Before you
begin the strength-building portion of your Resistance
Chair™ system workout, take a few minutes to stretch
your muscles and warm up. This reduces the risk of injuries
and improves blood circulation.
Presented below you will find simple warm-up exercises
and stretches that you can do while in a seated position.
With each of these exercises, remember to keep your
posture straight and sit toward the front of the seat.
This posture helps develop the “core” muscles
of your abdomen and back, which act as an important
base for many of the strength-building exercises.
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Marching in Place
While seated at the front edge of the chair,
“march” with your arms and legs. Alternate
between raising your left leg and right arm, and
raising your right leg and left arm in a steady
marching motion. Complete 20 to 30 repetitions on
each side. |
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Arm Cross
Hold one arm across your chest and perpendicular
to the floor. Use your other arm to gently pull
on this outstretched arm and you’ll feel
the muscles stretch on the back of your arm. Hold
this position for 20 to 30 seconds before switching
to the other arm. Remember to sit up straight
at the front edge of the seat. |
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Arm Circles
While seated upright at the front of your seat,
hold your arms straight out to each side and slowly
rotate your hands in a small circular motion.
Complete at least 20 revolutions in each direction,
rotating forward, then backward. For a faster
warm-up, you can also continue marching with your
feet while you rotate your arms. |
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Arm Raises
Sit up straight at the front edge of the seat.
Raise one arm out directly in front of you
(Fig. A) and then straight up above your head
(Fig. B). Lower your arm and raise the opposite
arm. Alternate from side to side slowly, working
on raising your arm as high as possible. Complete
10 repetitions with each arm, then do 10 repetitions
raising both arms at the same time. |
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Push Out with Arms
Push out with both arms, as if you’re pushing
a door shut, and kick out one leg at the same time.
Alternate kicking out one leg at a time, pushing
out with your arms with each leg kick. This will
warm up your shoulders and stretch the back of your
legs. Complete 10 to 15 repetitions with each leg. |
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Leg Raises
While sitting with your back up straight on the
front edge of the chair, extend one leg out straight,
then raise the leg off the ground and point your
toe while supporting the leg under the knee. After
you raise your leg, bend your ankle and rotate your
foot in a circular direction, once to the right
and once to the left. Keep your back and shoulders
straight as you sit on the front edge of the seat.
After completing 5 to 10 repetitions with one leg,
switch to the other leg and repeat. |
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Upper Body Twist
While seated with your back upright at the front
edge of the seat, cross your right leg over the
left knee, then slowly twist your body and look
over your right shoulder. Hold this position for
10 seconds, then switch to the other side and
repeat the same routine in the opposite direction.
Remember to inhale and exhale as you perform this
stretch...don’t hold your breath. |
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Kneeling Twist
This routine stretches your back and torso. Sit
sideways on the chair with one knee on the ground
and your arm resting on the backrest. Raise your
other arm so that it is perpendicular to the ground
and move it slowly in a horizontal direction so
that you twist your upper body. Hold this position
for at least 20 seconds on each side as you feel
the stretch. |
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Shoulder Stretch
As you sit with your back upright at the front
edge of the chair, extend both arms backward and
try to touch your hands behind the chair. Hold
this position as you inhale and exhale for 3 to
4 breaths. This is a good warm-up routine for
the shoulders and abdomen. |
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Hand Stretch
With both arms extended straight out forward,
open and close your hands. Open your fingers as
far as possible, then clench your hand into a
fist. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. Remember to
keep your posture straight and remain seated at
the front edge of the chair seat. |
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Tricep Stretch
This stretches the tricep muscles at the back
of your upper arm. Hold one arm behind your head
so that your elbow points up toward the ceiling.
With the other hand, slowly pull on the elbow
and hold it as you take a few slow breaths. Hold
this position for 10 to 15 seconds with each arm. |
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Shoulder Roll
With your arms hanging straight down at your sides,
pull your shoulders up toward your ears and roll
your shoulders back slowly in a circular motion.
Maintain an upright posture and sit at the front
of the seat. Roll your shoulders for 10 to 15
repetitions in one direction before reversing
direction for an additional 10 to 15 repetitions. |
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