Learn More: Living with Cancer
Are There Exercises I Can Do While Sitting in a Chair?
- Window Washing: While sitting in a chair, keep your elbows at your sides and bend your elbows, so your palms face forward. Make small circles inward with your hands, as if you are washing a window. Change direction.
- Elbow Raise: While sitting in a chair, raise both arms in front of you, palms up. Bend your elbows and rest your hands on your shoulders. Lower your arms slowly and then raise them again.
- Back Scratch: Hold your hands out to your sides. Slowly reach up behind your back to just under your shoulder blades, like you were going to scratch your back. Bring arms back to your sides. Repeat.
- Knee Touch: Sit up straight in a chair and place your left hand on your right knee. While inhaling, slowly lift your left hand and arm up as high as possible, keeping it near the right side of your body. Lower your hand back to your right knee while exhaling. Switch sides and repeat. Once you start to build strength, repeat this exercise while using light hand weights.
- Sideward Arm Raise: While sitting in a chair with your arms to your sides, slowly raise one arm sideward as high as you can. Be sure to keep inhaling slowly while lifting your arm. As you lower your arm, exhale slowly. Change arms and repeat exercise. Once you build up some strength, repeat this exercise while using light hand weights.
