What is it?
This 6 part course includes a wide range of seated stretching and strengthening exercises for your whole body. It includes gentle and progressive fitness training to increase your capacity for exercise, and has a guided gentle warm up and cool down, as well as some adapted Tai Chi exercises. Each class is 40-45mins, and we recommend you repeat each one several times until you feel ready to move up to the next level. In this way the 6 lesson course should take approximately 8-12 weeks to complete.
Using minimal equipment the classes will teach you safe exercises, to help improve your movement, posture and fitness.
Equipment list
A sturdy chair, a theraband, 2 ankle weights, an optional soft pilates ball or a small plump cushion, a towel and a drink.
You can find these products from trusted sources here:
Ankle Weights: http://bit.ly/AnkleWeightsCranfold
Theraband: http://bit.ly/TherabandCranfold
Pilates Ball: http://bit.ly/CranfoldPilatesBall
Who is this for?
Those who prefer to exercise in sitting, or don’t feel able to exercise in standing; those who may worry about a fall, or who feel a little unsteady. It is suitable for older adults, or those of any age who want to exercise in a safe and supported way. The aim is to strengthen you and help you return to your previously enjoyed activities.
This class is suitable for people with a range of medical conditions including: arthritis, diabetes, thyroid problems, controlled hypertension, mild-moderate osteoporosis, mild – moderate breathlessness. We advise that if you have medical conditions you should consult your doctor or a qualified health professional before beginning any new exercise.
If you have these medical conditions please check with your doctor or physiotherapist before undertaking the class: heart problems (such as angina, previous heart attack, palpitations) or problems with your blood vessels (such as aneurysms, stroke, blood clots). Long covid or recent acute or major illness (such as bronchitis/pneumonia or cancer) especially if you required hospital treatment, dizziness or changes to your blood pressure with exercise, severe breathlessness, severe osteoporosis, severe or high levels of pain, or if you suffer with post exercise malaise/fatigue.
We are sorry but this class is not suitable for those with some medical conditions including: uncontrolled heart failure, blood pressure over 100/180, any unhealed fractures, those who are not able to sit independently. If this is you, or you are unsure, please contact us to discuss how we can best help you.
Lessons
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 1
Our first class takes you through an introduction to the course and begins going through the easiest levels of a series of exercise sections including a gentle warm up and a cool down, some endurance training called ‘huff and puff’, a seated introduction to static balance training and a strengthening section focusing on the theraband for resistance. Whilst the class is done entirely in sitting, we won’t be sitting still! You will learn about chair marching and hip walking as well as when to take our ‘pit stop’ rest breaks.
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 2
This class builds on what you learned in the first class and you will start to work a bit harder. You will be using your weights as well as your theraband for the strengthening section. This introduces the first two of the Tai Chi exercises in addition to some familiar and some new exercises in the sections you did in the previous class.
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 3
This class is the final class of the first half of the course and will introduce some combined exercises (using both your arms and legs together) in the ‘huff and puff’ to challenge your coordination as well as your fitness and strength. We will begin some more dynamic balance training and learn more new exercises. As with the previous classes it is a little harder than the one before.
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 4
This class is the first part of the second half of the course. The exercises should be familiar now and you should be feeling fitter and stronger now so the class is a little faster with more repetitions and the rest breaks are shorter.
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 5
These final two classes are the most challenging classes and combine all the exercises you have learned and will push you just a bit harder to maximise the benefits of the course. You’ll begin interval training during the ‘huff and puff’ and you will be doing a number combined exercises. For these two classes you may now be significantly stronger than you were at the beginning of the course and you might want to get a stronger theraband and/or some heavier weights.
Movement, Mobility & Strength Class 6
These final two classes are the most challenging classes and combine all the exercises you have learned and will push you just a bit harder to maximise the benefits of the course. You’ll begin interval training during the ‘huff and puff’ and you will be doing a number combined exercises. For these two classes you may now be significantly stronger than you were at the beginning of the course and you might want to get a stronger theraband and/or some heavier weights.