rest and have another drink.
Leg Exercises:
Those who have leg weights, put them on before you start these exercises.
Most of these exercises can be done sitting down. If you have hip or knee replacements you must take care.
Touching Toes:
Wriggle forward on the chair. Have you leg straight and your foot flexed so the toe is pointing towards the ceiling, now carefully lean forward and reach down towards your toes. You may only get as far as you knee or your shin to start with but if your leg is straight and you toe is pointing upwards you will feel a stretch in the muscles in the back of you leg.
Reach down towards your foot and hold for a count of 5. Then repeat with other leg.
Repeat these movements,
Knees Up:
Sit in your chair and make sure your back is well supported. Clasp your knee and bring it up towards your chest. Hold to the count of 10 then repeat with other leg.
Repeat.
High Leg Cross:
Sit straight, lift one foot up onto the opposite knee and hold. If this is too difficult try to slide one foot up onto the opposite shin. Hold for the count of 10, then repeat on opposite leg.
Pigeon Toes:
Sitting straight with feet flat on the floor, turn feet inward till toes are touching, now turn feet out trying to open as far as possible – like a Charlie Chaplin stance. Turn in and then turn out 5 times.
Lifting Leg Pigeon Toes:
Sitting as far back in your chair as possible so you can lift your legs, now turn feet inwards so toes are touching, then turn feet out so heels are touching.
Do this 5 times.
Treadle:
Sit straight with feet flat on the floor. Rock back onto heels, lifting toes high, then treadle forward onto toes with heels lifted high. (you can also do this exercise alternating the feet so as the right hell goes down the left toes comes up). This strengthens ankles.
Repeat at least 10 times…more if possible.
Ankle Circles:
Sit back in chair. Lift right leg up and make a foot circle. 10 times one way then reverse the circle 10 times. Now repeat on left leg. Keep leg still while circling foot. This also strengthens the ankle.
Curling toes:
Curl toes as tight as possible and count to 10. relax then repeat twice more.
Further leg exercises for those who can stand using the chair for balance.
Calf Stretch:
Stand behind chair. Lean forward so right leg is bent and the left leg is stretched. Do not lift the heel of your left leg. Now bend further forward until you can feel the stretch in your calf muscle. Hold this position for the count of 10, then reverse legs and repeat movement.
Repeat
Lifting Leg Backwards:
Stand straight beside chair. Hold on to chair for balance. Now keeping torso very straight, lift your left leg back until you feel the pull in yor lower back and buttocks. Hold for the count of 10 and repeat with other leg.
As you raise your leg towards your buttocks do not lean forward. Keep a very straight torso for the full benefit of this exercise.
Repeat once.
Pendulum:
Standing beside chair, lift your leg out to the side of the body – as high as you can, and point your toe. Hold for the count of 3, then swing the heel across the front of the body. For people with hip problems /replacements, do not take the leg past the mid-line. For everybody else, try to get the leg traversing the body as far across as possible and hold for the count of 3.
Repeat 8 to 10 times.
Tip Toes:
Stand behind the chair holding on for balance. Come up on your toes and hold for 5 counts, now rock back onto your heel for 5 counts.
Repeat 5 times
Squats:
Come to the front of the chair. Fold you arms across your chest and simply bend you knees and lower your body. Try to touch the chair-seat with your buttocks. If this is too hard, simply squat a little way down and hold the stance.
If your knees cause pain do not do this exercise.
The movement will strengthen the muscle in the top of the leg.
Repeat 10 times and rest, then repeat a few more if possible.
Take off leg weights and stop for another drink.
Finish up with some deep breathing and if possible use a relaxation tape to cool down and relax.
Copyright Lyn Willmott 2009
Posted by Lyn on June 29th, 2009 :: Filed under Creative Writing