Getting the most out of your Golden Years and retirement means you need to be in a good enough condition to enjoy your life. Keeping fit and staying healthy can be a challenge under even normal circumstances, and that challenge only gets bigger as we grow older.

The good news is that it often doesn’t take as much effort as many people imagine to maintain their level of fitness and even get a little extra movement back. Taking even as few as 5 to 10 minutes a day to practice these low impact sitting exercises (some can even be done in an office setting) can make a tremendous difference in keeping yourself mobile and able to enjoy life.

#1: Leg Lifts

Keeping your back as straight as possible while sitting, lift your legs up and hold them in the air out from you for five seconds, being sure to breathe, before slowly lowering them back down. Rest for two to three counts, repeat, then move up to two sets of eight seconds if you can, and try to work up to two sets of ten seconds. Great not only for legs but for the core, as well.

#2: Ankle Rolls

You don’t want to roll an ankle while walking, so doing these exercises consistently from a sitting position can help strengthen your ankles and prevent ankle injuries while you’re out and about! With your legs out roll your ankles in one direction, wriggle the toes, and then roll them in the other and do the same. Hold for five seconds each time and look at working up to five sets of eight. If you feel stress or soreness, stop – take time to work up to those numbers! Ankle flexibility can take some time, but it is worth it.

#3: Chair Squats

These are a bit more involved but if your knees aren’t too bad and you’re looking not only to maintain but also improve, this is a pretty powerful workout when it comes to sitting exercises. You stand by your chair and do a squat, getting as close to the chair as possible using good form (no just falling backwards into the seat) and then standing up again. If this is a bit stressful at first, don’t be afraid to sit for a bit before standing up, but focus on hovering as opposed to sitting if you can, and using your actual leg and core muscles to lift you up once you do sit.

Work your way up to three sets of ten and you’ll be amazed how much better you move throughout the day.

#4: Arm Stretches

Simple but good, these stretches aren’t only good for the arms but also help your shoulders and back stay loose. Start with your arms held out from you on your sides, and slowly rotate them up over your head. Wriggle the fingers and stretch those shoulders up. Repeat multiple times to keep the arms and upper body loose.

#5: Calf Stretches

A good exercise for the lower legs that can be done even in most cubicles, while sitting straight raise your legs by moving your feet so your legs are “standing” on their tippy-toes and hold for about ten seconds. You should feel your calves flexing. Take a short break and then repeat, doing this ten times.

By the end you’ll be feeling the burn and will be rewarded with toned calves and stronger lower legs.

If you follow these five sitting exercises there’s no reason you can’t stay in shape, or even improve your overall fitness to enjoy those Golden Years and it only takes a few minutes a day to get the full results!