Move · Videos · Gentle & Seated · 11 min

Everyday Seated Posture Stretches for Seniors

Video by Senior Fitness With Meredith on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A seated routine made for older adults and beginners: spinal arches, chin glides, shoulder rolls and blade squeezes, arm pulls, diagonal reaches, twists and a chest release. Light enough to repeat daily.

  • 11 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • chair

Good forBetter postureHealthy ageing

Step by step 10

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Set-up: scoot to the front of the chair, abdominals pulled in, shoulders relaxed and down. 0:55
  2. Spinal arches: hollow the belly and round the spine, then lengthen tall and lift the gaze. 1:40
  3. Chin glides: draw the head straight back, then push the chin forward, keeping the body still. 2:33
  4. Shoulder shrugs, then rolls to the front and to the back, squeezing the shoulder blades together. 3:36
  5. Arm pulls: arms long in front, pull the elbows back and squeeze for five; keep breathing. 4:32
  6. Open the arms wide and close them, then big self-hugs, and press the arms back behind you. 5:13
  7. Diagonal reaches: fist on the opposite hip, thumb up, sweep the arm up on a diagonal; both sides. 6:32
  8. Seated twists: turn and open the chest to the right, then the left. 7:36
  9. Hands laced behind or up the chair back, fold forward; then round forward, and cross-body arm stretches. 8:00
  10. Final flow: shrugs and shoulder circles, then three deep breaths sweeping the arms overhead. 9:30

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Scoot to the front of the chair with the abdominals pulled in
  • Squeeze the shoulder blades together and keep breathing, do not hold the breath
  • Keep shoulders relaxed and down, away from the ears

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Neck moveschin glides
  • Shoulders movesshrugs, circles, blade squeezes, arm hugs
  • Upper back movesspine arches, twists, blade squeezes
  • Lower back movesspine arches, twists, hands-behind forward release

Easier option from the coach: Fully seated; hands can walk up the chair back in the forward release

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Senior Fitness With Meredith; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety