The RehabFit Exercise of the Week is presented by Speare Memorial Hospital’s medical fitness team members, Leah Baron, MS and Rebeccah Chase, MS, CSCS, RCEP. This week they present how to do the Chair Sit to Stand.

It’s easy to take sitting and standing for granted as a fit, younger adult, but for some people, it is often a struggle to stand up from low chairs or soft couches. The Sit to Stand chair exercise is an excellent precursor to squats that can help gain or maintain the ability to get in and out of chairs independently, improving leg strength, functional balance, and control.

The sit-and-stand is just what it sounds like.

• Start seated in a sturdy chair, feet planted on the floor about hip-distance apart.
• Using as little assistance from hands or arms as possible, engage your core, and tip forward from the hips.
• Press your weight through all four corners of your feet and push yourself to stand, extending your knees and hips fully.
• Reverse the movement, pressing your hips back and bending your knees to carefully lower yourself to the seated position.

If you can’t press all the way to a standing position, simply shift your weight forward and lift your glutes an inch or two from the chair seat and hold for a second before lowering back down. Over time, work on developing the strength and balance necessary to come to a standing position.

RehabFit is a fitness center for people of all ages and abilities with special attention to members with medical conditions and diseases. RehabFit features cardio machines, dumbbells, TRX suspension trainers and strength machines. Becky and Leah are exercise specialists at RehabFit and are happy to help with any strength training modality and all fitness. Stop by RehabFit to take a tour at Boulder Point in Plymouth or call (603) 238-2225. No referral needed!