Exercise for the heart and hydration for the joints is the perfect combination of movement medicine. Seated Intervals features interval training, alternating 60-second cycles of seated cardio with 60-second cycles of joint mobility. This 30-minute seated workout is the perfect impact-free substitute for a water workout on those days you can’t get in the pool.
Recently, I was called back to active duty in the fitness studio at the local YMCA. They are having a hard time finding a permanent instructor for their older adult classes, a chair class and a low impact aerobics class. Sadly, it is getting harder to find instructors who can design their own classes. Many now lead pre-choreographed classes where the routines are provided to them.
During the past 8 years I have been actively subbing the senior classes in the studio. Now that I am teaching the classes weekly, I have been wanting to change things up. Coming up with new ideas for the low-impact aerobics class is hard enough, but coming up with new material for the chair class is exceptionally challenging. Obviously, you are limited with how much you can safely do from a seated position.
Recently, I got desperate to bring something new to my chair students and decided to try an interval format. For the 20-minute seated aerobic portion of class, I decided to do an interval format by doing cardio for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of joint mobility. My overall impression was that the interval training was a welcomed change for the members. Honestly, I think they were relieved by not having to “think” with my usual add-on choreographed routine. However, I felt the pace of the intervals moved a bit too quickly. I changed the intervals to 60 seconds to allow more time to remain in cardio and joint mobility. Lengthening the timing ratios improved the outcome. In addition to the 20 minutes of interval training, this 30-minute video also includes a seated warm-up, stretch and core segment.
Learn more about my inspiration for Seated Intervals in the video below and then read on for the nice feedback my students have been providing regarding this workout.
Thanks to the positive comments I have been getting from my chair class participants, I decided to film the routine for Poolfit. Trust me when I say that this is not typically a group that provides feedback verbally or with facial expressions. However, this routine seems to be a winner. They are telling me that they feel like they moved every part of their body and that they are walking better when they leave class, as opposed to entering class. Moving better. Feeling better. Living better. It doesn’t get better than that. I hope you enjoy this chair routine as much as my class members do.
