Dear Savvy Senior,
I’ve been hearing a lot about chair yoga lately. My New Year’s resolution is to improve my health and get moving again, but I have trouble getting down on the floor. What can you tell me about this type of yoga?
Arthritic Abby
Dear Abby,
If you’re looking for a safe way to get active again but find traditional exercise routines difficult, chair yoga may be the perfect fit.
Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that’s done either sitting on a chair or using the chair for support while standing. It adapts traditional yoga poses so they’re accessible to people who may have limited mobility, balance issues or difficulty getting down on the floor.
This practice helps improve flexibility, strength and balance, boosts circulation and mobility and promotes relaxation while reducing stress. This makes it an effective and safe way to stay active and support overall well-being at any age.
A typical chair yoga session begins with simple seated postures, such as gentle twists, stretches for the arms and legs or movements that open the hips and shoulders. These exercises loosen stiff joints, improve posture and increase flexibility in areas of the body that often become tight with age.
It can also include standing poses like modified lunges or gentle balance work, with the chair always nearby for stability. Breathing exercises are often incorporated throughout the practice, encouraging participants to slow down, deepen their breath and cultivate a sense of calm. Sessions usually end with a short period of guided relaxation or meditation, leaving participants refreshed and grounded.
How to Get Started
To get started, you just need a sturdy chair without wheels, and preferably without arms, and some comfortable clothes. The goal with chair yoga is to stretch, not cause pain. So go only as far as feels comfortable and don’t push beyond your limits.
If possible, consider joining a local chair yoga class. Many local senior centers, YMCAs, and community recreation centers offer chair yoga as part of their wellness or fitness programs. Some yoga studios and gyms may offer gentle yoga or chair yoga, too. And if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be able to access classes for free through SilverSneakers.com.
If attending an in-person class isn’t an option, you can also practice chair yoga at home. There are chair yoga apps and many videos you can access on YouTube to guide you through a routine.
Chair Exercise Options
As an alternative to chair yoga, there are chair exercises you can add to your routine that can help improve strength and balance, reduce joint pain and prevent falls.
To execute some of these exercises, you’ll need some resistance equipment like light dumbbells, water bottles, soup cans or resistance bands.
• Sit-to-stand: For this exercise, sit at the edge of the chair, feet hip-width apart. Stand up without using your hands, then slowly sit back down. Use hands lightly on the chair or use a walker or cane if needed for support.
• Seated marches: Sit tall and alternate lifting one knee at a time toward your chest.
• Seated bicep curls: With elbows tucked in, curl weights towards shoulders, then lower with control.
• Seated overhead press: Press weights overhead from shoulder height, then slowly lower.
• Seated leg extensions: Extend one leg straight out and hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower and repeat.
• Heel raises: Lift heels off the floor, pause and lower back down.
For noticeable benefits, these exercises should be performed at least three days a week, doing three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
How to appeal a Medicare coverage denial
Dear Savvy Senior,
What steps do I need to take to appeal a denied Medicare claim?
Frustrated Retiree
Dear Frustrated,
If you disagree with a coverage or payment decision made by Medicare, you can appeal, and you’ll be happy to know that many appeals are successful, so it’s definitely worth your time.
But before going that route, talk with the doctor, hospital and Medicare to see if you can spot the problem and resubmit the claim. Many denials are caused by simple billing code errors by the doctor’s office or hospital. If, however, that doesn’t fix the problem, here’s how you appeal.
Original Medicare Appeals
If you have original Medicare, start with your quarterly Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). This statement will list all the services, supplies and equipment billed to Medicare for your medical treatment and will tell you why a claim was denied. You can also check your Medicare claims early online at MyMedicare.gov, or by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227.
There are five levels of appeals for original Medicare, although you can initiate a “fast appeal” if you’re getting services from a hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health agency, outpatient rehabilitation facility or hospice and the service is ending.
You have 120 days after receiving the MSN to request a “redetermination” by a Medicare contractor, who reviews the claim. Circle the items you’re disputing on the MSN, provide a written explanation of why you believe the denial should be reversed, and include any supporting documents like a letter from the doctor or hospital explaining why the charge should be covered. Then send it to the address on the form.
You can also use the Medicare Redetermination Form. See CMS.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/downloads/CMS20027.pdf to download it or call 800-633-4227 to request a copy by mail.
The contractor will usually decide within 60 days after receiving your request. If your request is denied, you can request for “reconsideration” from a different claims reviewer and submit additional evidence.
A denial at this level ends the matter, unless the charges in dispute are at least $190 in 2025. In that case, you can request a hearing with an administrative law judge. The hearing is usually held by videoconference or teleconference.
If you have to go to the next level, you can appeal to the Medicare Appeals Council. Then, for claims of at least $1,900 in 2025, the final level of appeals is judicial review in U.S. District Court.
Advantage and Part D Appeals
If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage health plan or Part D prescription drug plan, the appeals process is slightly different. With these plans you have only 65 days to initiate an appeal. And in both cases, you must start by appealing directly to the private insurance plan, rather than to Medicare.
If you think that your plan’s refusal is jeopardizing your health, you can ask for an expedited request, where a Part D insurer must respond within 24 hours, and Medicare Advantage health plan must provide an answer within 72 hours.
If you disagree with your plan’s decision, you can file an appeal, which like original Medicare, has five levels. If you disagree with a decision made at any level, you can appeal to the next level.
For more information, along with step-by-step procedures on how to appeal Medicare, go to Medicare.gov/claims-appeals and click on “File an appeal.” Also, make sure to keep photocopies and records of all communication with Medicare, whether written or oral, concerning your denial.
Need Help?
If you need help filing an appeal, you can appoint a representative (a relative, friend, advocate, attorney or someone else you trust) to help you. Or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which has counselors who can file your appeal for you for free. To locate your local SHIP, go to ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675.
Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
