Chair Upright Rows: how to do it

Chair Upright Rows

Gentle

Seated

Upper back & posture

Arms

Neck & shoulders

Starts at 0:29 in “Lose Back Fat With This Seated Workout For Seniors Over 50”. The time is from YouTube's automatic chapters, so it may be a few seconds out.

What it is

Pull your hands up the front of your body to chest height, elbows high, then lower.

How to do it

Sit tall with hands together in front of your thighs.
Pull your hands up toward your chest, lifting your elbows out to the sides.
Stop when your hands reach chest height.
Lower slowly.

Key tip: Stop below shoulder height. Higher is not better for this one.

Who should skip it, and why

Your shoulder pinches or aches when you lift your elbows out to the side. This position can squeeze the shoulder tendons. Do Chair Rows instead.

Easier and harder versions

Easier: Smaller lift.
Harder: Hold a light water bottle in each hand.

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.