The Cedars Wellness Coordinator, Sarah Martin, recommends Chair Stands to strengthen your abdomen and thighs. And when you exercise remember:
- Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program
- Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing, and proper shoes that offer safety and support
- Drink water before, during and after exercise
- Make sure you stretch after you exercise
In a seated position with good posture and feet flat on the floor, cross your arms over your chest or hold a ball with both hands at chest level. Keeping your weight
on your heels, stand up, using your hands as little as possible or not at all. As you
bend slightly forward to stand up, keep your back and shoulders straight. Take at
least 3 seconds to sit back down. Repeat 8 to 15 times or as many as you can
comfortably do with good form. Rest. Do another set of 8 repetitions.
Modification: If you are more advanced, try doing squats. Beginning in a
standing position with back facing the seat of a chair, slowly bend the knees to
lower down toward the seat of the chair. Stick out the buttocks so that your knees
do not jut beyond your toes. Just before your buttocks gets to the seat of the chair,
stand back up to the starting position in a fluid motion, squeezing your buttocks
and putting all the weight in your heels as you push back up.
(Thanks to the National Institute on Aging, Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging)
For more information on Wellness at The Atrium at The Cedars, call us today at 207-221-7100.