February 17th 2023
By Jordan McElwain
Here's a handy guide to mobility exercises for seniors, including chair exercises and joint-friendly stretching.
By Ari Parker
Some daily activities become more challenging for older adults. Walking up the stairs can feel more like a climb, and getting up from the floor can make you suddenly very aware of gravity. This is because aging impacts mobility, which is your body’s ability to move around easily. Difficulty with mobility can cause aches and pains in joints, trouble with getting in and out of chairs, and instability when walking.
Mobility issues affect many seniors and people with certain physical disabilities, including multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Luckily, regular movement and exercise can help maintain and improve mobility.
Below, you will find a set of simple mobility exercises and stretches for seniors to help improve your mobility. Some of these exercises can even be done from the comfort of a chair!
**As always, you should consult a medical professional to make sure you are able to undertake physical exercise. Remember not to overstretch to avoid injury, and if you ever feel any physical pain either before or during your exercise, please stop and consult a doctor before continuing.
Mobility exercises will help you build muscles and increase your stability. These mobility workouts aim to increase your leg and core strength in addition to your cardio stamina.
Walking is a simple yet effective way to exercise that can greatly help to improve your overall health. You can grab a friend to join you for a walk in your neighborhood or exercise in the comfort of your home with the guided video workout below!
Traditionally a Chinese martial art form, Tai Chi is a gentle and effective way to improve balance, flexibility, blood flow, and strength through slow, mindful movements. You can find senior classes for this great mobility exercise at your local YMCA or other local community center.
Speaking of classes for Tai Chi, low impact exercise classes in general are perfect for maintaining physical activity and motivating yourself to get regular exercise. If you’re able to, you can find comprehensive mobility exercises for seniors that work the whole body. Some Medicare plans also offer SilverSneakers as a benefit for free or low-cost gym memberships.
If you have limited mobility, chair exercises are a great way to live an active lifestyle and work your core muscles. With many options for modifications, chair exercises are also safe and accessible for people with many abilities and levels.
Squats can help strengthen your entire lower body, making many daily activities, like walking, easier. Strengthening your lower body can also help reduce your chances of falling, which becomes more serious as we age.
For this exercise, stand in front of a chair with your feet apart. Bend your knees, keeping them facing forward, and slowly lower yourself down, as if you’re going to sit in the chair. You may sit down in the chair, or hover over the seat for an extra challenge. From here, use your leg and core strength to lift yourself back up.
Leg raises are a great way to build core strength. A strong core is key to maintaining mobility, as well as balance and coordination, as you get older.
To perform seated leg raises, start by sitting all the way back in your chair. Slowly straighten and raise both of your legs as high as you can. Feel free to hold onto the side of the chair for support. For an additional challenge, you can take turns elevating one of your legs higher than the other.
Chair yoga and other chair exercises are very similar in their movements. The benefit of chair yoga is that you can combine chair exercises with elements of traditional yoga, like breathing, meditation, and setting an intention. These yoga techniques can help you feel more present and with your mental health.
One chair yoga technique you can try is a chest-opening exercise. First, sit tall on a chair with feet flat on the floor and interlace your hands behind your back, straightening your arms and lifting your chest towards the ceiling to feel a stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders. Engage your core and lengthen your spine upwards while keeping your shoulders relaxed. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply and evenly, focusing on expanding your chest with each inhale and relaxing into the stretch with each exhale. On an exhale, gently release your hands and let them rest in your lap.
This one’s great for improved posture so you can try it throughout the day to help you feel less stiff.
This is another core workout that you can do from anywhere! Sit all the way back in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your arms and bend your elbows at 90 degrees, with your palms facing inward, so they’re in front of you on either side of your head. The next part is important: engage your core, or in other words, tighten your stomach muscles. Slowly rotate your torso to the right, then slowly back to the middle.
At the end of each workout, make sure that you stretch to help alleviate any soreness you might feel from your workout, loosen up your muscles, and relax your joints. Stretching is also helpful for improving your flexibility and mobility over time. If you’re not sure where to start, try out the stretches explained below.
This stretch helps you both stretch your torso and work on your balance. For this stretch, stand with your feet hip width apart. Raise your arms straight above your head. As you slowly breathe in and out, bend your torso and reach your arms to the left. Come back to the center, then bend your torso and reach your arms to the right. Repeat 3 times on each side. Watch the video below if you want to check your form.
This stretch can help strengthen your posture and alleviate that pesky pain in your neck. Slowly bring your chin down to your chest and begin moving your head from side to side. Make sure to breathe slowly as you move!
This stretch is great for stretching your shoulder joints so your muscles don’t get too tight. Maintaining your shoulder mobility can help with tasks such as getting items off of shelves and painlessly putting on clothes.
Stand or sit with your feet neutral. Move your arms into two 90-degree angles on either side of your head, with your palms facing front (like a cactus). Gently bend forward, curving and stretching your back and triceps. Hold this position for a breath or two, then return to a neutral standing or sitting position.
Combine these exercises and stretches and throw in any other exercises you like to create a daily routine that helps maintain your mobility and regular exercise. If you feel bored during your routine or start to dread doing it, consider listening to a podcast or do a mobility exercise with a friend—whatever it takes to get moving. If you ever need additional exercises to lengthen your routine, explore these stretching exercises, perfect for seniors!
