What chair exercises can an older person do for knee pain?

Setting up safely

Use a firm chair without wheels and with armrests if possible, placed against a wall. Sit upright with feet flat on the floor. Have water nearby and someone at home the first few times if balance is poor. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes with grip, not slippers.

The seated routine

• 1. Ankle pumps: point the toes down, then pull them up, twenty times
• 2. Seated marching: lift one knee a few centimetres, lower, then the other, twenty in total
• 3. Knee straightening: slowly straighten one knee until the leg is level, hold for three seconds, lower, ten each leg
• 4. Ball or pillow squeeze: place a cushion between the knees, squeeze for five seconds, ten times
• 5. Heel slides: slide one foot back under the chair as far as is comfortable, then forward, ten each leg
• 6. Sit-to-stand: shuffle to the front of the chair, feet slightly back, lean forward and stand using the armrests, then sit slowly, five to ten times

Rest between exercises and breathe normally throughout.

How to progress

When the routine feels easy for a week, add a second round, hold each knee straightening for five seconds, or try sit-to-stands using the hands less. Light ankle weights can be added later with a physiotherapist's advice. Many older adults also benefit from short daily walks, balance practice holding a counter, and, for those who pray, practising getting up and down from a chair used for prayer.

When to stop and see a doctor

Mild aching that settles within a few hours is acceptable. Stop and seek advice for chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, or a knee that becomes hot, red or very swollen. Frequent falls, a knee that gives way, or pain that stops someone walking around the home deserve an examination. A knee specialist in Doha can assess arthritis and discuss injections, physiotherapy or surgery if exercise is no longer enough.