A home trainer for your parents
Most people searching for chair exercises for older adults are really searching for their own mum or dad. Dad is walking less; Mum is afraid of falling. A trainer who visits the home and keeps a gentle pace on a steady chair can suit them well.
Fitness trainers do not replace doctors or physiotherapists. Have your parent see their doctor and be told it is fine before any session starts, above all with diabetes, blood pressure, heart or joint trouble, or an earlier fall. Pain or dizziness while exercising means stopping and ringing the doctor.
Who it helps
- Older adults who want to keep their strength and movement.
- Someone who walks with difficulty or tires easily, with medical approval.
- Someone who has fallen or fears falling: the doctor or physio decides first, and the trainer carries on afterwards.
What the sources found
- The NHS, for adults 65 and over: be active every day, even lightly; do activities for strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week; speak to a GP first if you have not exercised for a while or have a medical condition.
- A page republished from NHS guidance on seated exercises advises a stable chair without wheels or arms, feet flat on the floor and knees at right angles, at least twice a week, and checking with a GP or health professional if unsure.
- The WHO says any amount of physical activity is better than none.
Questions for the trainer
| Ask | Why |
|---|---|
| Licence | Ask for the licence number and when it runs out. |
| Man or woman | Your mother may prefer a woman, and you can ask for that. |
| Where | Home is easiest for older people. Online can work with someone beside them. |
| Experience | Has the trainer worked with older people before, and do they want the doctor's go-ahead? |
| First aid | Is there a first aid certificate? Red Crescent courses exist, but the length of validity is unknown to us, so ask what date it was issued. |
Inside a session
The trainer asks how your parent is feeling, then moves through a seated warm-up, arm and leg work on the chair, a short spell of balance practice while gripping the chair or wall, and a cool-down. Nothing heavy, and nobody pushed past tiredness.
Home safety and falls
- Remove loose or slippery rugs.
- Put the chair against a wall if needed.
- Flat, comfortable shoes.
- Water nearby.
- Someone else at home during the session.
- Say "stop" without embarrassment.
The sources we read support chair-based exercise for strength and movement, but the evidence that it prevents falls is thinner than the evidence for strength. We make no promise here: assessing fall risk is for a doctor or physiotherapist.
Questions and answers
What does a session cost?
Rates differ and none were published for senior trainers in Saudi Arabia that we saw. Put the question of the lowest price to each trainer.
Is one session a week enough?
The NHS suggests strength and balance work on at least two days a week. Your trainer and doctor can set what suits your parent.
Does Laqeeni take a commission?
No. You pay nothing to use Laqeeni and we never handle money. Arrangements are made with the trainer on WhatsApp.
What to do next
Arrange a doctor's visit and write down their advice. Next, browse trainers on Laqeeni, write to them on WhatsApp and request their licence numbers.
Sources
- NHS, Physical activity guidelines for older adults: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-act…
- Warwickshire County Council, NHS chair-based exercises: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/6647/nhs-chair-based-exer…
- HSE Ireland, Chair-based exercises for older adults: https://assets.hse.ie/media/documents/chair-based-exercises-for-older-…
- WHO, Physical activity fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
- Saudipedia, Professional Licences and Programme Accreditation: https://saudipedia.com/ar/مشروع-الرخص-المهنية-والاعتماد-البرامجي
- Sabq, sports professional licences: https://sabq.org/article/kgxZWgu
- Okaz, sports professional licences: https://www.okaz.com.sa/sport/na/2168751
- Sabq, Saudi Red Crescent first aid courses: https://sabq.org/article/fE-mmog
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