Exercises for seniors at home — a simple 15-minute routine

Why exercise at home?

With age, muscles slowly weaken (this is called sarcopenia). First it gets harder to get up from an armchair, then to carry shopping up the stairs. Regular resistance exercise, 2–3 times a week, stops this process — at any age. Walking is good for the heart, but on its own it's not enough to maintain muscle strength.

Before you start

• Always start with a warm-up

  5–10 minutes of gentle walking and joint rotations. Finish your workout with breathing and stretching.

• Exercise with support nearby

  Keep a stable chair, handrail or wall within reach so you can support yourself.

• Good pain vs. bad pain

  Good: diffuse muscle fatigue that fades after 1–2 days. Bad: sharp, stabbing, in the joint, radiating — stop the exercise.

The 8-exercise routine, step by step

1. 1. Kokyu breath and posture (1 min)

   Sitting up straight, inhale through the nose for 4 s, exhale through the mouth for 6 s. Set a Kamae posture: feet flat, spine tall.

2. 2. Seated marching (2 min)

   Alternately lift your knees, arms move as if marching.

3. 3. Knee extensions (2 min)

   Straighten your leg, hold 2 s, lower. 12 reps per leg.

4. 4. Lateral arm raises (2 min)

   Raise arms to shoulder height and back down, 12 reps.

5. 5. Seated torso twists (2 min)

   Hands on opposite shoulders, slowly twist right and left.

6. 6. Chair stands (2 min)

   8–10 reps, without using your hands if possible. Sit down slowly, counting to 3.

7. 7. Standing on one leg (2 min)

   Holding the chair back, 10–20 s per leg. Focus your eyes on one point.

8. 8. Stretching and breathing (2 min)

   Stretch your arms, neck and calves. Finish with 5 calm breaths.

How often should you exercise?

Start with 2–3 times a week, with a day's rest in between. You can do balance exercises (e.g. standing on one leg by a chair back) every day. Once the routine becomes easy, add more reps or a light resistance band.

Frequently asked questions