Three Easy Armchair Exercises

To Relieve Sititis

A few people commented that their health doesn’t allow for many of the exercises I put in previous posts. Here are some I do at night when I’m watching TV and know I’ve been sitting too long. They won’t give you an aerobic workout but do work the different muscle groups.

1. Stomach: suck in your belly button as though trying to touch your spine. Hold for five seconds and release slowly. Work up to fifty of these. Second one: don’t hold for five seconds. Repeat rapidly one after another up to fifty times.

2. Butt and thighs (helps with the sciatic nerve): sit back in chair, feet preferably off the floor, and tuck butt upward, pulling muscles tight. Hold for five seconds and release slowly. Repeat up to fifty times. Second one: don’t hold the squeeze. Repeat rapidly one after another fifty times.

3: Arms (works muscles of upper arm):

1) Hold hands in prayer position, elbows parallel to your lap, and push hands together. Hold five seconds and release. Repeat ten times then do them rapidly ten times.

2) Elbows bent and forearms parallel to lap, curl one hand’s fingertips over the other hand’s and pull outward. Hold for five seconds and release, ten times. Repeat doing rapidly ten times.

3) Hands in prayer position but held down by belly button, facing outward and parallel to lap. Push hands together and hold five seconds. Repeat ten times then push hands together rapidly for ten repeats. You’ll feel the different muscles being used from the first exercise.

4) Arms straight out to your sides. Keeping arms still, raise hands at a ninety degree angle, fingers together pointing up, and push back toward shoulders until you feel resistance. Don’t push to the point of pain. Hold five seconds and release, ten times. Repeat rapidly ten times.

5) Repeat first exercise.

I do these six days a week and find altering the sequence each week more effective. For example: first week I’ll do ten of the slower stomach, ten of the slower butt, and ten of the first slower arm exercise then repeat stomach, butt, second arm exercise, etc. After finishing the slower ones, I do the rapid repeats in the same sequence.

The next week I might do all fifty slower stomach exercises at once, stopping after twenty-five to rest the muscles for thirty seconds, then the slower butt muscles, then each of the slower arm exercises. When finished, I’ll do the rapid ones. There are numerous sequences you can come up with. The kit and caboodle of them takes twenty to thirty minutes when doing all the repeats. You can do all or some, as you please.