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Stretch, Relax, Strengthen Muscles without Leaving Your Chair: It’s Chair Dancing!

healthy aging chair dancingFor many people vigorous stand up exercise is simply out of the question. They may be obese or seriously overweight, have diabetes, an injury, or be a senior citizen with mobility issues for one reason or another.   Or, what about sitting all day in front of a computer?  Is there anything you can do at the office, sitting in your chair, to stretch out and keep going?

 

Really, can you get into better shape if all you can do is sit in a chair? “You bet!” says Jodi Stolove, creator of Chair Dancing Fitness Programs. “There’s plenty of exercises that can be done. All you need is a chair. It’s easy and fun and can help people burn calories, improve circulation and reduce stress. It’s a convenient way to relieve pain and stress.” Stolove says that even if you are stuck at your computer all day long, five minutes of exercise every few hours can help people stretch and relax, strengthen specific muscles and even get your heart rate up and your oxygen circulating throughout your body.   “It’s really helpful because you can loosen up and get your blood flowing any time anywhere, in any shoes or clothing without ever getting up from your chair.” You don’t need to worry about tripping or losing balance. Exercising in a chair can be done safely in your home, or office.  Here are some example stretching and toning exercises that can be done while sitting down in a chair:

chair dancingSide Stretch: 

 

 

 

Sit straight, raise your arms towards the ceiling, lean towards to the right, counting slowly to four, back to the center. Then lean left, again counting to four, then back to center. Repeat both ways, three to four times.

  

   

healthy aging chair dancingTone core muscles 

egin with your shoulders resting on the back of the chair.  Contract your abdominal muscles, bringing your shoulders up as your leg comes up down as your leg goes down.  Repeat 8 times with each side.

healthy aging chair dancingLower Back Stretch

 

 

 

 

 

Sit up straight, hug your right leg, pull up and hold for five seconds, leaning your shoulder towards your knee feeling the muscles in your lower back, then lower and relax. Then do the same to the other leg. Repeat this four to five times- contracting your abdominal muscles as if a magnet is pulling your belly button towards the back of your chair. 

 

chairdancingSpine Stretch

 

Place the right leg over your left knee (or sit legs together, whichever is comfortable for you), then slowly turn towards the right, hold for five seconds feeling the stretch in your back, then relax. Repeat two or three times, then switch legs and do the set again on the other side. 

 People with limited mobility can derive significant benefits from implementing exercises in a chair dancing routine such as such as help with combating fatigue, reducing pain and increasing range of motion. Jodi Stolove has been dancing since she was a child and has taught dance and fitness for the past thirty years.  A Cum Laude graduate of the University of Michigan, she also received a MS in Counseling Psychology.  She created the original Chair Dancing concept when as a result of a fractured ankle, she taught her dance and aerobic classes from a chair.  The exercises are available in her 45 minute Chair Dancing DVD videos.    For more information:  www.ChairDancingFitness.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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