We all know how important it is to stay active. Your body is designed to move and not doing that will only encourage deterioration. However, battling with bad knees and angry hips can really discourage even the bravest of hearts. It is but normal to doubt especially for seniors who are afraid of further inflicting damage to an already broken body. Unfortunately, there is no way around it. You need to get moving whether you like it or not—although we prefer NOT.
That is why I always check sports stores and fitness spots to know if there’s something new for seniors and elderly people–something that won’t be so much of a threat to one’s health. Something manageable, if there’s such a thing. I’m happy to have stumbled upon yet another fitness DVD for seniors:  chair exercises.
Chair exercises or chair aerobics, I would say, must be the best fitness program for seniors who are having a hard time getting up a chair, much less moving around without assistance. In other words, this type of exercise is especially made for seniors who have limited range of motion or for those who are wheelchair-bound. Chair exercises are safe enough—in fact, some of the movements done are the exact same movements therapists would likely apply to you. Doing chair exercises will help you maintain a good circulation within your body. Ideally, you have to do this for 5 minutes every hour or so, or you can do a whole set for an hour or two everyday. What’s important is that you give each of your body part parts a good shake!
I would suggest seniors to just buy an instructional video of chair exercises. This way, you’ll be able to see how to do it properly. But for the benefit of seniors who are eager to try simple chair exercises, here are some suggestions:
•    Sit up straight and feel your body—really feeling it. Close your eyes if you must, just be able to concentrate on your body, especially those long forgotten muscles. From your toes up, try flexing them one by one. Hold flex for full 5 seconds then release, repeat three times for each muscle part. Do this until you reach the uppermost muscle of your body that can be flexed!
•    Curl your toes up and down, as well as your fingers, to their fullest extent. Remember not to hurt yourself in the process, just do whatever is comfortable for you and never overexert effort.
•    Next, lift your feet off the floor, extend your leg like it’s reaching for something, point your toes, if you can. Slowly release foot from pointing and bring back leg to normal position. Do the same to the opposite leg. For the arms, just lift them up to a T with fingers pointing then make 5 small circles using the whole arm, forward then backward. Slowly bring it down without losing control.
•    For your neck, tilt head to the back then bring it forward, almost touching your collar bone but not quite. Now face left then face right. Repeat for 5 times.