4 seated exercises to boost your mobility and flexibility, according to a 72-year-old fitness trainer for seniors

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Moving and moving well is often something we take for granted when we’re young. But as we age, maintaining mobility and strength is essential for quality of life and independence.

Someone who can attest to this is 72-year-old certified personal trainer Mitch Kahn — the brains behind Forever Fit With Mitch — who focuses on creating workouts for older adults to help improve their balance, strength, flexibility, and confidence.

Chair workouts are the one type of exercise, in particular Kahn swears by. Detailing his reasoning why, he says: “Chair workouts can build real strength, coordination, and confidence.” Thankfully, Kahn has shared the four chair-based moves he would recommend every older adult should start with to ensure overall wellbeing. To get going, all you need is a comfortable and sturdy seat and one of the best resistance bands.

It goes without saying, but if you are new to working out or you are returning to fitness after a period of inactivity, check with your doctor first and remember to move at your own pace.

What are the 4 chair-based moves?

Devised by Kahn, these four seated exercises are suitable for beginners and seniors. You’ll work on your full body strength and coordination throughout this workout, as well as your functional fitness — which will help you feel steadier and stronger as you go about your daily routine.

To discover the moves, watch Kahn’s video below. Or keep reading to find out the exercises, number of reps to do, and benefits each move can bring:

• Cross-body punches. According to Kahn, this bodyweight move helps with core rotation and coordination.

• Seated leg press with (or without) band. This lower-body exercise helps to build up strength and power in your legs. This can help you perform everyday movements, like walking and getting up and down the stairs. Kahn demonstrates this move with and without a resistance band. If you’re new to exercising, it’s a good idea to perform this exercise with just your bodyweight before adding in some extra resistance.

• Overhead arm circles. Posture is something that can decline from modern-day habits, like spending too much time sitting on the couch or spending prolonged periods of time looking down at your phone. However, by performing overhead arm circles, you can increase your flexibility, better your alignment, and amplify your shoulder strength.

• Seated row and side taps. This exercise will see you work your arms, legs and core simultaneously. Doing so can help you strengthen your upper body, help reset your posture and improve your coordination. So it’s a win-win.

Kahn recommends completing 12 reps of each move before resting briefly and repeating the workout three times.

What are the benefits of this workout?

Chair workouts, like Kahn’s four-move session above, can help beginners or older adults build strength, flexibility and balance in an accessible way.

For example, chair yoga is a great way to introduce newbies to the much-loved mind-body practice in an inclusive way.

While strength workouts completed from a chair can ensure those who struggle to get down on the floor can continue working on their strength, posture, and enjoy that all-important endorphin fix.

Chair workouts can also help you develop your functional fitness—which is the type of strength required to complete everyday activities, such as walking up and down a flight of stairs, getting on and off the toilet, and getting in and out of bed.

One 2021 piece of research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, agrees. Researchers concluded that not only are chair-based exercises effective, but they “should be promoted as simple and easily implemented activities to maintain and develop strength for older adults.”

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