10-Minute Stretch and Energize Workout With Kathy Smith

This video is part of the 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge designed to help you improve strength, cardio, balance and flexibility. Start the challenge here: aarp.org/CouchToFit

All you need is a sturdy chair for this energizing stretching session in your home, guided by fitness expert Kathy Smith.

Key takeaways

• Boost flexibility and energy with Kathy Smith’s 10-minute chair stretch routine, suitable for everyone.
• Improve circulation, posture and joint mobility through safe, guided moves like spinal twists and side stretches.
• Integrate chair stretches anytime — morning, midday or evening — for mood, mobility and daily comfort.

Summary

Chair stretches are a simple yet powerful way to increase flexibility and energy at any age, and fitness expert Kathy Smith makes them accessible for everyone. In this 10-minute stretch and energize workout, Kathy guides you through gentle moves like ankle rolls, spinal twists and seated side stretches, using only a sturdy chair. These chair stretches help improve circulation, posture and joint mobility — perfect for those working at a desk, recovering from injury or just getting started on a fitness journey.

Adding chair stretches to your daily routine can help reduce tightness, boost mood and make movement feel easier throughout your day. Whether you use them as a morning wake-up, a midday reset or a relaxing evening unwind, Kathy Smith’s approach ensures the stretches are safe, effective and adaptable to every fitness level. Stretch regularly to keep your body limber and your mind refreshed  — no fancy equipment required.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[0:00:00] [AARP’s GET MOVING! Wherever You Are]

[0:00:02] [10-MINUTE STRETCH AND ENERGIZE WITH Fitness Expert Kathy Smith]

[0:00:06] >>Kathy Smith: Hi, I’m Kathy Smith and today is a

[0:00:08] 10-minute stretch and energize session.

[0:00:11] OK, all you need is a chair, and you just need to get

[0:00:15] comfortable, ’cause everything is going to be in your chair.

[0:00:17] We’re going to start with just a little bit of warm-up.

[0:00:20] And to warm up, I’m just going to have you march in place

[0:00:24] with your feet.

[0:00:26] And you’re bouncing off those toes, warming up the ankles,

[0:00:30] thinking about your posture, sitting tall,

[0:00:33] abdominal’s lifted, shoulders back,

[0:00:36] and just marching up and down.

[0:00:38] And now just toes together, up and down.

[0:00:41] Just give me some heel drops.

[0:00:43] And down, and down.

[0:00:44] And again, part of what we’re doing right now is just telling

[0:00:47] the body it’s time to warm up before our stretch to get our

[0:00:51] circulation going.

[0:00:53] If you want, you can start to pump your arms a little bit.

[0:00:55] Let’s just pump those legs, pump those arms,

[0:00:59] inhaling and exhaling.

[0:01:03] Inhale and exhale.

[0:01:07] Give me two more like that.

[0:01:08] Big inhale.

[0:01:11] Big exhale.

[0:01:14] Last time.

[0:01:17] OK, great.

[0:01:17] So now, let’s take your right leg, stretch it forward.

[0:01:22] Come to the front of your chair.

[0:01:24] Making sure you’re on top of your sit bones.

[0:01:26] Leg is straight with a slight bend in the knee.

[0:01:29] Abdominals are lifted, and now, point the foot and flex it.

[0:01:34] And point, and flex, and let’s just get some mobility going in

[0:01:39] that ankle.

[0:01:41] Back and forth.

[0:01:43] And now let’s hold the flex, toes are coming toward you,

[0:01:46] leaning forward from the hips, not the waist,

[0:01:49] hands on that bent leg, just start to stretch forward.

[0:01:53] And whoa, now you start to feel it right in the back

[0:01:56] of that straight leg.

[0:01:58] Hold it forward, and now release it.

[0:02:03] Inhale, then exhale.

[0:02:05] Hold it forward, little bit further, chest is lifted.

[0:02:10] And release, and just two more like that.

[0:02:12] We’re going to go forward, stretching a little further than

[0:02:16] last time, and then release.

[0:02:19] Only going as comfortable, whatever is comfortable

[0:02:23] for your body.

[0:02:25] And, release. OK pick up that leg,

[0:02:28] and now give me some ankle rolls.

[0:02:30] One direction, whatever you like,

[0:02:32] just big circle like you’re painting a big zero with that

[0:02:37] toe, and now let’s reverse it.

[0:02:42] Making sure you’re sitting up tall. Shoulders are relaxed.

[0:02:44] OK now taking that leg, let’s cross it over the other leg.

[0:02:48] Now if this isn’t comfortable, you can just drop it down to

[0:02:51] your ankle and let it fall off to the side.

[0:02:53] Otherwise, cross it over your knee, foot is flexed,

[0:02:57] and now let that knee drop open.

[0:03:00] As it’s dropping open, you’re going to start to feel a stretch

[0:03:03] on that outside of that leg of that bent leg.

[0:03:07] Now, if it feels comfortable, start to put a little pressure

[0:03:10] on that thigh and start to lean forward ever so slightly.

[0:03:14] Just a little bit of pressure.

[0:03:15] For most of us, just leaning forward it’s going to give you

[0:03:18] that nice kind of sensation on the outside of that hip.

[0:03:22] Oh, this is where I’m really tight, so this feels great.

[0:03:28] OK, now pick up that leg and let’s slide it a little further

[0:03:32] over, and from here let’s do a spinal twist. So just take your

[0:03:36] hand, going on to your opposite leg.

[0:03:40] You can hold on to the chair or to the back of the chair,

[0:03:43] side of the chair, back of the chair,

[0:03:45] and start to twist your shoulders around.

[0:03:48] So the idea is lift tall, and then twist.

[0:03:52] Lifting tall, as if you’re coming out of your,

[0:03:55] just somebody’s got a string at the top of your head and

[0:03:58] then you’re twisting around.

[0:03:59] And look in the direction of your twist.

[0:04:04] And then come back to center.

[0:04:06] Release that.

[0:04:07] Now open the legs, and let’s just go side to side.

[0:04:10] Whatever’s comfortable for you.

[0:04:12] Just drop the shoulders down, starting to push,

[0:04:16] getting a little circulation going.

[0:04:18] We’re going to hold it for a second,

[0:04:19] but just go side to side, going long through the sides.

[0:04:23] So you’re feeling it as you twist through the shoulders,

[0:04:27] and through the inner thigh.

[0:04:30] Now let’s just hold it to one side.

[0:04:32] Push it out there. Drop that shoulder.

[0:04:35] Push out to the inner, through the leg.

[0:04:39] Breathe, and just let everything go.

[0:04:44] Come back to center. Let’s do the other side.

[0:04:47] Drop it down, press it out.

[0:04:52] And again, come back to center.

[0:04:55] And now let’s just do the whole thing on the other side.

[0:04:58] So this time I want you take your left leg forward,

[0:05:00] slight bend in the knee.

[0:05:02] And from here, point and flex.

[0:05:05] Point and flex.

[0:05:07] So all pointing the toe, and flexing the foot.

[0:05:11] Just warm up that ankle.

[0:05:13] Give me a few more like this.

[0:05:17] And now from here, straighten the leg,

[0:05:20] just a little bit of slight bend.

[0:05:21] Support yourself on your bent leg, hinging from the hips,

[0:05:25] chest is open, abs are tight, leaning forward.

[0:05:29] And only go as comfortable as is right for your body.

[0:05:34] Just go with that comfort zone. You don’t want to stretch too

[0:05:37] far, but you want it at the point of a little slight

[0:05:39] tension, and then back off, and then go again.

[0:05:44] Reach again.

[0:05:46] It’s all in the breath too.

[0:05:50] Inhaling, and exhale as you go into that stretch.

[0:05:54] And not only stretch the muscle but start to relax the mind,

[0:05:59] relax the breath.

[0:06:01] One more time, forward and back.

[0:06:03] Stretch it forward, and release it back.

[0:06:07] Pick up that leg, and now just give me those ankle rolls.

[0:06:11] And around and around and around and around and around we go.

[0:06:17] You can do them fast, you can do them slow.

[0:06:20] You can find that one area that feels a little tight.

[0:06:23] ’Cause remember, all of our bodies are different,

[0:06:27] our ankles are different, and just find that area and massage

[0:06:31] it.

[0:06:32] Make it feel great.

[0:06:33] Cross the leg, and again, if this crossing’s too difficult

[0:06:37] for you, just drop it down and just drop it open to the side.

[0:06:42] And again, sitting tall on your sit bones, leaning forward,

[0:06:48] placing perhaps just the slightest

[0:06:50] bit of weight on that leg to open up, and now you’re going to

[0:06:54] feel that in your outer thigh.

[0:06:58] Foot is flexed, relaxing, and you don’t need any tension in your

[0:07:05] shoulders to be doing this, so just relax the shoulders,

[0:07:08] hold it forward.

[0:07:11] Give the muscle time to just release.

[0:07:14] If you need to back off for a second, and then press again.

[0:07:19] That’s how I really like to stretch.

[0:07:20] I like to back off and then I go just a little deeper.

[0:07:24] OK take that same leg, cross it over, and from here,

[0:07:28] opposite arm goes across for our spinal twist.

[0:07:30] Now the spinal twist starts with a really tall spine.

[0:07:34] So we’re not crunched down, we’re tall,

[0:07:36] and then we’re twisting.

[0:07:38] And the twist starts from the waist,

[0:07:40] goes all the way up the spine, and then take your head and look

[0:07:44] to the back of the room.

[0:07:47] Take a deep breath in.

[0:07:49] And then relax.

[0:07:53] One more. Inhale, and exhale.

[0:08:02] Come back to center.

[0:08:03] Release the legs, and now take your arms and place them behind

[0:08:07] you on the chair. So find a place that really feels

[0:08:11] comfortable for your body.

[0:08:13] And this is just to open up the chest.

[0:08:15] Every day, I love doing this stretch throughout the day,

[0:08:20] because it opens the chest, which helps with breathing, and

[0:08:23] since we’re sitting all day working on our computers,

[0:08:26] driving, and or whatever, we are many times slumped over.

[0:08:31] So right now I want you to think chest bone up,

[0:08:34] shoulder blades down, and now just look up to the ceiling.

[0:08:43] And release it.

[0:08:44] OK, inhale up, and now drop your right hand down,

[0:08:49] and reach over to the side.

[0:08:53] Nice tall stretch right through the obliques.

[0:08:59] Come back to center, touch the outside of your head and just

[0:09:02] drop it down, making sure your right shoulder stays down and

[0:09:07] just stretching out your neck.

[0:09:08] You don’t have much pressure, you’re just giving a little bit.

[0:09:11] Come back up. Inhale up again.

[0:09:14] Tall, tall, tall, reach through the fingertips.

[0:09:16] Reach, reach, reach.

[0:09:18] And now, drop your left hand down,

[0:09:21] and let’s go over to the other side.

[0:09:26] Reaching through your body, not collapsing.

[0:09:29] I’m reaching up as if I have a rainbow on this side.

[0:09:33] I’m reaching on this side.

[0:09:34] My two rainbows are going up and over, reaching tall.

[0:09:39] Grab on to your top of your head, touch it lightly,

[0:09:42] stretch out the neck muscles by pulling down on this opposite

[0:09:47] arm.

[0:09:48] So the shoulder goes down and the head comes over.

[0:09:51] Come back up.

[0:09:52] Inhale. Let’s stretch out our shoulders,

[0:09:57] taking your right arm across your body.

[0:10:00] Use your left hand to give it a little bit of pressure,

[0:10:03] and we’re stretching out our shoulder right here.

[0:10:07] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[0:10:10] Drop the shoulder and stretch it a little further.

[0:10:15] Inhale up tall. Do the other side now.

[0:10:18] Just grab onto that arm. Use the opposite arm as the little

[0:10:23] leverage to stretch. Stretch out of the shoulder.

[0:10:28] Feels so yummy.

[0:10:34] OK, last big inhale.

[0:10:39] And exhale.

[0:10:42] Come down. Give me a few shoulder rolls back.

[0:10:45] Two more in this direction.

[0:10:49] Settle into those shoulders.

[0:10:52] Think tall.

[0:10:53] And now for the rest of the day, think about your posture.

[0:10:57] Think abdominals lifted. Think tall, shoulders back and down.

[0:11:01] And any time throughout the day that you want to pop this in and

[0:11:05] do this stretch, it feels so good and it’s good for morning,

[0:11:09] it’s great in the afternoon if you’ve been sitting

[0:11:11] all day long.

[0:11:12] And it’s also great before you go to bed at night.

[0:11:14] So, until next time.

[0:11:17] [AARP Real Possibilities]