Office Chair Workouts 

Chair yoga and other office chair workouts offer convenient ways to stay active, reduce stress, and improve posture right from your desk during long days at the office. These are important for good health, both mentally and physically. If you’ve been feeling sluggish, need a pick-me-up, or are just worried that you’ve been sitting too much, read on for some great tips and tricks. 

How Long Should You Sit in an Office Chair?

Most experts recommend sitting no longer than 30-60 minutes without taking a break to stretch your legs, which can add up to some serious benefits in the long term, particularly for your heart and circulatory system. Using an hourly alarm, timer, or fitness tracker with standing reminders is a great way to make sure you stay on top of this healthy habit.

How Can I Exercise While Sitting at My Desk?

You can exercise while sitting at a desk by developing a workout plan that targets the various muscle groups in your body effectively without requiring you to stand. Research has shown that sessions as short as 10 minutes spread throughout your day can have a positive effect on your health and mental well-being. Depending on your goals, you can choose exercises that don’t require any weights, such as chair yoga, or incorporate them, along with other tools such as bands, into your routine for added gains(2). 

How to Exercise in an Office Chair

Exercising in an office chair can be a great way to stay active during a long workday and can also help anyone who is struggling with mobility issues. It can help you avoid prolonged postures that contribute to overuse injuries, sprains and strains, and painful muscular hypertonicity. In addition, some gentle chair exercise throughout your day can reduce the risk of health issues that are common with a sedentary lifestyle(3). 

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Are Chair Exercises Any Good?

Chair exercises can help you stay more active throughout the day, which can improve your health and overall well-being. Depending on your baseline level of fitness, chair exercises can help you build strength, improve mobility, and reduce anxiety. However, the results you get will depend on the intensity of the exercises you choose and your commitment to doing them consistently(4). Those who incorporate light office chair exercises into their workday will likely find the most benefits are received from the prevention of posture-related pain and improved blood circulation.

How Do You Sit in an Office Chair to Avoid Belly Fat?

Fortunately, how you sit in a chair won’t affect the amount of belly fat you have, as that has more to do with your diet and lifestyle. However, it’s still important to avoid prolonged postures while seated or standing (5). Workstation ergonomic recommendations include:

1. When sitting, your thighs should be parallel to the floor.
2. Keep your feet on the floor with your ankles in front of your knees. If your feet can’t reach the floor, find another seat or use a footrest.
3. Relax your shoulders and keep your elbows close to your body at an angle between 90 and 120 degrees.
4. Your back should be straight and supported.
5. If you work at a computer, position the monitor height so the top third of the screen is at eye level and about an arm’s length away.

Contrary to outdated medical advice and the general media, no posture is inherently “good” or “bad”. Research has shown that postural variability is the most important factor for reduction in posture-related pain, injury, and dysfunction. Postural awareness, postural control, and postural stability are all improvable factors that exercise and education can help with. These things contribute to the avoidance of prolonged postures that may lead to problems. 

What Is the Best Office Chair Workout Routine?

The best office chair workout routine will depend on your fitness level and goals. Someone who is looking to build muscle will need a different workout than someone who wants to burn fat, and if your goal is to improve flexibility and balance through chair yoga, your routine will be different from those. Consulting your healthcare provider is the best way to get started developing a plan that will help you reach your goals. They can help by providing a list of safe exercises you can do while sitting at your desk and guiding you to other professionals or websites that can help you continue your path to success(6). 

Generally, exercises you perform during a workday at your desk will likely not be intense enough to burn many calories or build strength. Instead, they’re used for injury prevention and long-term health improvements. Training programs that utilize a chair have been used at higher levels of intensity and often make a good starting point for seniors with a low baseline level of fitness or those with significant mobility issues. 

Office Chair Stretches

Seated Hamstring Stretch

1. Sit at the edge of your chair with your feet on the floor and extend one leg out.
2. Reach toward your toes, holding the maximum stretch for 10-15 seconds before repeating with the other leg.
3. Perform 2 -3 sets(7).

Seated Shoulder Roll

1. Sit straight with your feet on the ground and raise your shoulders toward your ears.
2. Roll your shoulders backward then forward.
3. Complete 2-3 sets in each direction(7).

Seated Neck Stretch

1. Sit straight with your feet on the ground and lower your chin toward your chest, pausing at full stretch.
2. Lift your chin toward the ceiling, again pausing at full stretch.
3. With your head straight, tilt your right ear toward your shoulder, pausing at maximum stretch, then repeat in the other direction.
4. Complete 2-3 sets(7).

Read more: Chair Yoga for Knees: 8 Moves for Stronger Limbs

Office Chair Workout No Equipment

Seated Leg Raises

1. Sit straight at the edge of your chair with your arms by your sides.
2. Extend your right leg out so only the heel touches the floor.
3. Lift your leg as high as you can off the ground without bending your back and pause before lowering it.
4. Repeat with the other leg.
5. Complete 8-10 reps with each leg(7).

Seated Reverse Shoulder Fly

1. Sit straight with your feet on the ground and lean forward with your back naturally arched.
2. Raise your arms straight out from the sides as high as you can.
3. Pause at maximum contraction before lowering your arms.
4. Repeat 10-15 times(7).

Seated Torso Twists

1. Sit straight on the edge of a chair with your feet on the ground.

1. Lean back slightly without arching your back and place your hand behind your head.

1. Twist slowly to the left, pausing at the maximum stretch before returning to the starting position and twisting to the right.

1. Repeat 8-10 times(7).

Are There Office Chair Exercises for Stomach Fat Reduction?

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to lose fat in a specific location, and there are no chair exercises for stomach fat. To lose fat in the belly area, you will need a comprehensive plan that focuses on reducing the number of calories you eat per day, exchanging lower-quality calories for better, more nutritious ones, and increasing the amount of physical activity you engage in each day(8).  

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Is a 10-Minute Office Workout Long Enough?

Most experts recommend aiming for 150-300 minutes (about 5 hours) of exercise per week to stay in good shape and minimize the risk of weight gain(9). However, some studies have shown that as little as 10 minutes per day can have a big impact on overall health(10). 

Are There Office Chair Exercises for Back Pain?

Several office chair exercises can help with back pain by stretching and strengthening the muscles. Some exercises you can try include seated marches, seated forward flexion stretches, and seated hamstring stretches. It’s also important to move around frequently as postural variability is the most important factor for preventing posture-related pain and dysfunction(11). 

What Desk Exercise Equipment Do I Need?

Fortunately, you can do all the exercises here without any equipment apart from your office chair. However, there are many exercises, and depending on your goals, you may find it helpful to add some weights, dumbbells, and bands to help increase the amount of resistance working against your body for improved gains, especially once your body gets used to the body weight exercises. 

Is Chair Yoga for Men and Women?

Chair yoga, which is sometimes called armchair yoga, can be a great activity for both men and women. It can help improve flexibility, strength, and balance while reducing anxiety and helping calm the mind. Many of the exercises are low-impact and can be tailored to your fitness level, which makes them perfectly suitable for both sexes. 

Read more: Chair Yoga for Glutes: 6 Must-Have Exercises for Strength

FAQs

• How do you sit in a chair for 8 hours?

It should come as no surprise to anyone that a long-term sedentary lifestyle can be detrimental to your health. It’s important to take special precautions during long workdays. Take frequent breaks to walk around and stretch your muscles. Try to stand while you talk on the phone, answer questions, or meet with people. If possible, invest in a standing desk or discuss with your company if a standing desk can be provided for you (1). 

• What is the best chair exercise?

There is no best chair exercise for every situation, and you will likely need a group of exercises to reach your goals, whether they be strength, weight loss, or improved flexibility. Choose exercises that adequately target the large muscle groups and provide enough of a challenge to give you a good workout. 

• How can I flatten my stomach while sitting at my desk?

A combination of healthy eating, regular physical activity, and overall lifestyle changes is essential for reducing belly fat. Stay positive and try to develop a support system to help improve your chances of success(12).  

• Is it OK to exercise while sitting down?

Exercise while sitting down can be a great idea to break up long periods of sedentary behavior. Over time, this can add up to significant health benefits. Seated exercise is also a great option for those with limited mobility or balance deficits who don’t have someone available to spot them during standing exercise. That being said, incorporating more dynamic forms of exercise unlocks a vast array of health benefits that are far more challenging to achieve while sitting. So get up and move if you’re able to!

The Bottom Line

Chair yoga and other office chair workouts can help improve your health. If everyone were to perform them for just a few minutes each day, we would see a drastic decrease in the number of preventable diseases attributed to a sedentary lifestyle. Remember to consult your physician first to get a proper check-up and advice on how to proceed toward your goals.