Mothers are the ones who take it upon themselves to care for the health of the entire family, and often neglect their own in turn. On the occasion of Mother’s Day 2026, veteran actor and dancer Helen teamed up with celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala to wish all ageing maternal figures a very happy Mother’s Day, and share a list of five exercises to perform to stay as healthy as the 87-year-old is today.
Helen shows off her fitness at 87 with trainer Yasmin Karachiwala. (@yasminkarachiwala/Instagram)
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1. Sit-to-stand
The first exercise that Yasmin demonstrated is as simple as the name sounds. To perform it, one needs to sit on a chair or a similarly raised surface, and then stand up completely without taking any support. Once fully standing, they need to sit back down again and repeat.
Helen demonstrated the advanced version of the same exercise, which one can do when they find the first version too easy. It follows the same steps as the first one, but Helen did it while wearing a Theraloop resistance band just above her knees, to keep her legs locked in place.
2. Seated calf raises
For the second exercise, one needs to sit on a chair or a similarly elevated surface, then repeatedly lift and lower their heels. As Yasmin demonstrated this version, Helen showed the modified take on the exercise.
In this version, one needs to stand off a bench with their heels outside the edge, while holding on to a support in front. Then the heels can be raised and lowered, the same as before.
3. Seated leg extension
The third exercise that Yasmin demonstrated is the seated leg extension, in which one needs to start by sitting straight on a chair or a similar platform once again. Then, they can fully extend their left leg straight ahead, trying to keep it parallel to the ground. After returning the leg to the folded position, the same is repeated with the right leg. This is continued for multiple reps.
The advanced stage for this exercise for the elders is step-up and step-down. Helen demonstrated it by getting up on a platform one foot at a time. Once both feet are firmly on the platform, she stepped down again. This is repeated as many times as possible, like the others.
4. Seated ball squeezes
Probably the simplest of all, this involves keeping a large inflated ball between the thighs and squeezing it with the knees. Helen showed the advanced level of the workout in which she did the same thing while holding a semi-squat position.
5. Hurdle walk
The last exercise involves putting cones on the floor at small gaps, and then walking over them. This helps one stay fit to walk outdoors where there might be real obstacles.
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This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.