Troy Hurst holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Carroll University. He is a physical therapist specializing in both athletic and vestibular rehabilitation with an emphasis on performance running.
Chair yoga has become increasingly popular in recent years as a form of exercise that can be done by people of all ages and abilities. It involves performing various yoga poses while seated in a chair or using a chair for support.
Many people turn to chair yoga for its benefits, such as improved flexibility, balance, and relaxation, but can it also help build muscle?
Before we dive into whether or not chair yoga can help build muscle, let’s first understand what muscle-building entails. Muscles are made up of fibers that contract and relax to produce movement.
When we work out or engage in physical activity at an intensity that challenges us, these fibers experience microscopic tears which then repair and grow stronger, resulting in increased muscle mass. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy (1).
Let’s discuss the conditions necessary for muscle hypertrophy to occur and how chair yoga fits into the equation.
Muscle hypertrophy is a complex process that requires three main components: mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.
Mechanical tension refers to the physical forces that muscles experience during exercise, such as resistance from lifting heavy objects, weights, or even your body weight. Your muscle fibers must contract enough to meet the force they are opposing.
If your muscle fibers can match the resistance, you’ll be able to lift, carry, push, or pull whatever weight or object you’re interacting with. If your muscle fibers cannot match the resistance, you won’t be able to lift the object.
Think of mechanical tension as the stress that is caused by lifting heavy weights or objects; you won’t be able to sustain a high level of mechanical tension for long because your muscles are working near their peak levels of contraction. As muscular fatigue increases, your muscle fibers will gradually be able to sustain less and less of a contraction, which is why high-resistance exercises can only be performed at low rep ranges.
When the mechanical tension is high enough, it will stimulate microscopic muscle damage, which is what triggers the growth process.
In addition to mechanical tension, working out often also involves metabolic stress, which isn’t created as a result of high levels of force being matched by your muscle fibers, but by a longer duration of sustained muscular contraction (2).
A good example of a type of exercise program that causes a high level of metabolic stress is high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Although the mechanical tension of the exercises is inherently lower than if you were training for pure strength, the high-intensity, high-repetition nature of HIIT workouts leads to greater metabolic demand from the muscles as they’re constantly contracting and relaxing with very little rest.
This causes metabolites such as lactate, hydrogen ions, and inorganic phosphates to build up in the muscles, which produces that “burning” feeling.
Like mechanical tension, metabolic stress causes microscopic muscle damage that leads to muscular repair processes, which increase the performance of your muscle fibers over time.
As previously mentioned, muscle damage is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. This damage prompts the body to repair and rebuild the damaged fibers, which results in increased muscle size and strength (1).
So, can chair yoga provide these necessary conditions for muscle hypertrophy?
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While chair yoga may not involve heavy weights or intense resistance training, it can still contribute to muscle building for individuals with a low level of fitness for the following reasons:
Chair yoga may not involve lifting heavy weights, but it provides resistance through the use of body weight and gravity. For example, holding a pose such as warrior II requires the leg muscles to work against gravity to maintain balance.
The slow and controlled movements in chair yoga can also increase time under tension for your muscles. This means that your muscles are working for an extended period, which can lead to muscle hypertrophy (3).
While traditional strength training focuses on short bursts of energy, chair yoga involves more sustained movements that build endurance in your muscles (4). This can contribute to increased muscle mass over time.
Chair yoga encourages mindful movement and awareness of the body, which can help individuals have a better mind-muscle connection (5). This means that you can engage and activate specific muscles more effectively during exercise, which leads to muscle growth.
While chair yoga can provide resistance and other conditions for muscle hypertrophy, it won’t provide an adequate stimulus to elicit muscular hypertrophy in the vast majority of people, with the exception of those with a very low baseline level of fitness. This isn’t to say that chair yoga doesn’t have many other wonderful benefits, but rather that if your primary goal is to gain muscle mass, you’ll need to incorporate more direct forms of strength training into your fitness routine.
Progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing the intensity of an exercise, is essential for muscle hypertrophy (6). With chair yoga, it may be challenging to increase the intensity progressively.
You’ll need much more time, skill, and patience to build muscle with chair yoga than with weight training. However, you can still make gradual improvements in your strength and stability with chair yoga using the following methods:
When making significant progressions in your yoga practice, it may be beneficial for you to do so under the guidance of a trained instructor to avoid injury and ensure proper form and practice structure.
Read more: Chair Yoga Poses to Help You De-Stress
Forms of yoga that involve more intense movements, such as power yoga or vinyasa flow, may be more effective for muscle building compared to chair yoga. These types of yoga typically involve faster-paced sequences and more challenging poses that can provide greater mechanical tension and metabolic stress.
Chair yoga is also a great option for individuals who might not be able to participate in more intense forms of yoga due to physical limitations or injuries.
Unlike more traditional forms of yoga, chair yoga can:
So, while chair yoga may not be the most efficient way to build muscle, it can still offer many benefits and may be a suitable form of exercise for some individuals.
We’ve discussed more on the mechanisms of muscle growth in our How Long Does It Take To Build Muscle? article.
Exercises that involve holding poses, such as warrior II or chair pose, can provide resistance and increase time under tension for muscles. More challenging inversion poses, such as headstand or shoulder stand, can also contribute to muscle building by engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Here are some other chair yoga poses that can help with muscle building:
The chair warrior II pose is a powerful seated variation that enhances stability and engages multiple muscle groups.
It primarily targets the leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. It also engages the core muscles for stability and the shoulders, arms, and back to maintain an extended position.
This pose promotes strength and endurance while improving postural control and alignment.
Steps to Execute the Chair Warrior II Pose:
The seated crescent moon pose effectively stretches and strengthens the sides of the body, primarily targeting the obliques and latissimus dorsi.
This pose involves a gentle side bend that lengthens the spine while engaging the core muscles for stability. By lifting one arm overhead and leaning to the opposite side, individuals can enhance flexibility and improve muscle endurance in the torso and back.
Chair pigeon pose is designed to create openness in the hips while engaging the glutes and the hip flexors. This pose targets the piriformis and the deep external rotators of the hip, which helps increase flexibility and release tension in the lower body.
The seated eagle pose intricately combines balance and muscle engagement, focusing on the arms and legs. This pose activates the upper body and core while improving coordination and flexibility in the hips, leading to enhanced functional strength.
Twisted triangle pose enhances core strength and stability while promoting flexibility in the spine and hips. By engaging the abdominal muscles and back, this pose provides a solid foundation for improving overall body balance.
The seated side bend strengthens the lateral muscles of the torso, particularly the obliques. By engaging these muscles during the side stretch, this pose contributes to overall muscle endurance and flexibility in the upper body.
Chair boat pose actively engages the core and hip flexors while building strength in the abdominal region.
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Chair leg lifts primarily target the quadriceps and hip flexors, contributing to strength and stability building in the lower body. This exercise enhances leg strength and stability, which are essential for everyday movement.
Read more: Sit, Stretch, and Soothe: Chair Yoga Sequence for a Relaxed Mind and Body
For most people, chair yoga won’t build muscle at all because the stimulus it provides will be below the threshold for stimulating muscular microdamage and repair. However, for those with a very low baseline level of fitness and strength, chair yoga builds muscle gradually, as with any form of exercise. Depending on how consistent you are with your practice, you may start to see strength improvement within a few weeks.
In several months, you may experience significant changes in muscle definition and strength. The key is to practice regularly, listen to your body, and gradually increase the intensity of your poses over time.
Try 3 Days Muscle Building Workout for an effective strength training routine.
You should aim to practice chair yoga at least 3-4 times a week for optimal results. Consistency is key, as regular practice helps build muscle memory and strengthen your body over time. It’s also essential to listen to your body and give yourself rest days when needed.
Starting with shorter sessions (10-15 minutes) a few times a week can be beneficial, and you can gradually increase the frequency and duration of your practice as you feel more comfortable.
Chair yoga works. It improves muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and overall physical function. It also has numerous mental health benefits, including reducing stress and improving mood. Research has shown that regular chair yoga practice can improve quality of life for older adults and those with chronic conditions (7). 30 minutes of chair yoga can burn approximately 100-150 calories. However, the number of calories burned will vary depending on factors such as age, weight, and intensity of practice. Chair yoga may not be considered traditional strength training, but it contributes to building muscle strength. It primarily uses body weight for resistance, which makes it a low-impact form of strength training suitable for all ages and fitness levels. We discussed how Pilates is also a good low-impact strength training method in our Does Pilates Build Muscle blog post. You can potentially lose weight by incorporating chair exercises into your fitness routine. However, to see significant weight loss results, it’s necessary to combine regular exercise with a healthy diet and lifestyle habits. Chair yoga alone may not result in substantial weight loss, but it can be a great addition to an overall weight management plan.Frequently Asked Questions
Does chair yoga actually work?
How many calories does 30 minutes of chair yoga burn?
Is chair yoga strength training?
Can you lose weight doing chair exercises?
Chair yoga can play a role in building muscle by providing resistance, increasing time under tension, and promoting mind-muscle connection. However, it may not have enough intensity for significant muscle hypertrophy.
If your main goal is to build muscle mass, incorporating traditional strength training exercises into your routine would likely yield better results. But if you’re looking for a low-impact form of exercise that can still contribute to overall physical health and well-being, chair yoga is an excellent option.
The key is finding a balance between different forms of exercise to cater to your specific fitness goals and needs. So, if you enjoy chair yoga and find it beneficial, keep incorporating it into your routine, but don’t be afraid to mix in other types of workouts for a well-rounded approach to staying healthy and fit.
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