Chair yoga: safe, simple and beneficial for older adults

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’ve been hearing a lot about chair yoga lately. My New Year’s resolution is to improve my health and get moving again, but I have trouble getting down on the floor. What can you tell me about this type of yoga?

Arthritic Abby

Dear Abby,

If you’re looking for a safe way to get active again but find traditional exercise routines difficult, chair yoga may be the perfect fit.

Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that’s done either sitting on a chair or using the chair for support while standing. It adapts traditional yoga poses so they’re accessible to people who may have limited mobility, balance issues or difficulty getting down on the floor.

This practice helps improve flexibility, strength and balance; boosts circulation and mobility; and promotes relaxation while reducing stress. This makes it an effective and safe way to stay active and support overall well-being at any age.

A typical chair yoga session begins with simple seated postures such as gentle twists, stretches for the arms and legs, or movements that open the hips and shoulders. These exercises loosen stiff joints, improve posture and increase flexibility in areas of the body that often become tight with age.

It also can include standing poses like modified lunges or gentle balance work, with the chair always nearby for stability. Breathing exercises are often incorporated throughout the practice, encouraging participants to slow down, deepen their breath and cultivate a sense of calm. Sessions usually end with a short period of guided relaxation or meditation, leaving participants refreshed and grounded.

How to get started

To get started, you just need a sturdy chair without wheels and preferably without arms and some comfortable clothes. The goal with chair yoga is to stretch, not cause pain. So go only as far as feels comfortable and don’t push beyond your limits.

If possible, consider joining a local chair yoga class. Many local senior centers, YMCAs and community recreation centers offer chair yoga as part of their wellness or fitness programs. Some yoga studios and gyms may offer gentle yoga or chair yoga too. And if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be able to access classes for free through www.SilverSneakers.com.

If attending an in-person class isn’t an option, you can practice chair yoga at home. There are chair yoga apps and many videos you can access on YouTube to guide you through a routine.

Chair exercise options

As an alternative to chair yoga, there are chair exercises you can add to your routine that can help improve strength and balance, reduce joint pain, and prevent falls.

To execute some of these exercises, you’ll need some resistance equipment like light dumbbells, water bottles, soup cans or resistance bands.

—Sit-to-stand: For this exercise, sit at the edge of the chair, feet hip-width apart. Stand up without using your hands, then slowly sit back down. Use hands lightly on the chair or use a walker or cane if needed for support.

—Seated marches: Sit tall and alternate lifting one knee at a time toward your chest.

—Seated bicep curls: With elbows tucked in, curl weights toward shoulders, then lower with control.

—Seated overhead press: Press weights overhead from shoulder height, then slowly lower.

—Seated leg extensions: Extend one leg straight out and hold for two to three seconds, then lower and repeat.

—Heel raises: Lift heels off the floor, pause and lower back down.

For noticeable benefits, these exercises should be performed at least three days a week, doing three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.