12 Gentle Seated Stretches for Seniors

Chair exercises, like stretching, are ideal for seniors—they’re safe, adaptable, and boost both physical and mental health without requiring any equipment. This free 4-minute video guides seniors through 12 gentle stretches to improve flexibility, ease pain, and enhance well-being.

Seated Stretching For Seniors Can Improve Health

Chair exercises, such as stretching, are perfect for seniors because they can be adapted to physical limitations, minimize the risk of injury due to falls, and still provide health benefits.

The only equipment needed is a sturdy, non-slip chair.

Stretching helps ease joint pain and muscle aches and also improves mobility, flexibility, coordination, and circulation.

In addition to the physical benefits, it also reduces stress and boosts your mood.

We found a simple and quick 4 minute routine of seated stretching exercises for seniors.

This free video takes seniors through 12 gentle stretches that ease tension and improve flexibility throughout the body.

12 Seated Stretching Exercises for Seniors

1. Begin by sitting with good posture in a sturdy, non-slip chair (20 sec in video)

The ideal posture is to sit upright, engaging abdominal muscles, with feet on the ground, knees over toes, thighs parallel to floor, and hips aligned with legs.

Not everyone will be able to use this ideal position due to physical conditions, surgery, or injuries.

To prevent pain or injury, do your best and focus on keeping your body aligned and comfortable.

2. Overhead stretch (30 sec in video)

Take a deep breath in and stretch your arms up toward the ceiling. Exhale and bring your arms back down.

3. Upper back stretch (44 sec in video)

Make a circle with your arms and drop your chin down toward your chest. Push toward the opposite hand and focus on spreading the shoulder blades apart.

4. Chest stretch (1 min 12 sec in video)

With your arms at your sides, focus on pulling your shoulder blades together and down toward the ground.

VIDEO: Seated Stretching Exercises for Seniors

5. Side stretch (1 min 38 sec in video)

Slowly lean to one side without collapsing your upper torso, keeping your abdominal muscles engaged. Repeat on the other side.

6. Deeper side stretch (1 min 54 sec in video)

Reach one arm up and over while leaning the body to the side to get a deeper stretch. Keep the arm by the ear. Repeat on the other side.

7. Spine twist (2 min 11 sec in video)

Cross your arms over your chest and slowly twist your upper body to one side. Try not to move the rest of the body. Repeat and turn to the other side.

8. Back of thigh stretch (2 min 40 sec in video)

Scoot forward on the chair and sit a bit closer to the edge. Extend one leg straight out in front with the heel of the foot on the ground, foot flexed.

Slowly and gently, bend forward at the hip, keeping the back straight. Repeat on the other side.

For a deeper stretch, extend arms toward toes while bending forward at the hip.

9. Ankle circles (3 min 27 sec in video)

Sit back in the chair again and lift one foot off the ground.

Slowly circle the ankle in one direction and then in the other direction. Repeat on the other side.

10. Shoulder rolls (3 min 42 sec in video)

Bend arms at the elbow and roll shoulders back, making slow circles in the air with elbows.

Then, make the same motion, but this time, the circles would be going forward.

11. Head circles (4 min in video)

Turn your head to look over one shoulder. Very slowly, drop the chin and circle the head around, and bring it up to look over the other shoulder.

Then drop your chin again and circle your head back to its original side.

12. Overhead stretch (4 min 13 sec in video)

Take a deep breath in and stretch your arms up toward the ceiling. Exhale and bring arms back down.

Reminder: Safety and Comfort Are Most Important

The most crucial thing in exercise is to keep your older adult comfortable and injury-free.

Follow the instructor’s movements only as far as is comfortable. None of these movements should cause pain.

Even if someone can only do some of the range of motion or needs to skip some stretches, they’ll still benefit from the routine.

Over time, their flexibility and strength will improve, and they’ll be able to do more and more.

Remind your older adult always to move slowly and gently, and to pay attention to their body. It’s better to do a little less rather than risk getting hurt.

Next Steps:  Get 12 free, simple seated stretching exercises for seniors in a quick routine (4 min)

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• Seated Tai Chi for Seniors: 3 Routines Improve Flexibility and Well-being
• Sit to Stand Exercise: The Best Way to Improve Senior Mobility
• 10 Simple Fall Prevention Exercises Seniors Can Do at Home

About the Author

Connie Chow

Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.