28-Day Chair Yoga Plan: Build A Healthy Habit With These 10 Chair Yoga Poses

If you, like many of us, spend hours a day working at a desk, you may be at risk of negative physical and cognitive effects (4). That said, it may be easier than you think to fit a simple chair yoga routine into your day to help counteract these health risks. Chair yoga has gained popularity, due to its accessibility and range of physical and mental health benefits. Chair yoga plan can also be a practical and accessible way to workout if you have any health conditions or injuries that may prevent you from taking up other forms of exercise.

Below you will find 10 chair yoga poses that can constitute a full-body workout. By integrating this sequence into your daily routine, you can experience the mind and body benefits of yoga (3) and the satisfaction of a workout plan. Try this chair yoga plan for 28 days and experience the benefits for yourself.

Does the 28-day Chair Yoga Plan Work?

Unsurprisingly, daily exercise is one of the top five habits for a long healthy life (1). If you’re struggling to fit an exercise routine into a busy working week, chair yoga might just be the solution you’re looking for. Keep reading to learn 10 chair yoga poses that you can easily fit into your day, all from the convenience of the chair you are sitting on.

Why 28 Days?

Like all exercise routines, consistency is key. You may have heard that it takes 28 days to build a habit. While this timeframe may vary from person to person, sticking to a routine for 4 weeks means you’ll likely begin to see and feel the benefits of chair yoga and will want to continue with this simple daily routine.

Chair Yoga Plan: Why Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is easily adaptable and accessible to anyone’s needs. Many have modern lives that require them to work at a desk where they find themselves seated for long hours each day. Chair yoga is a brilliant way to add some movement into a day without the need for a gym or any extra equipment.

The chair yoga poses described below can be adapted for either a moderate exercise routine, or to achieve more strenuous workout.

4 Tips For Keeping Up The 28 Day Chair Yoga Plan:

1. Create a routine – Perhaps in the morning before you start work, at the start of your lunch break at work, or to wind down in the evening before bed. Find what time of day works best for you, set an alarm and stick to it.
2. Stay accountable – Find a friend who is also looking to build healthy daily habits and check-in regularly to motivate each other. Accountability works! (2)
3. Make it fun – No one is motivated to do something boring to their day. Keep up your 28 day chair yoga plan by making it something to look forward to, such as listening to your favorite music while you practice.
4. Track your progress – For many of us, tracking our progress can help motivate us and remind us of the benefits we are experiencing. This might involve taking ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, or journaling daily to reflect on your experience.

10 Chair Yoga Poses to Practice For 28 Days

The following chair yoga poses cover many of the key areas of the body that are targeted during a workout. As a yoga practice, the following poses also integrate mindful breathing, which would bring a sense of peace and clarity to your day – the perfect midday pick-me-up!

If you have a health condition, injury, or are taking any medication, please ask your healthcare provider’s advice on whether or not chair yoga is suitable for you.

1. Cat-Cow – Bitilasana Marjaryasana

Cat-cow is often used at the start of a yoga class to warm up the spine and connect the body to the breath. This practice can promote circulation and increase energy, making it a brilliant way to begin your practice. It can be simply adapted to practice in a chair: 

• Seated comfortably on your chair, place your feet flat on the floor about hip-width distance apart
• Position your hands on your knees and sit up straight to lengthen your spine
• Inhale deeply through your nose, pressing the stomach and chest forward into a slight backbend as you lift your chin up towards the ceiling
• As you exhale through the nose, draw your stomach in, curving the spine and bringing your chin down towards your chest
• Repeat for up to 2 minutes at a speed that is comfortable for you, you may like try counting to 4 for each breath

Read More: 13 Easy Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do at Home

2. Spinal Twist – Bharadvajasana

Taking care of the spine is a fundamental goal in yoga and thought to be crucial for good health. Spinal twists can support effective breathing and promote good posture, which are key for a safe and effective workout. This spinal twist complements the cat-cow exercise and further warms up the spine for the chair yoga workout.

• Sit on your chair with both of your feet on the floor at hip-width distance
• With a straight spine, take hold of the left side of your seat with your left hand
• Contract your stomach muscles, and without moving your feet or legs, twist your body to the left
• Reach with your right hand to hold around the back left side of the chair and look over your left shoulder
• Hold the twist for at least 5 long deep breaths or up to 2 minutes while focusing on breathing steadily
• As you release the spinal twist to the left, take a moment to reset and take a breath before you repeat this posture on the right

3. Downward-dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana

One of the most well-known yoga postures, downward-dog is a foundational pose in most yoga classes. Its benefits include strengthening the arms and upper body, and stretching the spine and backs of the legs. Bringing the head below the heart can slow down the heart rate to relieve stress and tension. Using a chair for downward-dog makes it a little easier if you have tight hamstrings or lower back issues. 

Please note, this posture is not suitable for a desk chair on wheels. Make sure to either use a chair that will not slide or to lean the back of the chair against a wall.

• Stand facing towards your chair
• Bend your knees and place your hands just inside the edges of the seat of the chair 
• Begin to press your hands down allowing the chair to take your weight
• Lift your hips and tailbone up to the ceiling and step your feet back slightly to make a V-shape with your body
• Lengthen the back of your neck by bringing your head down and gazing up towards your navel
• Aim to align your arms and back in one line and breathe steadily while holding this position for up to 10 breaths.

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4. Warrior I – Virabhadrasana I

Postures within the warrior series test your strength, endurance, and flexibility. The key to holding steady in these poses is to keep your focus on maintaining steady breathing. 

• Begin seated, then turn your body and feet to face the right
• Keep your right foot on the floor and extend your left leg back behind so you are in a seated lunge position
• Be sure that your hips are square, both facing towards the direction of your right knee
• As you take a deep inhale, lift your arms up towards the ceiling, you can hold them here, or place the palms together
• Hold this posture for 5 to 10 breaths, keeping your gaze on one spot
• Repeat on the left side

5. Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II

Similarly to Warrior 1, Warrior 2 builds strength and stability in both the lower and upper body, particularly the spine and pelvis. It’s a great pose to add to your Chair Yoga Workout Plan.

• Begin seated, then turn your body and feet to face the right side
• Extend your left leg back, placing your left foot flat on the floor, allowing your hips and upper body to open out, facing the direction of the front of the chair
• Extend your arms out parallel to the floor and turn your head to gaze past your right fingertips
• Hold for 5 to 10 breaths focusing while breathing steadily and holding your focus
• Repeat on the left side

6. Reverse Plank – Purvottanasana

Reverse plank provides a gentle backbend and stretches the front of the body to open up the hips and chest. This chair yoga pose can improve wrist, arm, and shoulder strength, and will help to tone and strengthen your glutes, abdomen, and thighs.

Please note, this posture is not suitable for a desk chair on wheels. Make sure to either use a chair that will not slide or to lean the back of the chair against a wall.

• Start seated and hold around the sides of the chair seat with your hands
• Begin to walk your feet forwards, allow your hips to lift up off the chair seat and create a straight line with your legs, hips, abdomen, and chest
• Firmly press your palms into the chair as you lift your chest, squeeze your thighs to keep your legs straight, and engage your core 
• Hold for 3 to 5 breaths
• If it is comfortable on your neck, allow your head to come back so as to extend the stretch into your upper chest and neck
• Relax, and repeat

7. Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

This seated pigeon pose promotes flexibility in the hips and pelvis, an area which can become tight though spending long periods of sitting down. Through regular practice you can regain flexibility in the hips to reduce risk of injury plus hip and lower back pain.

• Sit with a straight spine and two feet on the floor
• Lift up the right knee and take hold of your right foot with your left hand
• Allow your right knee to relax to the side as you place your right foot on top of your left knee – if needed, you can keep hold of your right knee with your right hand for support
• Hold this position with a straight spine as you allow the hips to relax and soften
• Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths
• Take care as you come out of the posture and repeat on the other side

8. Chair “Squat” – Malasana

This chair yoga pose has been adapted to mimic the movement and stretch within the hips that are accessed in a yogic squat. This variation can be highly beneficial for alleviating back pain, which is common in those who spend long periods of time seated.

• Sit as far back in the chair as as you can with your feet flat on the floor
• Open your feet slightly wider than your shoulders
• Fold your upper body forwards to bring your shoulders between your knees and place your hands on the floor between your feet
• Gently press your heels into the floor while you keep your hips firmly seated on the chair
• Let your neck relax so that your head can comfortably hang between your legs
• You may like to keep your hands on the floor, alternatively, you can hold onto the opposite elbow to create slightly more weight
• Hold for 3 to 5 breaths

9. Seated Boat – Navasana

Boat pose is well known for building strength in the abdominals and lower back. These benefits can also be experienced in a seated variation of the posture. 

• Sit towards the front of your chair with your feet on the floor and a straight spine
• Place your hands on the chair next to your hips as you engage your abdominals and ligt your knees towards your chest
• You can hold this here, or if you’d like to take it further you can begin to extend your legs forward
• Find somewhere that you can hold the position while breathing steadily and stay here for 3 breaths
• Relax, and repeat

Read More: Chair Yoga for Beginners: Achieve Transformation Through Easy Movements

10. Seated Savasana

Savasana is an important part of any yoga practice and requires the act of stillness and a focus on ‘letting go’. It is a practice for both the body and mind and provides an opportunity to absorb and integrate the benefits of the chair yoga poses you have just practiced.

• Allow yourself to sit back comfortably in your chair, resting on the chair back while still keeping your spine lengthened
• Close your eyes and rest your hands on your thighs or knees with the palms facing up, allow your arms to relax
• Breathing into your belly, let go of any attachment to your rising thoughts and simply focus on your breath and the concept of ‘letting go’ in your mind and body
• Stay here for at least 2 minutes

Try this sequence of chair yoga poses for 28 days to experience for yourself how these simple postures can improve your physical and mental health. Remember to find a friend or work colleague to keep you accountable, keep it fun, and track your progress through photos or journal entries to see the benefits of chair yoga.

FAQs

• Is chair yoga difficult?

Chair yoga poses are relatively simple and should not be difficult for most people. However, for people with mobility issues, or the elderly, it is advisable to seek guidance from a certified yoga teacher.

• Do chair exercises really work?

Chair yoga is an effective form of gentle exercise to improve your health. While higher intensity exercise will more likely produce physical results faster, chair yoga provides a range of benefits, including improved circulation, increased strength and flexibility, and greater sense of wellbeing.

• Who is chair yoga for?

Chair yoga is not only beneficial for seniors and those with reduced mobility. It is an effective and convenient form of exercise which can improve the health of anyone who practices it regularly.

Chair Yoga Plan: The Bottom Line

The 28-Day Chair Yoga Plan offers a practical solution for individuals who spend extended periods sitting, often leading to negative physical and cognitive effects. Our guide outlines ten accessible chair yoga poses that form a full-body workout, best suited for those with health conditions or injuries. Emphasizing the importance of consistency, the plan encourages daily practice for 28 days to build a habit and experience the benefits of yoga. The poses, which range from Cat-Cow to Seated Savasana, are designed to improve flexibility, strength, and mental clarity. Through our guide, we’ve also equipped you with tips for maintaining the routine, such as creating a schedule, staying accountable, making the practice enjoyable, and tracking your progress consistently.