Exercise is important at any age. Physical activity helps build strength, improve balance, boost energy, develop brain function, enhance sleep quality, reduce stress, and promote positive mood and happiness. Some studies even show that exercise may help prevent and counteract certain types of disease. For aging adults, daily exercise also helps maintain your independence by helping you to stay mobile, reduce fall risk, and prevent joint and muscle deterioration.
Check out these easy exercises to do at home that will radically impact your health and wellness – and they only take a few minutes every day.
Note: Remember that home workouts may cause discomfort, but they should never cause pain. Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise routine or if you are feeling any pain while working out.
1. Chair Yoga
Yoga is a low-impact form of exercise that strengthens muscles, improves flexibility, and increases mobility. Chair yoga is particularly useful for seniors because it is less weight-bearing than conventional yoga, so it puts less stress on your bones and joints.
You can find chair yoga workouts online for an easy home workout, or you can find a class at a local gym to socialize with other yogis. You’ll do poses like seated cow stretch, seated cat, seated mountain, seated twist, and overhead stretch—all of which will elongate your muscles, enhance your flexibility, and boost your endorphins. Get started with GoGoGrandparent’s Chair Yoga class on Youtube.
2. Sit-to-stand
Keep the chair and try out this easy workout for beginners. The sit-to-stand movement is a great daily exercise that helps maintain mobility and movement freedom. Going from a sitting to a standing position can be harder as we age, but it’s an important part of daily life.
At GoGoGrandparent, we care about independence and mobility, so we particularly love the sit-to-stand daily exercise. Check out Eldergym’s six variations of the sit-to-stand for effective and quick workouts at home.
3. Seated overhead press
Still with your chair, break out your dumbbells for a seated overhead press. This is an easy workout at home that will have a major impact on your shoulder, arm, and back strength. Plus, this exercise may help with daily tasks like lifting objects. Use a weight that’s comfortable for you; it’s less about the heaviness of the weight and more about the quality of your movement. You can even use a water bottle or canned food if you don’t have dumbbells on hand. Learn how to safely do the seated overhead press with this video from More Life Health Seniors.
4. Calf raises
Before we get rid of the chair, stand up (with a sit-to-stand exercise) and move to the back of the chair. Hold the chair for balance while doing this exercise.
Calf raises are incredible for promoting blood flow and improving circulation, while also strengthening your leg muscles. Some people may feel dizzy when doing this exercise because it can boost blood flow, so make sure to hold on to something secure. Learn how to do calf raises with this video by Active Seniors Health Centre.
5. Tandem stance
If you’re looking to improve your balance and help reduce your risk of falls, tandem stance workouts are easy exercises to do at home. This movement will help strengthen your core and center your gravity, so you feel sturdier and stronger while you walk. It’s a good idea to have a chair or ledge nearby that you can hold on to for support when you first start practicing balance exercises. Learn how to do the tandem stance here.
6. Single-leg stand
Another balance exercise is the single-leg stand. This is an easy workout at home that will help you with daily activities that require balancing your weight on one leg, such as walking and climbing stairs. If you are consistent with this home workout, you’ll likely find that climbing stairs feels easier with time! This is also a great daily exercise to help fix any muscular imbalances between your right and left sides. Learn how to safely do the single-leg stand with the National Institute on Aging.
7. T-spine rotation
The T-spine rotation is a great way to boost mobility while strengthening your back and core. This is also a quick workout at home that can help minimize hunching over. Learn how to do a t-spine rotation with GoGo’s strength training video on Youtube. Our experts at GoGoGrandparent teach you the benefits of strength training and some other easy workouts for beginners like the t-spine rotation, plank tops, Cossack squats, and short seated presses. Follow along with the video for a home workout that will have your heart pumping and your blood flowing!
Bonus: Take an exercise class
If you’re looking for more easy workouts for beginners, try using GoGo’s rides for seniors and people with disabilities to get to a nearby exercise class. Our Rides give you the freedom to attend swimming, aerobics, and yoga classes at your local gym or rec center to supplement your home workouts. Register with GoGoGrandparent right now to try it out for yourself!
What are some of your favorite daily exercises?
