Exercise therapy specialists are recommending a seven-minute chair-based workout for adults over 60, made up of seven targeted exercises designed to strengthen the core and support everyday movement.
Core strength becomes increasingly important with age because it affects posture, balance, stability and the ability to perform everyday movements, from walking and bending to standing up from a chair. The muscles of the abdomen, lower back and pelvis act as the support centre for the entire body.
According to the specialists, the seven-minute routine, which uses a chair for support, is intended as a first step toward a stronger, more functional core. The exercises are aimed at improving posture, stability and confidence in daily movements.
The specialists also said the exercises can support fat loss around the abdomen when combined with a broader wellness programme that includes strength training, cardiovascular exercise such as walking and running, and a balanced, nutritious diet. Excess fat in this area of the body, particularly around the waist, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
Why a chair and not just walking
Chair-based training offers something that walking alone does not provide as effectively, according to the specialists: targeted resistance and stabilisation of the core muscles. Ideally, adults over 60 should do both, while also including progressive whole-body resistance training in their routine.
For this age group, the specialists favour exercises that train the core around its real function in supporting daily activities. The goal is movement control, stabilisation of the spine, maintaining correct posture and transferring force between the upper and lower body.
The seven chair exercises
The first exercise is seated marching in place. It activates the deeper stabilising muscles of the abdomen and the hip flexors, while challenging the core to keep the pelvis and trunk steady. The specialists advise focusing more on keeping the upper body upright than on lifting the knees as high as possible.
The second is a seated knee extension with the abdomen engaged. This move combines strengthening of the quadriceps with core stability. For adults over 60, exercises that do not isolate the abdominal muscles from the rest of the body are particularly useful, since the core is not used in isolation during everyday activities.
The third exercise is alternating knee raises from a seated position. These create an isometric contraction in the abdominal wall while activating the oblique muscles and the deeper stabilising muscles.
The fourth is controlled seated rotations. The key word for this exercise is control, the specialists said. The aim is not to rotate the body as far as possible, but rather to work the oblique muscles and the muscles that control rotation while keeping the spine properly aligned.
Side bends and standing up
The fifth exercise is a seated side bend. It targets the oblique muscles and the quadratus lumborum, muscles that help stabilise the core and pelvis while walking, carrying objects, reaching for something and performing other everyday tasks.
The sixth exercise is standing up from the chair. It may not look like a classic core exercise, the specialists noted, but it requires significant core stabilisation while also strengthening the glutes and quadriceps. One of the main priorities of exercise after 60 is that its benefits carry over into everyday functionality, and being able to stand up from a chair with confidence matters far more than being able to perform a large number of crunches, according to the specialists.
The seventh and final exercise is a heel raise with the abdomen engaged, performed from a seated position with the body upright and the spine in correct alignment. The abdomen stays engaged while the heels lift alternately.
The move may look simple, but when done correctly it trains the deeper core muscles to keep the body stable as the legs move, the specialists said, which is exactly the function the core performs during walking.
