Chair Alt. Palm Push & March: how to do it

Chair Alt. Palm Push & March

Gentle

Seated

Whole body

Legs

Arms

Starts at 2:35 in “Lose Weight With This Chair Workout For Seniors Over 50”. The time is from YouTube's automatic chapters, so it may be a few seconds out.

What it is

March your legs while pushing one palm forward at a time. Simple coordination that warms the whole body.

How to do it

Sit tall, start marching gently.
Push one palm forward as the opposite knee lifts.
Bring the hand back and push with the other palm as the other knee lifts.
Keep the rhythm going.

Key tip: Opposite hand, opposite knee, like walking.

Who should skip it, and why

You have had a hip replacement and were given hip precautions (for example, not bending the hip past a right angle or crossing your legs). Lifting the knee high or crossing the body can go past those limits.

Easier and harder versions

Easier: Do the palm pushes without the march.
Harder: Push the palms up overhead instead of forward.

How much

In our videos each move runs for about 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest. Start with less if you need to. Comfortable effort is the goal, not exhaustion.

Try it: 3 rounds of 40 seconds

Stop straight away and get help if you feel:

chest pain, pressure or tightness
dizziness, light-headedness or faintness
breathlessness that doesn't settle when you rest
sharp or joint pain, or pain that gets worse as you go
numbness, tingling, or a sudden severe headache

This is general exercise information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, or you've had a fall, injury or surgery recently, check with your doctor or physiotherapist first.