There are several reasons why the elderly should work on strength and flexibility, but the most important reason is to prevent frailty. Frailty occurs when the elderly lose muscle mass and bone mass due to inactivity and injury. Other benefits of exercise in the elderly are improved cardiovascular health, mental alertness, vitality, and reducing injuries caused by falls.
Seated Jumping Jacks
Sit up tall in the chair and put your feet shoulder-width apart on the ground. Lean all or most of your weight on your feet. Lift up your feet, cross your legs in the air, and place them back onto the floor, still crossed. Lift your feet up, uncross your legs, and place them back on the floor, uncrossed. Repeat 10-20 times one to two times a day.
Leg Crosses
Slide down in the chair so that your buttocks are right on the edge of the chair and place your legs straight out front, totally extended and lifted into the air. Cross and uncross your legs while keeping your legs in the air. Go as long as possible while keeping your feet from touching the ground, and rest as necessary. Do this exercise for one to two minutes two times a day.
Boxing
Keep your fists loosely clinched and in a controlled movement, jab your fists out in a punching motion straight out to the front of your body in a continuous movement: left, right, left. Do as many punches as possible in one minute, twice a day. Increase to two minutes as your ability increases.
Arm Circles
Extend your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. Starting with small movements, begin circling your entire arm and gradually make the circles bigger, then reverse the movement and make circles in the other direction. Do this for thirty seconds to one minute, twice a day. Increase to two minutes as your ability increases.
Caution
Always perform stretching exercises before beginning your workout. For your safety, make sure the chair is strong and on an even surface. Start out slowly and increase duration and/or repetitions as your ability increases in order to avoid injury. Consult a physiotherapist or physician before starting any new exercise program.
