Proper Posture

  • Shoulders back and down
  • Neck straight
  • Knees together
  • Thighs and glutes activated
  • Pull abs toward the spine
  • Hold as long as possible

Jumping Jacks

  • Move to the edge of the chair
  • Move arms and legs like doing a standing jumping jack as fast as you can

Chest Stretch

  • Keep back off the chair
  • Shoulders back and down
  • Arms to the side
  • Chest forward until you feel a pull through the chest muscles
  • Hold for five to 10 seconds
  • Perform five times

Elbow Curls

  • Sit at the edge of the chair
  • Place fingers on the temples
  • Keeping hands in place, bring the elbows together
  • Return arms to either side of head

Arm Raises

  • Sit straight with arms down
  • While breathing out, slowly bring arms up as high as you can, bringing them straight out to the sides and overhead with palms forward
  • Breathe in while you place them back down

Arm Circles

  • Sitting on the edge of the seat, raise arms to your sides, forming a “T”
  • Press shoulder blades together
  • Palms down, thumbs forward
  • Make forward circles
  • Palms up, thumbs backward
  • Make backward circles

Abs Twister

  • Sit tall
  • Place arms across the chest
  • Flex and breathe in
  • Breathe out, muscles still flexed and turn to one side
  • Breathe in again as you come to center
  • Repeat to the other side

Hip Marching

  • Without leaning, sit straight while holding the bottom of the chair at your sides
  • Knees bent
  • Lift one leg as far as you can, keeping the knee bent
  • Slowly lower the leg back to the floor
  • Perform five lifts with each leg

Ankle Stretch

  • Sit tall
  • Grab the bottom of the chair on either side for stability
  • Lift one leg off the floor and put it straight out
  • Point toes away from, then toward yourself
  • Perform with both feet

Leg Extensions

  • Sit away from the back of the chair, arms down
  • Lift one leg straight out so only the heel is on the ground
  • Lift as high off the ground as possible without adjusting back posture, foot still flexed and hold for three seconds

Learn more about these and other helpful exercises with our therapy and rehabilitation programs led by professional physical therapists at A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab.