Chair Swimmers
- Gentle
- Seated
- Upper back & posture
- Arms
- Neck & shoulders
Starts at 4:25 in “Seniors Over 50 & Beginners Can Lose Weight With This Chair Workout”. The time is from YouTube's automatic chapters, so it may be a few seconds out.
What it is
Reach one arm up and forward while the other pulls back, like a front crawl swimming stroke.
How to do it
- Sit tall with feet flat.
- Reach one arm up and forward.
- Pull it down and back as the other arm reaches up.
- Keep alternating in a smooth, swimming rhythm.
Key tip: Reach long. Let your side lengthen with each stroke.
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
- Reach forward at shoulder height rather than up.
- Harder
- Faster strokes.
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.
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.
In these ChairGlow videos
- Seniors Over 50 & Beginners Can Lose Weight With This Chair Workout (7 min)
- Seniors Over 60: Do This Chair Workout Daily & See What Happens (18 min)
- Strengthen Arms With This Seated Workout For Seniors Over 50 (6 min)
- 10 Day Seated Workout For Seniors To Slim Belly (11 min)
- Seated Exercises To Make Belly Fat CRY HARD (34 min)
- How Seniors Can Tone Their Arms While Seated (33 min)