Fitness by Jennifer Cox Exercises you can do in a chair The pandemic has us living our lives in ways we never imagined, from social distancing with family and friends to being super cautious with hygiene and cleanliness. While it’s extremely important to keep active at all times, now is a particularly tricky time to find a place to exercise – the gymwas a great option pre-COVID but, today, many cities have put strict regulations on these businesses or shut them down completely. But did you know that you don’t need to go far at all to get a full-body workout? Just find your closest chair, gather a few common household items and you can do a wide range of exercises to help with strength training, cardio, flexibility and balance. Strength training Something as simple as soup cans can become great makeshift free weights. While seated in a chair, hold one can in each hand and do bicep curls or overhead lifts. You can also hold the cans and stretch your arms straight out in front of you one at a time. For your lower body, you can stay seated and do knee lefts (lifting your bent knees a few inches off the ground one at a time) or knee extensions (where you sit in the chair, knees bent, and extend your legs outward one at a time). Be sure to pay close attention to any tension or pain which you experience while doing these, and never go beyond your limit. Give yourself time to increase how deeply you can do these exercises. Cardio It’s important to get your heart rate up while working out. All exercises will contribute to your cardiovascular health, but you can take things up a notch by: ▶▶Sitting in the chair and “running” in place, or even tapping your feet on the ground. Swing your arms gently at your sides while doing this to mimic speed-walking. ▶▶Stand next to the chair and hold the back of the chair for support. Then go up and down on your tippy-toes. ▶▶Standing behind your chair with both hands resting on the chairback, do small squats where you bend at the knees and then stand up again. You can add a second set of movements to this by reaching both arms above your head, then returning your hands to the chairback. Flexibility Everyone can gain from improving their flexibility. Using a chair for flexibility exercises will help keep you stable while stretching. Take this sitting opportunity to do some neck and shoulder rotations, first in one direction and then in the opposite. You can also nod your head from side-to-side, and up and down. Stretch your arms as high as you can. Make sure that your bottom is seating firmly on the chair and keep your back as straight as possible by feeling for the chairback. Reach to one side for a deep side stretch, and then alternate. Now cross one leg and place your ankle on the opposite knee, then bend forward. Alternate legs. This is a great stretch for the hips. Balance An effective way to work on balance is simply to go from a sitting position to a standing position, and then back to sitting again. However, try not to use your arms and, instead, engage your core to come to a stand and then a sit. Another useful balance exercise is to stand behind the chair with your hands on the chairback and then lift one foot by bending at the knee. Hold this for as long as possible. Then switch. By using a combination of these movements, and relying on the stability of the chair, you can still achieve a full-body workout in the comfort of your own home. 44 | www.snowbirds.org
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