Part 2: Lower body chair stretches that are low impact and work on breathing and gentle movements.

Required Supplies

Chairs for instructor and participants who do not require wheelchairs.

Group Size

Min: 1
Max: 8

Hazards

Please be mindful of each participant’s precautions.

Activity Instructions

To begin, ask participants to sit tall in their chairs with the feet flat on the footrests or on the ground (Seated position).

 

Breathing:

Ask participants to breathe in through their nose and out through their mouth. Add your arms by bringing them above the head when breathing in and down when breathing out.

 

Hips:

Place your arms on your hips and bring your upper body forward. Remind participants to look forward instead of downwards (so that you do not get dizzy). Bring your upper body forward, to the left and to the right. IT should look like you are hoola hooping. Repeat in opposite direction.

 

Knees: 

In seated position, raise left knee so that the foot is off of the ground. Kick forward. Bring leg back to raised knee position and then back to seated position with foot on the ground. Repeat exercise with right side.

 

Calves:

Scooch forward a little on the chair. Extended your left leg out and place your heel on the ground. Using your arms, reach as far as you can comfortably towards your toes. Keep your head looking forward (so that you do not get dizzy). Repeat with right leg.

 

Ankles:

Kick your left leg out, rotate ankle in the clockwise direction and then in the counter clockwise direction. Repeat with right leg.

 

Complete Gentle Stretch Exercises with breathing deeply. 

Activity Instruction Adaptations

Repeat exercises as many times as tolerated. 

A little movement is still movement! Exercises do not have to be done exactly how they are instructed, we are happy to have participants try their best to follow along.