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A woman in a seated twist on a green mat in a sunlit room, an olive tree and the sea behind her

Move · 10 min

Chair exercises for two

Two chairs facing each other and ten minutes of simple seated moves, for someone you care for and for you.

10 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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When someone you care for moves less, it is easy for both of you to end up sitting all day. Seated exercises are gentle enough for most people, need no equipment, and are more fun done facing each other than alone.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Set two sturdy chairs without wheels facing each other, a little more than knee distance apart. Sit tall near the front of the seat, feet flat.

  2. Warm up: march your feet on the spot for a minute, then roll your shoulders back ten times.

  3. Take turns leading one move each, ten times: lift one knee then the other; straighten one leg and point the toes; reach both arms up; twist gently to look over each shoulder; squeeze your shoulder blades together.

  4. Finish with three slow breaths together, arms resting on your thighs, and agree a time for tomorrow.

The reason

Why it helps

Moving the joints and muscles regularly, even sitting down, helps with stiffness, circulation and the feeling of being stuck. Taking turns to lead gives the person you care for a say in what happens, and keeps it a shared activity rather than something done to them.

A gentle variation

If ten of each is too many, do five, or only the arm movements. On a good day, add standing up and sitting down three times at the end.

Friends resting after a game, the sea behind them

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

This one is made for two. If the person you care for cannot join in, ask a friend, a neighbour or a family member on the phone to do it with you at the same time.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, set two chairs facing each other and do ten minutes of simple seated moves with someone, taking turns to lead.

Add it to your day

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