Balance & Strength Exercises for Seniors: 9 Practices with Jane Adams

This section has classic, traditional balance exercises and modified yoga balances. They are all performed standing near a chair. You can make the balances easier by holding securely onto the chair, or make them more challenging by only lightly touching the chair or not using it at all. The balances alternate with core-strength work performed seated in a chair.

This practice will gently strengthen your entire body and is all performed seated in a chair. Two optional exercises at the end involve standing up from the chair to strengthen the arm and leg muscles needed when standing up from a chair.

These practical walking and stepping movements will improve your ability to step and react quickly, to move gracefully with confidence, and will help improve cardiovascular health. All movements are performed holding onto a chair for support. This section is quite a bit easier than episode #5.

These practical walking and stepping movements will improve your ability to step and react quickly, to move gracefully with confidence,and will help improve cardiovascular health. These exercises are done without the support of a chair, and some of the movements involve moving both the arms and legs for greater strength and cardiovascular challenge than episode #4.

Traditional leg, foot, ankle and hip strength exercises such as squats, leg lifts to the front, side and back, and toe raises. All these exercises are performed standing near a chair. You can do them holding onto the chair for support, or for greater strength and balance challenge you can do them without holding onto the chair.

This section has exercises to strengthen your arms, hands, shoulders and upper back, as well as gentle stretches to increase upper body range-of-motion. They are all performed sitting in a chair and can be done with or without hand weights.

This section has gentle modified yoga stretches for the legs, hips and ankles. They are all performed holding onto a chair for support or seated in a chair. This section is best done after the other balance and strength exercises, to help relax the muscles and prevent stiffness.

Please watch this introduction for basic tips on practicing Tai Chi safely and effectively before doing the active Tai Chi practices.

this section has many Tai Chi warm-up exercises to gently stretch and strengthen the entire body and increase joint range-of-motion. Also includes some easy Tai Chi walking and balance movements. All performed standing without chair support.

This is a flowing practice of the 8 modified tai chi forms. The forms are similar to traditional tai chi, but are modified to make them easier to learn and perform, and to emphasize the balance improving aspects of tai chi. You will need to first learn the 8 forms before practicing this flowing sequence as there is no verbal instruction given except the names of the forms.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning Form #1. In this and the other form tutorials, you will learn first the arm movements, then the leg movements, and then how to practice them together. All of the forms are taught in mirror image for ease of learning and practicing.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #2

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #3.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #4.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #5

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #6.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #7.

Tai Chi step by step tutorial for learning form #8.

Please watch this introduction first, before doing the active practices. This presents an introductory overview of the practices in this program, has guidelines for practicing safely, explains how the balance system works, and gives tips for improving balance and preventing falls.