Chair Side Bends: how to do it

Chair Side Bends

Gentle

Seated

Stomach & waist

Starts at 1:27 in “Seniors Can Get A Flat Belly While Sitting! [Chair Workout]”. The time is from YouTube's automatic chapters, so it may be a few seconds out.

What it is

Lean sideways toward the floor, then come back up tall. Stretches and strengthens the sides of your waist.

How to do it

Sit tall with feet wide and flat.
Let one hand hang down by the side of the chair.
Lean sideways, sliding that hand toward the floor. You can reach the other arm over your head.
Come back up tall and repeat on the other side.

Key tip: Lean straight to the side, as if your back is against a wall.

Who should skip it, and why

Your shoulder hurts when you lift your arm above shoulder height (for example a rotator cuff problem or frozen shoulder). Reaching overhead squeezes the sore tissues. Keep your hands below shoulder height instead, or skip it.

Easier and harder versions

Easier: Keep both hands on your hips and make a small lean.
Harder: Reach the top arm over your head on every bend.

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.