Exercise for seniors at home: a safe routine with no equipment

How much exercise do older adults need?

The World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines give older adults the same base recommendation as other adults: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walking, and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days. On top of that, WHO recommends that people aged 65 and over do varied activity that emphasises balance and strength on three or more days a week, to keep everyday movement easy and to prevent falls.

The NHS gives similar advice for adults over 65: be active every day, even if it's just light activity; do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week; and reduce time spent sitting, breaking up long periods of not moving with some activity.

If those numbers feel far away, start where you are. A few minutes of the routine below, done regularly, is a real beginning, and you can build up from there.

Why balance and strength matter most

Strong legs and steady balance are what let you get up from a chair, climb stairs and catch yourself if you trip. They're also the focus of the best evidence on preventing falls.

A 2019 Cochrane review led by Catherine Sherrington, which pooled trials of exercise for older people living in the community, found that exercise reduced the number of falls by about 23% and the number of people who fell by about 15%. Programs built mainly around balance and functional exercises, the kind of movements you use in daily life, had high-certainty evidence of reducing falls. Side effects were poorly reported in the trials, and those that were reported were usually minor, such as joint or muscle pain.

Before you start: set up a safe space at home

• A sturdy chair: solid, with no wheels and ideally no arms, that won't slide on the floor. Put its back against a wall if your floor is smooth.
• A clear area: move rugs, wires and low tables out of the way so you have room to step to each side.
• A wall or kitchen counter nearby to hold for the balance exercises.
• Good light and comfortable, supportive shoes rather than socks or slippers on a smooth floor.
• Water within reach and loose, comfortable clothing.
• A phone nearby, charged, in case you need to call someone.

A chair-supported routine you can do at home

This routine takes about 20 to 30 minutes and draws on the strength, balance and sitting exercises published by the NHS. Hold the chair or a wall whenever you need to. Start with the repetitions shown and add a few more as each one gets easier.

1. 1

   Warm up with seated marching

   Sit tall near the front of the chair and lift each knee in turn for one to two minutes, swinging your arms gently. Then circle your shoulders and ankles.

2. 2

   Sit to stand

   With feet flat and hip-width apart, lean forward slightly and stand up using your legs, then sit back down slowly. Start with 5. Use your hands on your thighs if you need to, and try to use them less over time.

3. 3

   Calf raises holding the chair

   Stand behind the chair, hold its back and slowly rise onto your toes, then lower. Do 5 to 10. This builds the ankle strength that helps you recover from a stumble.

4. 4

   Sideways leg lift

   Holding the chair, lift one leg out to the side, keeping your body upright, then lower slowly. Do 5 on each side.

5. 5

   Wall push-up

   Stand an arm's length from a wall, hands flat at chest height, and bend your elbows to bring your chest towards the wall, then push back. Do 5 to 10, keeping your back straight.

6. 6

   Seated arm curls

   Sitting tall, curl two filled water bottles up towards your shoulders and lower slowly. Do 5 to 10 with each arm.

7. 7

   Heel-to-toe walk by the wall

   With one hand on the wall, walk forward placing your heel directly in front of the other foot's toes, looking ahead rather than down. Take at least 5 steps.

8. 8

   One-leg stand

   Holding the chair, lift one foot off the floor and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, keeping your hips level. Do this 3 times on each side.

9. 9

   Cool down with seated stretches

   Sit tall and gently stretch your chest by drawing your shoulders back, turn your upper body slowly to each side, and point and flex your feet. Breathe slowly throughout.

A simple weekly plan for older adults

Every day, try to break up long spells of sitting: stand up during TV advertisements, walk while on the phone, or do a few sit-to-stands after meals. These small habits follow the NHS advice to reduce sitting time.

Walking and mobility: the other half of staying active

Walking counts towards the weekly aerobic activity that WHO recommends, and you can build it up gradually, adding a few minutes every week or two. Walk at a pace where you can talk but not sing. In very hot weather, walk early in the morning or indoors along a corridor or terrace.

Mobility keeps your joints moving comfortably. Gentle stretches for the chest, back, hips and ankles, held for a few slow breaths without bouncing, make everyday tasks such as reaching a shelf or tying shoes easier. Our mobility and flexibility goal page explains how we build this into training.

How family can help set up a video session

The first session is the only fiddly part; after that it's as simple as joining a call. If you're helping a parent or grandparent, these steps make it easy.

1. 1

   Choose the device

   A tablet or laptop with a larger screen makes it easier to see the coach demonstrate. A phone works too.

2. 2

   Position the camera

   Place it on a steady surface about two metres away, at roughly hip height, so the whole body is in view from head to toe, including the chair.

3. 3

   Get the sound and light right

   Turn the volume up or connect a speaker, and make sure the main light is in front of them, not behind.

4. 4

   Test the call

   Join the video link together once before the first session so the buttons feel familiar.

5. 5

   Stay nearby for the first sessions

   Being in the next room for the first one or two sessions gives confidence. Save our number where they can find it.

Before the first session we ask for a short health declaration, so the coach knows about any conditions, medicines or past falls and can plan around them.

Red flags: when to stop and get help

• Chest pain, pressure or tightness, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back: stop and call emergency services (112 in India).
• Breathlessness far beyond what's normal for the effort, or that doesn't settle with rest.
• Dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint. Sit down straight away.
• Sharp or sudden pain in a joint or muscle, as opposed to the mild muscle tiredness that's normal.
• A fall or near fall during exercise. Stop and let your doctor know before you continue.
• New numbness, weakness or confusion. Get medical help immediately.

Personal trainer for seniors at home, online

A coach can make home exercise safer and more enjoyable: they choose the right level, cue technique and adjust when something doesn't feel right. With MakeMyFitness, every session is a live video call with a certified coach. Nobody visits your home; you train in your own living room, with your chair and your space.

Personal Home Training is one-to-one for 45 minutes at ₹899 a session, needs no equipment and can be kept entirely low-impact. If a doctor or physiotherapist has cleared you to exercise after an injury or operation, Rehab & Recovery builds strength step by step alongside their advice; it's exercise coaching, not physiotherapy. Some people prefer company: our live group classes offer easier and harder versions of every exercise. You can read about our lead coach on Kumar Abhishek's profile.

For family members who train too, see our guides to strength training for women over 40 and how many days a week to work out.