10-Minute Chair Yoga Exercises for Seniors

10-MINUTE CHAIR YOGA EXERCISES FOR SENIORS by April Hattori offers “40 Poses to Build Strength and Flexibility for Fall Prevention.” It is filled with colorful drawings (similar to the figure on the cover) and helpful direction. I recently attended my first chair yoga session in person at the local library and was happily surprised at the “workout” I received. This book is split into three sections. A short first part provides background and discusses the importance of building strength and flexibility. Part two introduces forty individual poses, including, per the author “targeted areas (the muscle groups engaged during the pose,) reminders and things to keep in mind to help your form, modifications to make the pose easier or more challenging, and illustrations showing how to do each step.” The third part outlines twenty-five ten-minute sequences of those poses, along with warm-up and cool-down exercises. Hattori also includes a list of references (although some are rather dated) and an index. 10-MINUTE CHAIR YOGA EXERCISES FOR SENIORS seems user-friendly and could encourage readers to try chair yoga, although a video (see below) or other group activity could also be a helpful, social motivator. 

For some more ideas, please see the video on chair yoga from Yoga with Adrienne:

Additional resources: Harvard Health (2025) offers advice on “Chair Exercises for Seniors”and Healthline (2025) provides direction on “7 Chair Yoga Poses for Older Adults.” Like Hattori, they stress numerous benefits including increased strength, emotional well-being, and fall prevention.

The Invincible Brain by Majid Fotuhi

THE INVINCIBLE BRAIN by Majid Fotuhi offers “The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life.” Booklist describes this text as “informative, practical, and inspiring.” The conversational tone, clear outline, and customization certainly contribute to that perception. A widely published and interviewed researcher, Fotuhi is an adjunct professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins’s Mind/Brain Institute, an adjunct professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at George Washington University, and the medical director of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center. He writes repeatedly and clearly about the five pillars of brain health (Fitness, Sleep, Diet, Mindset, and Training) and how to measure and increase them in a systematic way, encouraging his readers to focus on the area(s) where they want or need the most improvement. In order to get a benchmark assessment of brain function, Fotuhi provides direction on creating a brain portfolio and lists forty questions dealing with physical conditions, health habits, and socializing that “will bring to your attention things you may not have thought about, or help you realize there are things you have been tolerating that you could do something about.” He then suggests resources and weekly interventions which can change over the course of his twelve-week program. THE INVINCIBLE BRAIN has also been praised by fellow doctors/writers like  Sanjay Gupta, David Perlmutter, and John Ratey (Spark). Have a look.

Walk by Courtney Conley and Milica McDowell

WALK by Courtney Conley and Milica McDowell is an amazingly uplifting text about how to “Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity - One Step at a Time.”  I was honestly surprised at how accessible and informative this book is. Conley, a chiropractor and founder of Gait Happens, and McDowell, an educator and speaker, are firm believers in the power of walking and are very adept at offering encouraging suggestions. This book allows them to share those ideas more widely in a dozen chapters dealing with subtopics like longevity, pain, walking mindset, shoes, and training. The first half of the book focuses on the importance of walking and its many benefits for physical, mental, and emotional health. For example, “A slower gate can be detected up to seven years before the clinical onset of dementia, making gate speed a valuable early marker.” The book’s second half shifts towards being even more practical, as the authors say, “giving you everything you need to know to assess your current foot health and to implement a walking routine.” Although the list of resources they include are largely tied to Conley’s Gait Happens, the authors also include several very helpful appendices (e.g., Foot Assessments, Strength Assessments, Time Inventory Tracker). My favorite one is called “The Movement Snacks” which summarizes the activities included at the end of each earlier chapter. In addition, a Notes section represents approximately ten percent of the book. WALK received a starred review from Library Journal: “Anyone seeking an individualized walking program will find this book an excellent read.” Definitely worth a look.

Eat Your Ice Cream by Ezekiel J. Emanuel

EAT YOUR ICE CREAM by Ezekiel J. Emanuel offers “Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” Emanuel, a bioethicist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, focuses on avoiding self-destructive risks; developing and valuing relationships; staying sharp mentally; eating in a healthy manner; exercising (including grip strength and yoga); and sleeping well. Those categories are probably not a surprise to anyone who picks up this text, although specific findings of the many studies he cites might be. What is refreshing is Emanuel’s encouragement to do one’s best which is not always the best, as he freely admits by including several self-deprecating anecdotes. He further states, “Our goal should not be to “outlive” as many people as possible. Instead, the goal should be to live a healthy and fulfilling life” and hence his emphasis on the “more important” social and psychological components as well as physical ones. Emanual touches on topics like the importance of willpower, lifestyles in the Blue Zones, and “intentionally trying new things that use different mental functions.” These could include trying new recipes or writing an autobiography for your grandchildren. He writes, “My suggestion is to be like Ben Franklin. Ask yourself: what can I do that will be useful, engaging, mind expanding, and helpful to the lives of others?” Hopefully, the overlapping nature of these wellness aspects is becoming clearer, too. Interested? The Wall Street Journal recently published a short excerpt from EAT YOUR ICE CREAM. The text itself could benefit from some brief chapter summaries, but the research is significant; approximately twenty-five percent of the book is devoted to bibliographic notes and references.

Move for Life by Damien A. Joyner

MOVE FOR LIFE by Damien A. Joyner offers “A Practical Guide to Building Everyday Strength, Balance, and Confidence for Thriving after 65.” Joyner is a certified personal trainer and also a health coach at UC San Diego’s WorkStrong Program.  I think that he does give practical, relatable examples and plenty of encouragement.  One statement which really stayed with me was: “Even if you can do everything you want now, what steps are you taking to ensure this remains true as you age?” I made the choice, however, to look at this preview in the Kindle app and unfortunately, it did not display particularly well (the text seemed quite dense). There is a better sample of the presentation on amazon for interested readers. The pictures (concentrated in a chapter titled Photo Intermission) seemed to work quite well since they often included older people with everyday props (e.g., bag of groceries). Some, though, had large weights and other devices which would mainly be found at a gym. Great concepts and information (e.g., “Untreated hearing loss can raise your risk of falls”), but the preview was hard to read and retain. I would have appreciated more of a summary so as to have a quick “workout guide;” instead, the chapters just ran together. MOVE FOR LIFE does have an extensive Resources section which is also available online, but not all of the links are functional (e.g., the YMCA page on yoga and tai-chi said access denied, although I did some searching and found a YouTube Channel with some of YMCA “mindset” videos).  By using a caring, conversational tone in this book, Joyner reinforced the need for movement and encouraged me to look for relevant videos and other tools.

Heal Your Gut, Save your Brain by Partha Nandi

HEAL YOUR GUT, SAVE YOUR BRAIN by Partha Nandi was published last Fall by the Mayo Clinic Press. This is a very accessible and informative work. Written by a gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University, it first describes gut health and its importance. He then elaborates on the “Five Pillars:” nutrition, movement, community, spirituality, and purpose which impact overall well-being. Nandi also devotes several chapters to Strokes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, describing for each how gut health contributes and how one can change the course of the disease, as well as suggesting a few applicable recipes. While many of his comments (e.g., more omega-3 fatty acids are associated with lower risk; more animal fats are linked to increased disease risk) echo other resources about good nutrition, those with pre-disposition towards one of these diseases may find his comments helpful, especially as an incentive to take early action.

The Age-Proof Brain by Marc Milstein

THE AGE-PROOF BRAIN by Marc Milstein offers “New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia.” Milstein, educated at UCLA, is a knowledgeable presenter, including press and television interviews, regarding brain health. His new text is easy to follow and offers numerous suggestions, particularly that “learning new information or a new skill keeps your brain young.” The book has three primary parts: the first several chapters explain how the brain and memory works as well as connections to the gut and heart; the second part reviews issues (memory loss, insulin resistance, inflammation, and mental health) associated with the brain and aging; the third part is filled with steps to take related to sleep, stress, exercise, community, nutrition, environment, and cross-training (developing different skills). Whether or not all of his information is truly “new” to you, Milstein’s appendix even includes a seven day plan with very specific examples which should be useful to everyone seeking to develop or reinforce healthy habits. For a related text and additional resources, see Dotson’s Keep your Wits About You.

The Wall Street Journal also recently recommended the best 2022 books (and podcasts) about aging and retirement, some of whom we had profiled: Fellowship Point and Independence Day.

Added note: And, The New York Times just published "3 Steps to Age Exuberantly:" be grateful (even for some "pain" where you can find joy); surround yourself with young people; and be curious (say "yes" whenever possible). These ideas are from a new book by Margareta Magnusson who also wrote the bestseller titled The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.

New books about anxiety

Here are two recent books that take different approaches towards dealing with anxiety. One, by a psychologist, encourages readers to frame the situation differently and to regard anxiety as a useful emotion. The other, by a medical doctor, is much more specific about steps which can be taken to combat and lessen anxiety.

In FUTURE TENSE Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College (the City University of New York), describes “Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).”  She argues for “three fundamental principles:” listen to and be curious about anxiety since it provides information about the future; let it go if it is not useful; and, if it is, then act upon it. That sounds very basic, but Dennis-Tiwary is encouraging her readers to view anxiety in a new light, less as a danger and more as an embodiment of hope. She stresses that anxiety – like all emotions – “will inevitably pass.” In the meantime, she refers to research about “the best ways of letting go: cultivate experiences that slow you down and immerse you in the present” with examples like taking a walk or reaching out to a friend. Dennis-Tiwary writes in a thoughtful, compassionate manner, sharing both her own personal experiences and scientific research; notes comprise about ten percent of this useful text.

THE SELF-HEALING MIND by Gregory Scott Brown Provides “An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life.” Brown, a board-certified psychiatrist and mental health writer, also acknowledges the benefits of changing perspective and redefining mental health, but he stresses “the five pillars of self-care.” These are: bringing attention to breath, sleep, spirituality, nutrition, and exercise. Brown offers examples and brief explanations for each of these (e.g., commenting on differences between REM and NREM sleep in an easy to understand manner). He shares statistics (we take an average of twenty thousand breaths a day), results from scientific studies, and personal incidents (like the Yoga Nidra class he tried) – all of which add interest. The text covers a range of important points with about ten percent devoted to notes in support of any follow-up research.  In terms of aiding our students, we have several other titles in the collection which look specifically at mindfulness, sleep, or nutrition and which are likely to provide even more immediate suggestions for action.  THE SELF-HEALING MIND may be of more interest to parents as a summary that reinforces other findings.

Sit Up Straight by Vinh Pham

SIT UP STRAIGHT by Vinh Pham (with Jeff O’Connell) is subtitled “Futureproof Your Body Against Chronic Pain with 12 Simple Movements.” Pham utilizes a conversational, non-threatening tone and plenty of illustrations to help his readers improve their posture. I especially liked the relative ease of implementing many of his suggestions. For example, he encourages sitting on an exercise ball so that you need to essentially keep your feet flat on the floor and your back straight. He also illustrates using a water bottle between your back and a chair at varying heights (lower back, middle and upper) for short times in order to exercise different muscles. Try it (you’ll be surprised)! His sections that begin DO THIS NOW: are great, simple reminders to take care of yourself. These advocate taking your next Zoom call on a walk or getting up and moving every thirty minutes; both actions combat our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and Pham references a 2016 study that found that 60 to 75 minutes every day of moderate-intensity physical activity is “how much exercise it took to offset the increased death risk from sitting for more than eight hours a day.”  SIT UP STRAIGHT is easy to read and full of activities to reduce pain, improve mobility, and avoid future health issues.

52 Ways to Walk by Annabel Streets

 52 WAYS TO WALK by Annabel Streets is subtitled “The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time” and that is exactly what she provides. Streets has loosely grouped her suggested in parallel to the seasons and begins with Walk in the Cold where she shares reasons for embracing the cold walk, including scientific studies that suggest we think more clearly in cold weather. From there, it is on the “Improve your Gait;” “Walk, Smile, Greet, Repeat;” “Walk with Your Ears (week 14);” and much, much more. In each case, she cites relevant research (e.g., Alfred Watkins’ discovery of ley lines connecting significant points and the value of curiosity as noted by researchers at Cardiff University) and offers tips for implementing the week’s walk. So, whether you are interested in an Amble amid Trees (week 19) or Walking for Better Sleep (week 50), check out Streets’ text: 52 WAYS TO WALK is a fascinating read that extols the value of regular walking (a 12 minute walk alters 522 metabolites in our blood) in an entertaining, engaging fashion.