Chair-Assisted Balance & Strength

Sit toward the front of a sturdy chair or bench with your feet flat on the floor, roughly hip-width apart and drawn slightly back beneath your knees. Sit tall with your chest lifted and your arms crossed over your chest or reaching forward.

1. Inhale — hinge forward slightly from your hips, bringing your nose over your toes to load your weight into your feet.
2. Exhale — press through your heels and mid-feet to stand up fully, extending your hips and knees.
3. Inhale — bend your hips and knees to lower yourself back down with control until you are seated again.

• Shift your weight forward before you rise so your feet carry the load.
• Press through your heels and keep your knees tracking over your toes.
• Lower with control rather than dropping into the seat.
• Keep your chest lifted and your spine long throughout.

Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, near support if needed.

1. Bend your knees and sit back slightly - only about a third of a normal squat.
2. Pause briefly with knees over toes and heels down.
3. Push through both feet to stand tall again.

• Shallow on purpose - stop around 30 degrees of bend.
• Keep weight even between both legs.
• Knees track over toes, never caving in.

Stand tall near a wall, chair, or counter and rest one hand on it for balance. Set your feet hip-width apart with your weight settled onto the leg closest to the support. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your hips level.

1. Shift your weight fully onto your supporting leg, keeping a soft bend in that knee.
2. Exhale — lift your other leg out to the side, keeping it straight and the toes pointing forward.
3. Raise it to a comfortable height where your hips stay level, then pause briefly.
4. Inhale — lower the leg back down with control to meet the other foot.
5. Work through your repetitions, then turn around and work the other side.

• Lift the leg directly out to the side, not forward — keep your toes pointing ahead.
• Keep both hips level and your torso upright; don't lean toward the support to gain height.
• Let the outer hip do the work rather than swinging the leg up with momentum.
• Keep your standing knee soft and your core gently engaged for balance.

Stand tall facing a wall, chair, or counter and rest both hands on it for balance. Set your feet hip-width apart and lengthen through the crown of your head. Keep your hips square to the front and your core gently engaged.

1. Shift your weight onto one leg, keeping a soft bend in that knee.
2. Exhale — sweep your other leg straight back behind you, keeping it long and the foot relaxed.
3. Move the leg back to a comfortable height while keeping your torso upright, then pause briefly.
4. Inhale — lower the leg back down with control to meet the other foot.
5. Work through your repetitions, then work the other side.

• Keep your torso tall — let the leg travel back without arching your lower back or leaning forward.
• Draw the back of the hip together as the leg lifts, keeping the knee straight.
• Keep your hips square to the front rather than opening them out to the side.
• Move slowly and with control instead of kicking the leg back.

Stand tall beside a counter or wall with fingertips resting on it for balance.

1. Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other foot just off the floor.
2. Hold steady for the cued time, using the lightest touch of support you need.
3. Lower the foot and reset before the next hold.

• Stand tall with hips level.
• Lighten the fingertip support as balance allows.
• Fix your eyes on a point ahead to steady yourself.

Stand facing a wall about an arm's length away. Place your palms on the wall at shoulder height. Step your right foot back, keeping the back leg straight and the back heel pressed into the floor. Bend your front knee.

1. Inhale — lengthen your spine.
2. Exhale — gently lean your hips toward the wall, keeping the back heel grounded. Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing steadily.
3. Release and switch sides.

• Keep the back leg straight and the back heel rooted to the floor.
• Both feet point forward; the back foot doesn't turn out.
• To target the lower calf, bend the back knee slightly while keeping the heel down.