The next stage of the UK’s ‘lockdown’ is here, with people being instructed to only leave the house for vital groceries and one form of exercise per day.
But of course, if you fall into one of the vulnerable groups, or are over the age of 70 – you will have been told to self-isolate for 12 weeks. Which means, effectively, that you shouldn’t leave the house at all.
Staying fit, mentally and physically, is going to be crucial for people who are isolating for such a prolonged period. And for people over 70, or those who are less mobile, there are plenty of ways for them to get active in an accessible way.
Emma Fisher runs Chatter Chairs, which is a company that specialises in seated workouts for older clients. Her workouts focus on functional strength, mobility and flexibilty – and they are kind on the joints and the heart rate.
She’s pulled together a workout which you can share with the over 70s in your life, because if they’re stuck inside for 12 weeks, it’s vital that they find ways to move.
‘Long periods of inactivity can result in stiffening of the joints, acceleration of muscle mass loss and contribute towards weakening of our bone density,’ Emma tells Metro.co.uk.
‘Our bodies are simply not designed to be sedentary and it is important to focus on a variety of different moves which strengthen the muscles, maintain flexibility and keep the joints supple.
‘This seated workout covers all these important aspects and should not take more than 30 minutes to complete.
‘Timings are given as an indication but just do as best you can.’
Seated workout for over 70s
Warm up
Shoulder circles – place fingers on shoulders and rotate elbows in a circular motion (15 secs)
Arm jabs – punch alternate hands above the head then change to diagonal punches across the chest (30 secs per move)
Side reaches – hold onto one side of the chair then raise the other arm over the head before slowly leaning over to the other side. Hold for 10 secs.
Body twists – fold your arms over each other at chest height then twist the body (10 reps)
Jog – swing the arms side by side whilst raising the knees at the same time (60 secs)
Marches – alternate lifting the knees (60 secs).
Strength moves
The following moves are all based on bodyweight, but for extra resistance, try using a hand weight (eg. a tin of food or a water bottle) or an ankle weight.
Upper body
Lateral lifts
Lift the arms outwards away from then body to shoulder height (30 secs)
Bicep curls
Alternate pulling a clenched fist towards the shoulder (30 secs)
Shoulder press
Open the arms, bending at the elbows. Raise both straight above the head before lowering to shoulder height (30 secs)
Lower body
Leg extensions
Extend the foot up and down in line with the knee (10 reps per side)
Knee raises
Raise one knee and pulse a little bit higher each time (10 reps) before repeating on the other side
Seated squats
Lean forward in the chair and with a straight back, stand up, using your hands for support if needed. Slowly lower yourself back into the chair before repeating the move 10 times.
Flexibility moves
Chest stretch
Reach behind and hold onto the back of the chair before pushing the chest forward. Hold for 10 secs
Knee pull
Pull the knee to chest and hold. Repeat on other side (4 reps in total)
Calf stretch
Sit forward in the chair and extend leg out straight pushing the heel along the floor, pointing toes to ceiling (10 secs hold per leg)
Dive (back extension stretch)
Raise both arms above head. Inhale (as if about to dive into water) then exhale as you lower the arms and bend your head over the knees and holding for 5 secs (5 reps)
Joint mobility moves
Shoulder shrugs
Raise the shoulders up and down (5 reps)
Shoulder extension
Bend one arm across the chest and use the other one to pull the upper arm. Hold for 5 secs then repeat on other side.
Neck tilts
Slowly tilt your head to one side, then the other before tilting downwards towards chest Note: do not tilt neck backwards (4 reps each)
Neck turns
Slowly turn your head to one side looking over the shoulder before returning to centre and repeating on the other side (4 reps total)
Hand and wrists (15 secs per move)
- Wrist curls – extend both arms to side before circling the hands from the wrist
- Clench and stretch – clench the fists tightly before extending fingers out
- Piano play – wiggle all the fingers (as if playing the piano)
- Wrist twists – hold the hands out and do alternating twists like you are wringing out a cloth.
Feet
- Toe points – point the toe under the chair and hold for 5 secs. Alternate a few times
- Foot sways – with heels on or slightly raised from floor, twist both feet from side to side
- Ankle rotations – rotate one foot at a time in a circular motion
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/24/chair-based-workout-will-help-70s-keep-fit-isolation-12446378/?ITO=squid
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