Stronger Seniors® Stretch and Strength Chair Exercise Program- Stretching, Aerobics, Strength Training, and Balance. Improve flexibility, muscle and bone strength, circulation, heart health, and stability. Developed by Anne Pringle Burnell

After my father's passing last year, I moved my 85 year-old mother in with me. She's active for her age, but recently started having trouble with balance, getting out of her recliner, and out of the tub. I did a search on Amazon for chair exercises and came across this set. I ordered it a couple of months ago and it has made a tremendous difference in Mom 's mobility and comfort.The set comes with two DVDs; one has a stretching routine and the other has strength and balance exercises. Each routine is about 45 minutes long and are mostly done in a sturdy kitchen chair. Although I got these for Mom's benefit, my partner and I (both in late 50's) have taken to doing the exercises with Mom. We alternate the two DVD's 5-6 days a week and we've all three noted that we feel much better. I've bought other exercise DVDs, but they tend to have young contortionists leading the program. The routines are usually too hard and we end up hurting something and quitting. With this set I feel like I get about 70 percent of the benefit of a more intense stretching and arm strength workout with about 5 percent of the pain and injury. For example, for the weightlifing section, Mom uses 3 pound weights and I use 5 pound weights. We've both seen significant improvements in arm and shoulder flexibility and strength. The most important gain has been in Mom's balance and stability. She can now get out of her recliner easily, and she's much less tottery when she walks.I've been so impressed with the gains we've all made that I've ordered the set for my older sister and the mothers of several close friends. I've also shown the set to my physician and Mom's physician. They're both going to recommend to other patients. Given the high prevalence and serious consequences of falls in the elderly, I urge you to invest in this for any elderly loved one. My partner and I do other weekly excersises (walking, kayaking, Wii Fit, biking), but still find a lot of benefit in the exercises on these DVDs. My Mom likes the fact that the folks doing the exercises on the video are more like her than in most videos.The only issue you might have is helping an elderly person set up the DVD player and change the discs every day. Mom couldn't get the hang of the TiVo and DVD remotes, so it's good that she has me here. Also, you might watch your senior the first time or two to make sure they are doing the exercises correctly so as to not strain anything. Mom took a little coaching on some of the forms. Now she's a pro.I ordered two other DVDs in the Stronger Seniors series (Yoga and Pilates). Neither of those worked as well for us. The yoga was too hard for Mom and we didn't like the second instructor as well as the original instructor. The Pilates DVD uses stretch bands, but the exercises seem less intense and helpful. Surprisingly, Mom didn't like it as well because the workout is a few minutes shorter.Sorry for the long review, but I can't over emphasize how pleased our family is with these DVDs. I urge you to get this for your own health or for any senior you care about. FYI, I had never heard of Anne Pringle Burnell before I found these DVDs in an Amazon search. Now she's a hero at our house.

Easy and fun

I love this DVD. Great for beginners and seniors. One section is 40mins and the other is 55mins. She is a great instructor. Highly recommend

I had previously checked these out from my local library so I knew what I was getting. Due to a medical issue, I can currently not wear shoes with back heels (i.e. tennis shoes). So I was looking for seated exercises. This is a great series (2 discs) for those who don't want to/can't stand to exercise. A full disc with a variety of stretching exercises and another disc with cardio/weight lifting/stretching exercising. All while sitting. Not too hard for those starting out but good enough for those who are a bit more in shape.

Good program to exerciseThe teacher is very good friendly and gives good explanationsWhat is great with her course is that we stretch after every set of exercice

I am 81 years old with a variety of physical ailments that make it hard for me to exercise. Also have strength and balance problems. So far, I love this exercise program & have only used the first disc. Will progress to disc 2 as I can. Ann Pringle Burnell has a very nice manner. The exercises are slow and easy to follow, working both upper and lower body. I have been using this exercise video, alternating with “Yoga for Seniors”, another senior exercise program, for about 3 weeks. I can already feel an improvement in my flexibility, strength and balance. Both programs are great. The two gives me a little variety.

Purchasing exercise DVD's can be very difficult, because those programs that would be appropriate for one person may not be so for another. When reading 5-star reviews one might be tempted to think "wow, this looks great", but here's the question: what are the capabilities of the person writing the review? What one person might find challenging and invigorating, another person might find boring. I have a closet full of exercise DVD's. Some of them were great for an earlier time in my life, but I cannot work with them now - I would injure myself. I am 68, and I have disc herniation in my lower back. I cannot get on the floor - or let me say if I did, it would be very difficult to get back up again! I cannot do kicks, either forward or backward or to the side. Therefore, I purchased this video. Truth be told, I purchased ALL of her videos. I like her perky spirit. However, they are too easy for me. Feels like a waste of my time. I intend to keep them, however. I may find I need them in a few years. If you're unsure about any exercise DVD, I recommend checking YouTube. Sometimes you can find a short segment of the workout there. Another idea is to check your local library, which I do very often. Bring it home, work with it, and then, if you like it, come back here and buy it from Amazon!

Stronger Seniors® Stretch and Strength DVDs- 2 disc Chair Exercise Program: Stretch DVD: approx. 44 min., seated, with some leg work, good cues and not too much repetition. Not broken into segments. Strength DVD: Warm up, seated aerobics, with cool down, followed by seated strength exercise, including leg work, with cool down. Then balance work, standing and sitting, with cool down. Warm up section could be done before strength and/or balance, as it stops briefly before going on to aerobics. Being very out of shape, these are at a good pace for me, and the instructor is encouraging without being annoying.