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Chair Yoga to Lose Belly Fat | Ab Exercises That Work

Abdominal fat deposition is very common nowadays. It’s easy to overeat without calculating the daily calorie requirements. Pair that with processed food, stress, sleep deprivation, changes in gut flora, and prolonged sitting habits, and you can see a lot of excess fat resides mainly around the belly region. 

Many people who want to tone their bodies could try chair yoga to lose that belly fat. Any kind of yoga can help you burn fat and work your abdominal muscles. Seated yoga is no different. But, it requires consistency, effort, and a well -rounded approach. 

Here is why. 

What Are the Chair Yoga Exercises for Losing Belly Fat?

Chair yoga to lose belly fat involves a combination of sequences, stretches, poses, and movements that target the core, boost overall body fat reduction, and stimulate digestion. The muscle fibers adapt and develop in response to your workout. 

Seated yoga can help improve your flexibility, which can make it easier to avoid injury. It also stimulates blood flow to the quadriceps, pectorals, hamstrings, lateral, and anterior abdominal region. Below, you can find chair exercises for weight loss to add to your workout plan.

Chair Cat-Cow Stretch

This sequence is a gentle stretcher for the spine. It also engages the core and could help  your body  become more flexible. The spinal movement stimulates the adrenal glands, which can aid with the digestive process. 

The better the movement within the digestive tract, the easier it is to eliminate the waste that contributes to weight gain. Therefore, many experts suggest trying out chair yoga to lose belly fat as this can be a great option for those who are new to exercise. .

To start with the sequence, assume a comfortable sitting position with a central posture. Position the hands on the knees. Take a deep breath, focus your vision toward the ceiling, and arch the back. Hold for a few seconds. Then, round the spine as you tuck your face into the chest, and exhale. Repeat for 10 to 15 times. 

Chair Low Plank

This pose engages multiple muscles at the same time. Not only does it stimulate metabolic rate, but it also works with your core strength. Research shows that plank exercise can enhance the immune cells, improve physical fitness, and respiratory capacity. This makes them practical chair exercises for abs. (1)

Before you begin, position the chair right in front of you. Then place your elbows on the seat. To get the technique down, you should extend your legs, curl your toes, and use the elbows to maintain a straight spine line. Engage the hips and quads as you hold this position for about 10 seconds.

What you want to do is not let the body sag. You need to hold this form to tone the midsection and strengthen the legs, back, and arms. 

Read More: Chair Ab Workout: 8 Seated and Standing Exercises To Strengthen Your Core

Chair Warrior III Pose

This pose is all about balance, stretch, and strength. This fusion accommodates the digestive system, which can be beneficial for the abdominal muscles. You will be engaging the entire body with the support of a chair. You can use it to work on your abs, hamstrings, quadriceps, shoulders, and arms. 

Put the chair on a mat so it won’t slide by accident. Position it up against the wall for extra support. Stand in front of the chair and place your hands firmly on the seat. Then, lengthen your spine and put the left toes right behind you. 

Squeeze the muscles of your left leg very strongly. This squeezing helps tone the quadriceps. Now, flex the left ankle and lift the leg high behind you. The toes of this foot should be pointing down. Hold and breathe for a couple of seconds, then repeat with the other leg. 

Chair Seated Leg Lifts

This leg lift rejuvenates your digestive tract as it targets the lower abs. This is where most of the fat deposits accumulate. It also helps with pelvis positioning, stability, and balance. 

To start, sit straight on a chair with feet flat on the ground and legs together. For extra support, hold the seat with both your hands. Take a deep breath, straighten, and raise your left leg. The thigh muscles will start to feel firm. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Lower the left leg and repeat with the right leg.

Knee-to-Chest Lift

This stretch enhances postural and muscular strength. It could also improve  lower extremity functional mobility. By targeting the core muscles, you also boost blood flow and increase the potential to tone the abdominal muscles. 

Sit straight on a chair. Begin by stooping forward a bit and grabbing the left knee. Position both of your hands over the kneecap and lift the bent leg toward your chest. The glutes and hamstrings are going to feel a stretch. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and repeat with the other leg. 

Chair Boat Pose

This exercise helps you test your balance. It targets the muscles in the lower belly and top of your thighs. It can optimize your metabolic health. 

To begin, sit sideways on your chair, feet hip-width apart. Apply most of your weight and pressure to your feet as you slowly lean back. The ears should align over your shoulders. Take deep breaths and hold this position for a few seconds. This is the first level.  

For the second level, return to the starting position. Settle in, take a deep breath, and lean back again with your upper body. Raise your hands parallel to the ground, engage the core, straighten the spine, and start flexing one leg after the other. Lift the left leg at a 45-degree angle, lower it, and then raise the right leg. 

The Benefits of Using Chair Yoga to Lose Belly Fat

Based on a 12-week intervention, yoga offered moderately beneficial effects in women with abdominal fat. Yoga decreased body weight, waist-hip ratio, and body fat percentage. It also helped women build body muscle. This makes it a viable option for women to try. (2)

Yoga works in a peculiar way. The healthier you are, the more you gravitate toward healthier food. This practice has many advantages. These include:

  • Mindfulness
  • Mobility enhancement
  • Stress reduction
  • Strength building
  • Better muscle flexibility
  • Improved breathing habits
  • Better sleep

This practice is ideal for obese beginners who want to start yoga. Since it incorporates breathing and relaxation techniques, it could even potentially  mitigate emotional eating. The more you engage the muscles and work on your diet, the more effectively you can reduce fat and burn calories. 

Can Chair Yoga Burn Belly Fat?

Even though chair yoga for women over 60 offers numerous mental and physical benefits, it is not a direct method for losing all the abdominal fat. Studies show that losing 6% to 7% weight with exercise or exercise and diet reduces both intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat. (3)

But, the only way to significantly reduce subcutaneous fat is to combine physical activity with calorie restriction. The best chair yoga exercises to lose belly fat will be one that is combined with a healthy and nutritious diet that adheres to your daily caloric intake limits. 

How Do You Get a Flat Belly With Chair Yoga ?

The timing can increase the probability of achieving the best results. Ideally, you should practice chair yoga to lose belly fat early in the morning. You can exercise on an empty stomach, 2 hours after eating some light food. 

The body feeds on stored carbs and fat for energy and gives you a better heart rate and calorie burn. However, make sure to monitor the blood sugar as it may get depleted during exercise. To add to that, the best time of day to workout will be the time that works for you. Consistency is the key to success here and it tends to be better to get movement in than it is to stay sedentary. 

How Many Days a Week Should You Do Chair Yoga?

Anywhere from 2 to 3 times per week is a great choice for beginners. You can also move into more complex poses and work on your core strength. A 28-day chair yoga for weight loss challenge can help give you consistency and improve your focus, balance, and strength. 

What Is the Best Yoga Pose to Lose Belly Fat?

There is no best pose or exercise that will specifically target belly fat. Sadly, it is not possible to target fat loss in a specific region of your body. Overall body fat loss will lead to belly fat loss but fat loss comes throughout your body and not just in one specific spot.

But, in our opinion,  the “chair boat pose” and the “chair low plank” can be highly beneficial for muscle toning and strengthening the core muscles. . But, most importantly, they can typically provide a better calorie expenditure than other simpler stretches. Isolated movements engage the lower abs which could potentially decrease the appearance of body fat.  

Which Yoga Reduces  Belly Fat in 1 Week?

It is impossible  to get rid of belly fat in just one week. Yoga can aid overall weight loss and muscle toning. But, to achieve fat reduction you need to combine yoga with a nutritious and healthy diet that will allow your body to be in a calorie deficit. This means that you are consuming less calories than you are burning each day. Yoga and other forms of rigorous physical activity can be great ways to increase your daily total calorie burn. Sustainable results require realistic expectations and consistency.  

How Many Calories Does 30 Minutes of Chair Yoga Burn?

Over half an hour you can expect to burn anywhere from 120 to 250 calories. When you pair seated yoga with dumbbells and resistance bands, you can typically burn a lot more than that, due to the increased intensity of the workout when adding external loads. Many women find chair yoga to lose belly fat female-specific routines to be very effective and accessible. 

Read More: Chair Yoga Routine for Stress Relief and Relaxation

Does Chair Yoga Really Work?

To lose belly fat, you have to lose overall body fat. Having no control over the food you eat can make more fat accumulate in the abdominal area and throughout your entire body. You can curb that excess fat with seated yoga and keeping a calorie deficit.

Consume fewer calories than your body expends every day. Build lean mass so the body can burn more energy at rest and help you slim down. Some seated yoga poses can tone the abdomen and core muscles but this will not directly make you burn fat in this region. Over time, they can also boost digestion, making it easier to take care of the belly fat. But, if you continue to overeat, chair yoga or any form of exercise won’t yield results.

FAQs

  • Which seated exercise can help reduce belly fat?

Once again, any exercise can help to reduce overall body fat and there is not a way to target a specific region for fat loss. But try the seated leg lift if you are looking for something that you can easily do at your work desk. It is one of those chair yoga exercises for weight loss you can use to improve everyday function.

  • How can I flatten my stomach sitting in a chair?

Every workout needs a good diet. Seated yoga can help promote mindful eating. It can also target specific muscle groups to burn some of that fat. But you can’t out exercise a poor diet. If you are overeating, you will gain weight. 

  • What burns hanging belly fat?

Consistency is critical with both exercise and eating habits. Exercise regularly and try to eat as healthily as possible. Seated yoga can strengthen  the muscles. But, if you want to reduce the appearance of a hanging belly, you will need to lose body fat all over your body. 

Summary

Yoga is not just about balancing on one foot or stretching the body to its limit. It is about finding the middle ground in your practice. You shouldn’t become too comfortable or stagnant. It is best to include a variety of poses and challenge yourself to be consistent. But you shouldn’t push yourself too hard to the point you hurt yourself or feel frustrated. The best workout is one that you can do consistently and with the correct form. Focus on yourself and find what works for you. 

There are a series of chair yoga belly fat exercises that can target the muscles in the midsection. Seated yoga can give you the same benefits as normal yoga. You can stretch the body and help improve your flexibility. But, just because the workout targets the belly doesn’t mean it is foolproof. You still have to combine seated yoga with a healthy diet.

Finally, remember to contact a medical professional before getting started on any exercise program. This is a way to ensure that your body can handle any given movement. 

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.

BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.

You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.

SOURCES:

  1. Effects of plank exercise on respiratory capacity, physical fitness, and immunocytes in older adults (2023, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) 
  2. Yoga in Women With Abdominal Obesity— a Randomized Controlled Trial (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) 
  3. Effect of diet with or without exercise on abdominal fat in postmenopausal women – a randomised trial (2019, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) 
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