Chair Exercises - www.rememberyourbody.com

Exercises in a chair

These can be done anywhere and any time to help improve your mobility

Try and chose a solid chair but with no arms and no wheels. For example a solid kitchen or dining room chair

Sit on the chair with your feet flat on the floor

Try and do these daily or at least 3 times a week

1.Treddle motion Start with your feet flat on the floor- Now lift your toes up and then go back down onto the toes and lift up your heels.

Repeat x 20

This is very good for circulation in the legs as the calf working helps push swelling back up the leg.

2. Knee extension in the chair

Sit well back in the chair. Now fully straighten one knee. Hold 5 secs and release. Repeat 5 times then do the other knee.

3. Hip lifts in sitting

Lift your whole leg up from the floor lifting from the hip.

Do alternate legs x 10 each

Then keeping it lifted up -Extend the knee out and in x 5 each leg

4. Knee flexion in the chair

Slide your foot under the chair as far as you can and back out x 10 each leg

5. Hip lift up and out

Lift up one hip then take it out to the side, back in and down x 5 each side

6. Star jumps in the chair

Lift both legs up and take them both out away from each other. Touch them down and then lift up again and bring them back together again x 10

7. Roll body around eachway

To loosen hips and back roll your body around in circles one way then the other way Do 5 x circles in each direction

8. Thoracic Twists

Put your arms across your body and now rotate your whole body round one way slowly then the other way.

9. Chest stretch in the chair

Hold the chair arms or the side of the chair. Now push your chest forwards and feel the stretch across your chest and front of your shoulders.

Repeat x 5

10. Shoulder rolls

Roll your shoulders round one way then the other way x 10 each way

11. Shoulder shrugs

Bring your shoulders up to your ears then relax them back down as far as possible pulling your shoulder blades together at the back as much as possible x 10

12. Neck flexion with overpressure

Drop your chin down towards your chest and with your hands on your head ease it down further.

Hold 5 secs and repeat a few times

13. Neck rotation

Slowly turn your head each way to look at your shoulder. Hold 5 secs and then relax. Turn each way x5

14. Neck side flexion with overpressure

Put your right hand on your head and gently ease your head sideways towards your right shoulder. Keep the shoulder down as best you can.Repeat 5 times.

Then do the left side x 5

15. Neck retraction

Stick your chin out and then try and retract your chin and stretch the crown of your head up towards the ceiling.

16. Neck forward flexion with resistance

Put your hand on your forehead and push against it to work your neck muscles. Hold 5 secs repeat x 3

17. Neck sideband resisted

With your hand placed on the side of your head push your neck sideways against your hand. Hold 5 secs and repeat x3.

Place your hands on your shoulders and now draw a big circle each way with your elbows.

Repeat 10 x each direction

19. Arms out to the side

Take your arms away from your body to 90 degrees. Try and hold them there and do little circular motions each direction x 10 each way.

20. Rotate forearm over and back

With your elbows tucked in to your side and forearms out in front of you. Turn them up and down palms to floor and then to ceiling x 10

21. Half arm lifts

Place your hands on your shoulders again.

Now lift your bent arms (wings) up as far as you can and back down

Repeat x 10

22. Double arm lift holding a ball

Hold a beach ball in front of you and lift it forwards and up above your head as far as you can. Feel the stretch in your shoulders and your upper back

23. Ball squeezes towards chest

Hold the ball in front of you and squeeze it hard. Then keeping it squeezed pull both hands in towards your chest.

Then take them back out

Repeat x 10

24. Ball passes behind head

Pass the ball behind your head one way and then the other way.

x 10 each way

25. Double arm elevation

Interlace your fingers together and lift both arms together forwards and up above your head as far as you can go.

Feel the stretch

Repeat x 10

26. Forearm stretch

Keeping the fingers interlaced rotate the hands to face your chest and now stretch them forwards keeping the palms and under side of the wrist facing out

Repeat x 5

27. Grip hand and release

Grip your hands hard in to a fist and then stretch open the hand extending and stretching out the fingers as best you can x10

28. Chest stretch

Sit upright arms resting by your side, Pull your shoulders down and back. Hold this position and now try and push your chest forwards and feel the stretch across the chest.

29. Sideways arm lift

Rest your arms by your side and then lift both of them up (thumbs up first )to join each other above your head or as far as you can. Repeat 5 times

30.Press elbows back

Put both your hands behind your neck. Now try and push your elbows as far back as you can x 5

31. Shoulder rotation

Now lift your arms out to the side with the elbows bent to 90 degrees. Keeping the elbows bent rotate the hands to face downwards towards the floor and then up to face the ceiling.

Repeat x 10

32. Back flexion in sitting

Open your legs apart and slide your hands down towards the floor between your legs. If you feel pain go gently. This stretches your lower spine

33. Sidebends in sitting

With your arms relaxed beside you slide your hand down sideways towards the floor each side. This will stretch your lower back.

34. Double Hip lift

Lean back on the chair with your bottom slightly further forwards on the chair. Now try and lift both knees up towards your chest x 10

35. Hamstring stretch in sitting

Stretch one leg out straight in front of you- Now try and stretch both hands down towards your ankle.

You will feel a stretch in the Hamstrings down the back of your leg.

36. Back flexion with rotation

Now stretch your Rt hand towards the opposite ankle come up and then back down to opposite ankle.

If you are able to stand another good exercise is sit to stand. This works your quadriceps muscles in your thighs. If you have a balance problem make sure you do this with a solid chair behind you so you can sit down if you feel unsteady. If you have a frame you can place this in front of you. Or alternatively you can have someone standing in front of you.

Sitting bring your self forward in the chair. Now lean forwards and with your arms out in front lean forward and slowly stand.