Fitness by Jennifer Cox Long car rides, airport waits, and even injuries or problem areas that make standing difficult can all make physical activity problematic. Even so, there are different exercises which you can do in a chair where you can work out your core, your heart and more, all while sitting. So find yourself a strong, sturdy place to sit down, take a seat and try out these exercises… Breathing and meditation. Start by sitting solidly in your chair, with your spine as straight as possible and your shoulders back – imagine a string that is connected to the top of your head and it’s pulling upwards ever so slightly. Then take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and exhale slowly out of your mouth. Do this for a few minutes. Leg toning. Sitting in your chair with your feet planted on the floor and spaced out about the width of your shoulders, raise your feet until you’re up on your toes and then flatten your feet again. Continue doing these lifts to strengthen calf and thigh muscles. You can also do leg extensions by bending at the knee while sitting and lifting one leg at a time straight out in front of you. Alternate from left to right, and do this for one minute. Core strengthening. While in a seated position, twist at your waist as far as you can to the right, and then straighten out. Now do it to the left-hand side. Repeat this motion for one minute. Remember: Move slowly and have control of your twists – don’t do anything too suddenly. Grab the back of the chair for support during your twists if need be, or use a chair with arms that you can hold on to, to go further into each stretch. Shoulder and posture work. Raise your arms straight out to the side of your body (to form a “T”) and press your shoulder blades together. First do 20 circles with your palms down, then another 20 backward circles with your palms up. Do this 2 to 3 times to help loosen a stiff neck, back or shoulders. Arm toning. Use filled water bottles as weights and, in a seated position, hold the bottles at chest level and push straight out. Do several reps, rest, and then do one more set of reps. You can also start with your elbows bent holding the water bottles and you can extend your arms upward over your head. Increase the water bottle size as your overall strength increases. Neck stretches. While sitting, tilt your head toward your right shoulder and then lift it straight up again. Now do this on the left side. You can also slowly nod “yes” or shake your head “no.” This will help to loosen neck muscles and any tension around the base of the head. Loosen fingers and toes. Stretch out your hands and fingers, separating your fingers as much as possible. Then clench your hands into fists and rotate your fists in circles. Do the same with your toes and rotate at the ankles. Repeat several times. The sit-and-stand. Get yourself into a seated position and then stand up. Then sit back down again. This can be done on your own or holding a weight ball or even a small kettle weight (a round weight with a handle). Your core will thank you. Seated cardio. There are lots of different options when it comes to getting your cardio exercises in, from seated running (bend your arms while sitting, as if you’re a runner about to take off on a race, and get your knees up slightly – then mimic running while seated, and slowly increase your speed), to seated tap dancing (get those toes tapping here, there and everywhere, and see how quickly you can get moving) and seated jumping jacks (the same motion of standing jumping jacks, only from your chair). EXERCISES TO DO WHILE SITTING 46 | www.snowbirds.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx