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Best Seated Seniors Resistance Band Exercise

Best Seated Seniors Resistance Band Exercise

As we advance in age, our bodies lose various capabilities such as strength, flexibility and speed. However, this doesn’t mean that you should stop working out since exercise will help you not only remain fit, but become healthier at this vulnerable age.

As most exercises have a toll on our bodies, working out when seated is a solution many seniors will find quite important. Among the exercises you can engage in with a resistance band and when seated include arm curls, shoulder squeezes, seated rows, leg presses, wrist exercises, triceps kickbacks, chest presses, seated abductors, chest pulls, and calf presses.

Before starting each exercise, ensure you’re seated correctly with your back perpendicular to the floor. Also, when performing each exercise, do it slowly and steadily to prevent injuries.

As a senior, your exercise targets aren’t necessarily gaining speed or large muscles. Rather, you should aim to stretch and strengthen your joints while stabilizing the body. In this way, the following ten exercises, all of which can be performed while seated, will help you attain these goals and much more.

Contents show

1. Arm Curls

This exercise strengthens the forearm muscles giving you a better grip and arm steadiness. It’s similar to the biceps curls exercise done using dumbbells. The difference is that you’ll be doing it using a resistance band and when seated.

You do it as follows:

  • Sit on your chair with your back upright and feet firmly on the ground. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle with the feet shoulder width apart.
  • Loop the band below your feet and hold the ends in both of your hands. Each hand should be at your thigh level with the upper arm perpendicular to the ground.
  • Pull the ends of the band upwards without moving the upper arm. Count each rep when your hands return to the thigh level.

Perform 3 sets of between 10 to 15 reps.

2. Shoulder Squeezes

Shoulder squeezes focus on strengthening the upper section of your back. This is vital in your overall stability as the back plays a role in almost all activities you engage in. It’s procedure is as follows:

  • Sit upright on the chair with your feet shoulder width apart and comfortably resting on the ground.
  • With your upper arms resting in line with the upper body, hold the band at two points that are shoulder width apart. Raise your forearms such that they’re parallel with the ground.
  • Without moving the upper arms and while maintaining the forearms’s angle, pull the band apart as much as you can then return to the starting position for a single rep.

Perform 3 sets of between 10 to 15 reps.

3. Seated Rows

Seated rows make your forearms and back stronger. As a senior, these areas enable you carry out more tasks without needing help. You do it as follows:

  • Sit upright with your knees forming right angles.
  • Take a resistance band and loop up under the left foot that you should extend straight forward with the heel still touching the ground.
  • Hold the end of the band such that your hands are stretched out towards the foot under which the band is looped.
  • Pull on the band until your upper arms are perpendicular to the ground then release to restore the starting position. That’s one rep.

Perform 3 sets of between 10 to 15 reps.

4. Leg Presses

Leg presses are focused on giving you a stronger midsection as they build your thigh muscles and glutes. It’s a simple exercise that, when done correctly and frequently, has great results. It’s performed as follows:

  • Start with an upright sitting position and feet resting with 90-degree angles at the knees.
  • Loop the band under your left foot then hold the ends of the band at your waist level.
  • Push the left leg out straight and downwards ensuring it’s off the ground. When you release the band’s tension, let the left foot return to a point slightly above your right ankle.

Perform this exercise on each leg for between 10 to15 reps in 3 sets.

5. Wrist Exercises

The wrist is clearly the most used part of the body. You may never see yourself lifting something directly with your wrist. However, it determines how well, for example, you hold that glass of water or broom as you clean your house.

To exercise it, you’ll need exercises that engage it through pulling, squeezing and even twisting. They’re done as follows:

  • Sit upright with your feet rested before you at a right angle with the ground.
  • Fold the band several times until you have the fold in both of your hands either facing each other or one above the other.
  • Squeeze on the bands for 5 to 10 seconds before releasing and doing it again.
  • You can also squeeze and pull or twist them apart.

This works your palm and wrist muscles making it easier to hold things steadily.

6. Triceps Kickbacks

While arm curls strengthen your biceps, the triceps kickbacks work on the triceps muscles which  are at the back of your arms. They’re done almost the same way you did the arm curls save for the direction of the pull as explained below:

  • Sit upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees forming right angles.
  • Loop the band under your feet and hold the ends with your hands. At the resting position, your palms should be at your hips with the elbows at a 90-degree angle.
  • While keeping the upper arms in place, pull back the forearms then restore the starting point.

Perform 10 to 15 reps of this exercise.

7. Chest Presses

Chest presses work on your triceps and chest muscles giving you a steady upper body to carry out your tasks easily. It’s akin to the chest press done in the gym using a machine just that you’ll be using the resistance band this time round.

The procedure is as follows:

  • While seated with your back upright, wrap the resistance band around your back just below the shoulder blades. Hold the end of the band in both hands such that your upper arms are perpendicular to the ground and there’s a 90-degree angle at the elbows.
  • From this position, push on the bands while extending your hands forwards until they’re parallel to the ground then restore them to the starting point.

Perform between 10 and 15 reps for this exercise.

8. Seated Abductors

The abductor muscles on your legs help you move your legs sideways. With strong and flexible abductors, your mobility will be greatly improved. Seated abductors attain the same results as squats and are done as follows:

  • Sit upright as it’s been in all the above exercises. Also keep your feet hip width apart.
  • Loop the band above your knees and place your hands on the bands to keep them in place.
  • Keeping your feet on you the ground, move your knees away from each other as much as possible and hold for 10 seconds before returning to the starting point.

Perform 10 to 15 reps of the workout.

9. Chest Pulls

Chest pulls stretch and strengthen your chest and arm muscles. They’re also beneficial in strengthening the shoulder muscles to do away with pain and soreness. For this workout, you’ll be simply stretching out your arms but with a band to increase the difficulty.

It’s performed as follows:

  • Sit upright having your legs at right angles to the ground before you. Keep them shoulder width apart.
  • Hold the band in your hands with the hands elevated to be horizontal and the elbows at a 90-degree angle.
  • Pull the band apart till your hands are a straight line from one wrist to the other and hold for 5 seconds before resuming the original position to complete a rep.

Perform 15 reps in 3 sets.

10. Calf Presses

Calf presses are similar to leg presses with the difference being the direction of the press. While you’ll be pressing downwards on the band in a leg press, the calf press entails angular motions up and down with your toes as explained below:

  • Take an upright sitting posture like in all the above exercises. Your legs are to be shoulder width apart and the knees at right angles (90 degrees).
  • Loop the band below your right foot then extend it forward so that it’s parallel with the ground.
  • In this position, stretch your foot forwards as much as you can then pull the toes towards you as much as possible. Exchange for the other foot and do the same.

Basically, you’re stretching the calf muscles and the lower foot as a whole.

These exercises will improve your general well-being including doing away with joint pain and other such issues. The secret lies in doing them on a regular basis.

Video

Seniors Resistance band workouts while seating on chair

Best Seated Exercises Bands Seniors

These exercises are best performed with quality resistance bands. Some of the best include:

1. Tribe Resistance Bands Set

2. REEHUT Single Resistance Band

3. Lim Resistance Bands Exercise Loops

4. FOMI 7 Ring Stretch and Resistance Exercise Band

5. Koncle 11 pcs Resistance Band Set

These are bands with which you can easily vary the difficulty level of your workout as per your level of strength.

Further Reading

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