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Having a strong upper body is key to maintaining an active and independent lifestyle as you age.
Keeping your upper body in good shape is crucial for living an independent life well into your later years. It enables you to perform everyday tasks, such as lifting grocery bags and playing with your grandchildren, with ease and confidence. To build and sustain this strength, choosing the right workouts is essential. We consulted Eric North, known as The Happiness Warrior, who is a wellness speaker, coach, and advocate for aging with purpose, strength, and emotional vitality. He shared five effective chair exercises that can enhance upper-body strength more efficiently than dumbbells for those over 50.
“Chair exercises often surpass dumbbells in rebuilding upper-body strength after age 50,” North explains. “They provide a stable foundation, allowing for focused, high-tension muscle training while minimizing the risk of injury, joint strain, and unnecessary momentum. By eliminating the need for balance, these exercises improve postural control, enabling individuals to target muscles directly in the shoulders, arms, and back without putting undue stress on joints or the lower back.”
Why Chair-Based Training Is Effective
It’s also worth noting that standing exercises can be an excellent alternative, offering a balanced approach that enhances mobility and strength for daily activities.
Keep in mind that standing exercises are an effective alternative that can help gym-goers establish a more balanced base for daily mobility and strength.
5 Chair Exercises That Restore Upper-Body Strength
The five seated exercises below focus on using just your body weight and resistance bands to boost upper-body strength, stability, and posture for those over 50. North recommends performing these exercises two to three times a week, aiming for two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps for each movement to maximize functional strength and muscle endurance.
Seated Resistance Band Row (Back Strength)
- Begin sitting tall.
- Loop a resistance band around the soles of your feet.
- Hold the ends of the band in each hand with your arms extended at chest level.
- Bend your elbows as you pull the band toward your torso and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Hold for a moment before releasing with control.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Seated Chair Press (Chest and Shoulders)
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- Begin by looping a resistance band behind the back of a sturdy chair at mid-back level.
- Sit tall, holding one end of the band in each hand with your elbows bent.
- Press the band forward, pushing your hands straight out ahead of your chest.
- Hold for a moment at the extension.
- Use control to release.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Overhead Press (Shoulder Strength)
- Begin sitting tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor and your core engaged.
- Hold a pair of water bottles or lightweight dumbbells at shoulder level, palms facing forward.
- Press the weights straight overhead without locking out your elbows.
- Gradually lower the weights back to the start position.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Armchair Pushups (Triceps and Shoulders)
- Begin seated in a sturdy chair with armrests.
- Position your hands on the armrests.
- Push through your hands to lift your bottom off the seat.
- Slowly lower yourself back down to the surface.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Seated Bicep Curls (Arm Strength)
- Begin seated on a sturdy chair, holding a water bottle or lightweight dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
- Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
- Use control to lower the weights back to the start position.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.