Chair Based Exercises and Yoga Blocks

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Chair Exercise Routine For Seniors- Add Some Variety To Our Seated Exercises

There are so many ways to exercise from the chair. I know that exercise can sometimes feel like such a chore, but we can find ways to make it interesting and to beat that boredom. I thought it might be fun to try some seated exercises using the yoga block. If you don’t have a yoga block- no worries. You can use a small pillow, a book, a paper towel roll, or any other light object you may have and practice this chair exercise routine for seniors (or anyone really) right at home.

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If you are interested in starting an exercise routine and tracking your habits, you may also be interested in my habit tracker: Habit Tracker Notebook

The one that I am using is nothing special, I got it at the store 5 Below for 5$. There are of course many options, and depending on the material, some are expensive. But, for the purposes of these seated exercise, a foam block is all that you need. They often have these at discount stores like Marshalls and TJ Max in their exercise section. Here is an inexpensive yoga block that I found on Walmart, or this set of 2

Of course, we can always use the yoga block to help us to get a better alignment in the chair when doing any yoga pose or exercise. It can help us to get our feet planted firmly on the ground with our hips and knees at 90 degrees. We can also just have a little fun with this as we add some dynamic movements with a bit of a coordination element. Regardless, let’s take a look at this simple chair exercise routine for seniors where we will practice 6 simple exercises using a yoga block  to help make it a bit more interesting.

The repetitions are simply suggestions- do more or less as it fits your needs. Remember to always listen to your body. Stop immediately if you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting this or any exercise program. For all of these exercises, begin seated with a long spine with the thighs parallel. Feet are planted firmly on the ground and the chest is open and the shoulders are down and away from the ears.

1. Chest Press

A woman seated in a chair holding a blue yoga block with both hands near her chest.

A woman seated in a chair holding a yoga block with both hands stretched out in front of her body.

  • Hold the block between your hands on the short side
  • Bring the block up to chest height and gently press your hands into the block
  • Lengthen the spine
  • Inhale as you straighten the elbows and press the block away from your body
  • Exhale to bring the block back towards the chest
  • Repeat 5-10 times as able, 1-2 sets as desired

Modification– You may keep the block lower than chest height as needed.

2. Shoulder Flexion

A woman seated in a chair and holding a blue yoga block resting on her knees between her hands.

A woman seated in a chair and holding a blue yoga block between her hands as she raises the block up to shoulder height.

  • Hold the block between your hands on the short side
  • Rest the block on your thighs near the knees
  • Straighten the elbows
  • Gently press your hands into the block
  • Inhale to raise the block up to shoulder height
  • Exhale to lower the block back to the thighs
  • Repeat 5-10 times as able, 1-2 sets as desired

Modification– Try to keep the elbows straight, but only raise the arms as high as is comfortable.

3. Around The World

A woman seated in a chair holding a blue yoga block with both hands in front of her body.

A woman seated in a chair and holding a yoga block with both hands behind her body.

  • You will need to be seated forward in the chair for this exercise (see the modification if you need an alternative).
  • Scoot towards the edge of the seat 
  • Hold the block in both hands (either direction is fine)
  • Inhale to lengthen the spine and bring one hand behind your back
  • Exhale as you bring the block behind your back and pass it to the other hand
  • Continue to breath evenly
  • Repeat passing the block around the body 5-10 times, 1-2 sets as desired
  • Switch directions and go the other way

Modification- Pass the block back and forth in front of the body, stretching the arms out to the side each time

4. Hip Flexion

A woman seated in a chair passing a yoga block from one hand to another under the thigh of one lifted leg.

  • Sit tall with a long spine
  • Hold the block with one hand
  • Inhale as you raise the knee on the opposite side
  • Exhale as you pass the block to the opposite hand underneath the thigh (from the inside of the leg)
  • Continue back and forth 
  • Repeat 5-10 times, 1-2 sets as desired
  • Maintain a  long spine and keep the chest broad- this takes a lot of core strength!

Modification– If that is too much hip flexion and core work, place the block the long way on the floor in front of the toes. Inhale as you lift the knee and place the foot on the block. Exhale as you place the foot back on the floor. Switch legs and alternate back and forth 10-20 times as able.

5. Alternating Side Steps

A woman seated in a chair with a blue yoga block on the floor between her feet.

A woman seated in a chair with one foot placed on top of a yoga block.

  • Place the block on the floor between your feet
  • On an inhale, lift one knee up and in toward the center as you place the foot on the block
  • Exhale to release the foot back to the floor
  • Repeat on the other side
  • Alternate right to left for 10-20 repetitions, 1-2 sets as desired
  • Keep breathing evenly throughout

6. Heel Raises

A woman seated in a chair with her feet resting on a yoga block and her heels reaching toward the floor,

A woman practicing heel raises on a yoga block while seated in a chair.

  • Place the block on the floor with the long way facing you
  • Place half of your feet onto the block and let the heels release down
  • Inhale as you lift the heels up and come onto the toes
  • Exhale to release the heels back down
  • Repeat 10 times, 1-2 sets as desired

Modification- If the stretch is too much, simply place the feet on the floor and lift the heels up and down

Those are just a few of the ways you can use the yoga block to make your chair based exercises or any chair exercise routine for seniors a bit more interesting. The possibilities are really endless, and I will be sure to add more in future sequences. Let me know what you think!

Want More Chair Exercise Routines For Seniors?

Take a look at this short video, as I go through a set of each of these exercises: Chair Exercises with Yoga Block

You can find 5 Lower Body chair exercises with the yoga block here: 5 Lower Body Chair Exercises.

If you would like more information on chair yoga, take a look here.

You can find more chair exercises routines for seniors at The Peaceful Chair YouTube channel

Check out some tips on ways to get cardio exercise from the chair here, Chair Yoga for Cardio.

I invite you to read Breathing for Better Mobility if you are interested in learning more about the breath and movement

Visit The Peaceful Chair Etsy Shop for health and wellness related printables.

I invite you to sign up for the Monthly Email Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest blog posts and chair exercise routines for seniors.

Namaste!

Disclaimer: The Peaceful Chair and thepeacefulchair.com strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before starting this or any exercise program.The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not to be used in place of medical advice or information from your healthcare provider. Neither The Peaceful Chair, the peacefulchair.com, nor any of its contributors shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information contained in any links, videos, or any content on this website.