Adding movement into our day is essential, especially as we get older. Exercise is vital for maintaining physical and mental health, but you may not always want or feel able to do an intense workout.
The best resistance bands are a flexible alternative to weights for days when you want to build strength. But if you're after a low-impact way to move your body, check out this 10-minute chair workout.
It's a routine put together by Joe Wicks, also known as the Body Coach. Wicks found global fame in early 2020 when he started offering daily family-friendly online workouts during last year's lockdowns.
His sessions are easy to follow, and he offers guidance throughout the video. Wicks also demos each move so you can perfect your form and follow along. For this routine, you'll work for 35 seconds, take a 25-second rest, then continue onto the next move.
Watch Joe Wicks' 10-minute chair workout
You can take things at your own pace, and, as Wicks says, "if you find [a move] that isn't suitable, sit down, chill out, have a cup of tea, and just relax until the next one comes on."
Of course, some people might worry that chair-based activity isn't a 'real' workout. However, a recent meta-analysis, a review of published research, noted that chair exercise had several benefits.
The authors found that "balance, gait speed, grip strength and several other physical measurements" showed improvements across multiple studies following a period of chair-based exercise.
It's a timely finding as the pandemic has changed workout routines, making it harder for seniors to get physical activity into their day. This is doubly so as many online sessions focus on intense exercise.
As the virus continues to spread worldwide, chair workouts are an effective, low-impact way to stay active without having to leave the house. And you don't need extra equipment to get started!
If you want to work on your upper body some more, you can use the best chest workouts with resistance bands for low-impact at-home strength training.
It's also worth taking the best fish oil supplements to top up your Omega-3 levels. These fatty acids sustain a healthy heart, protect your mental wellbeing, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
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