Chair-based exercise for older people is the class most likely to keep someone steady on their feet, and Hertfordshire has more of it than people expect. Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield alone have five seated classes a week, three of them free. This article explains what the classes do, what one is like, what they cost and where to find one near you.
Families rarely ask us about exercise classes. They ask about falls. In our experience the two are the same conversation, and a weekly seated class is one of the most practical answers to the worry nobody wants to say out loud.
Why does chair-based exercise help?
The NHS physical activity guidelines for older adults say that adults aged 65 and over should do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, alongside everyday activity. A seated or chair-supported class is designed to do exactly that for someone who cannot manage a gym or a long walk.
The NHS advice on preventing falls points to strength and balance exercise as one of the main ways to reduce the risk of a fall. The classes on our pages are often run as falls prevention in name as well as in practice: Generation Plus in Potters Bar calls its Wednesday class exactly that. The other benefit is the one the NHS loneliness guidance describes. The same people come every week, and friendships form by the third session.
What is a chair-based exercise class like?
Most run for an hour, with a chair for everyone and the option to stand behind it for some movements. There is music, a trained instructor, and a pace set for the slowest person in the room. Nobody is asked to do anything they cannot do. Classes include seated exercise to music, Stretch and Stabilise joint care, Balance and Flex, Extend movement to music, and the Parkinson's UK seated and standing class in Hitchin for people living with Parkinson's.
Tai chi and qi gong classes are a gentler relative. White Crane Tai Chi in Welwyn Garden City, Generation Plus tai chi in Potters Bar, Qi Gong at the Temperance Hall in Tring and Tai Chi at Redbourn village hall all suit someone who wants balance work without a chair.
What do the classes cost?
Several are free: Exercise With Us at Woodside House and the Hollier Court class in Hatfield are free and booked by phone, and the seated class at the Caledon Centre in London Colney is free. Home Fitness Herts chair-based classes are £4. Balance and Flex and the Generation Plus classes are £6.50, the Parkinson's class £5, and Movement for Memory in Harpenden £3.50. Instructor-led Stretch and Stabilise classes are around £12, or £10 on a block.
How do I get a parent to a first class?
Phone the instructor first and say it is a first visit. They will tell you honestly whether the class suits, and most will keep an eye out. Go with your parent the first time if you can, because the first ten minutes of a new class are the hardest part.
Then solve the journey. A class that depends on a lift stops the week the lift is not available. Where that is the barrier, our companionship care includes a carer who goes with someone to the class and brings them home, so a weekly session becomes fixed in the week.
One more thing we have learned about chair-based exercise for older people: the instructor matters more than the venue. A good one adapts every movement to the room without making anyone feel singled out, so if the first class does not fit, try another before deciding exercise is not for your parent.
Where to find chair-based exercise for older people near you
Each of our town pages lists the seated and gentle exercise classes we know of under exercise and movement, with the day, the venue, the cost and who to contact. We confirm the details with the organisers and check the pages every week.
St Albans · Harpenden · Radlett and Shenley · Hemel Hempstead · Berkhamsted · Tring · Hitchin · Hertford and Ware · Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield · Potters Bar · All of Hertfordshire
Common questions about chair-based exercise for older people
Is chair-based exercise safe for someone who has had a fall?
Seated classes are designed for people with limited balance, and the NHS recommends strength and balance exercise as a way to reduce the risk of falling again. Ask the instructor before the first session, and ask the GP if there is any doubt. We cannot give clinical advice, but the instructors are used to the question.
Are there free seated exercise classes in Hertfordshire?
Yes, some chair-based exercise for older people is free. Exercise With Us at Woodside House in Welwyn Garden City, the seated class at Hollier Court in Hatfield, and the seated class at the Caledon Centre in London Colney are free. Others are £4 to £7.50.
Can a carer take my parent to an exercise class?
Yes. A companionship carer can help someone get ready, go with them and bring them home. Families often arrange this for one regular class a week. Starling Homecare's St Albans office is on 01727 324 127.
If the worry is a fall, a weekly seated class is one of the most practical things a family can arrange. Start with the What's On for Older People pages for your parent's town, and we are on 01727 324 127 if you would like to talk it through.
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