Standing Chair Yoga Poses: Boost Your Strength and Balance Today

Standing chair yoga is a great way to improve strength, balance, and coordination with accessible poses for any age group and fitness level. A chair can provide the stability you need to perform the poses without worrying about falling or purchasing various exercise equipment. 

What Are Some Standing Chair Yoga Poses?

When choosing standing chair yoga poses for seniors or anyone of any age, starting easy and building up to more complex exercises is essential. Though most yoga poses have little risk of injury, trying to work too hard can make the workout seem more demanding than it needs to be and could be discouraging. Take time to learn how to do the exercises correctly, and find ones that you enjoy doing before increasing reps or moving on to more challenging poses (1). 

Heel Raises (Chair-Assisted) 

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart, lightly holding the backrest for support. 
2. Slowly lift your heels off the floor as high as you comfortably can, coming up onto the balls of your feet. 
3. Pause briefly, engaging your calf muscles before slowly lowering back to the starting position. 
4. Repeat 10–15 times or as many as you can comfortably manage. 

Toe Raises (Chair-Assisted) 

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart, lightly holding the backrest for support. 
2. Slowly lift your toes off the floor as high as possible while keeping your legs straight. 
3. Pause briefly to engage the shin muscles before slowly lowering back to the starting position. 
4. Repeat 10–15 times or as many as you can comfortably manage. 

Upward Facing Dog to Downward Facing Dog (Chair Assisted) 

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair, with the chair’s seat facing you. 
2. Place your hands on the top of the backrest or the chair seat, depending on your height, and walk backward until your body forms a straight line with your hips in line with your shoulders. 
3. Inhale as you press your chest into the air, rolling your shoulders back slightly to get into the Upward Facing Dog pose. 
4. Hold the pose for 5 – 10 seconds.  
5. As you exhale, lift your hips up and back while pushing into the chair for support. 
6. Walk forward a few inches until your body forms an inverted V, the Downward-Facing Dog position. 
7. Hold the pose for 5 – 10 seconds.  
8. Release by relaxing your body and walking forward as you return to standing.  

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What Is More Challenging, Standing Yoga or Chair Yoga? 

Standing Yoga 

Standing yoga poses do not involve a chair and are more physically intense than chair yoga poses.

The chair-less yoga requires more flexibility, balance, and strength and might be more challenging for people with balance or mobility issues.

Although the original yoga practice is more advanced, several chair yoga standing poses will grant you a challenge when you’re ready.

Chair Yoga 

Chair yoga is usually less intense and more accessible to beginners, seniors, and those with physical limitations. 

The chair provides stability and support, reducing the need for balance and excess energy. Modified poses can improve balance and strength with little risk of injury (2).

Which is More Challenging? 

Standing yoga is a better challenge for fit and active individuals due to its demand for strength, balance, and flexibility. 

The chair-less yoga poses become more intricate as you advance as a yogi. 

These challenging poses range from deep stretches and holds to headstands and poses like One Handed Tree Pose – Eka Hasta Vrksasana (pronounced Eka-Hasta Vrik-SHAHS-anna, based on the Sanskrit language (3)).

For those with limited mobility or balance issues, chair yoga is enough of a challenge at a safe, low-intensity level.

Read more: Can You Lose Weight Doing Chair Yoga? The Effects Of This Gentle Exercise On Weight

What Are the Benefits of Standing Chair Yoga Poses? 

Standing chair poses are especially beneficial for those who want to improve:

• Balance
• Strength
• Posture
• Mental Focus
• Self-confidence
• Adaptability to different fitness levels
• Flexibility without the full intensity of standing yoga without a chair (4). 

How Chair Yoga Builds Your Strength and Balance

• Strength:

Chair yoga builds strength through bodyweight resistance exercises. 

Poses in chair yoga, like seated leg lifts and arm raises, engage specific muscle groups, enhancing strength in the quadriceps and deltoids. 

This targeted muscle engagement builds strength, and daily activities become more manageable due to improved functional strength.

• Balance:

Chair yoga poses focus on balance and stability, strengthening muscles that maintain posture and prevent falls.

4 Popular Chair Yoga Poses That Improve Balance:

1. Seated mountain pose: Improves posture and balance by engaging the core and back muscles.
2. Seated cat-cow stretch: Enhances spinal flexibility and balance by moving between arching and rounding the back.
3. Seated pigeon pose: Opens the hips and improves balance by stretching the glutes and hip flexors.
4. Seated forward bend: Strengthens lower back and hamstrings, aiding balance and stability (5).

What Are the Five Standing Chair Yoga Poses? 

Chair-Assisted Mountain Pose (Tadasana) 

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, and knees slightly bent. 
2. Gently hold onto the back of the chair with both hands for support.  
3. Stand tall, lifting your chest slightly and lengthening your spine. 
4. Pull your belly button toward your spine and keep your chin parallel to the floor. 
5. Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds before releasing the pose to relax. 
6. Repeat 5 -10 times. 

Chair-Assisted Tree Pose (Vrksasana) 

1. Stand next to a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart, using the back or side of the chair for support. 
2. Shift your weight onto one leg while lifting your opposite foot off the floor and placing it on the inside of your calf or thigh, avoiding the knee. 
3. Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds before releasing the pose to relax. 
4. Repeat 5 -10 times 

Chair-Assisted Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) 

1. Stand behind or beside a sturdy chair with your hands on the back for support. 
2. Step your right foot back about 3–4 feet, keeping the toes of the right foot pointing at a slight angle outward. 
3. Bend your front knee to align directly over your ankle while your back leg stays straight to lower yourself until your thigh is parallel to the ground or as far as you can. 
4. Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds before returning to standing. 
5. Repeat with the other leg. 

Chair-Assisted Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) 

1. Stand next to a sturdy chair, with your left side facing the back of the chair. 
2. Place your left hand lightly on the chair’s backrest for support. 
3. Start with your feet together and your posture tall. 
4. Step your right foot back about 3–4 feet so your feet are wide apart. 
5. Turn your front foot so that your toes face forward, and turn your back foot out at about a 90-degree angle. 
6. Bend your left knee directly over your left ankle to form a 90-degree angle, keeping your back leg straight and ensuring your front knee doesn’t go past your toes. 
7. Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds before returning to standing. 
8. Repeat with the other leg. 

Chair/-Assisted Half Forward Fold (Ardha Uttanasana) 

1. Stand behind a sturdy chair with the backrest facing you. 
2. Place your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward. 
3. Place your hands on the backrest of the chair. 
4. Step back a few feet until your arms fully extend and your body forms an L shape with your torso parallel to the floor. 
5. As you hold the pose, gently press your hips back while extending your chest forward. 
6. Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds before returning to standing. 
7. Repeat 5 -10 times. 

Who Should Not Do Standing Yoga? 

While standing yoga offers many benefits, specific individuals should consult their doctor before participating, including people with:

• Balance issues
• Spinal issues
• Osteoporosis
• Severe joint problems
• Cardiovascular issues
• Pregnant women (6).

It’s best to consult with a physician before starting any new exercise routine to ensure you don’t have any underlying health issues that could make it dangerous. 

Read more: Dynamic Standing Balance: What Is it, Why Does it Matter, and How Can You Improve it?

Chair Yoga Workout Plan 

Chair yoga is an accessible way to practice yoga and a good choice for anyone looking for a gentler approach to fitness. It combines seated and standing poses with support from a stable chair to help build strength and enhance balance while promoting relaxation and mindfulness. 

• Engage in yoga poses for a 20–30-minute session
• Combine warm-up stretches, seated poses, and standing balance work 
• Focus on slow, deep breathing and proper form
• Repeat 3 – 5 times per week (10).

Get your personalized chair yoga workout plan by tapping here (11).

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Chair Yoga Positions 

In addition to the several standing chair poses listed here, many seated yoga poses are great for people struggling with mobility or balance(12). 

Chair Raised Hands Pose (Urdhva Hastasana) 

1. Sit comfortably in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. 
2. As you inhale, slowly raise both arms overhead, reaching your fingertips toward the ceiling. 
3. While reaching upward, focus on lengthening your spine by lifting through your chest and fingertips. 
4. Hold the position for 5 – 10 seconds before lowering your arms back to the starting position.  
5. Repeat for 5 – 10 repetitions. 

Chair Forward Bend (Uttanasana) 

1. Sit at the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. 
2. As you inhale, sit tall, lifting your chest and lengthening your spine. 
3. As you exhale, hinge forward from your hips, not your waist. Allow your upper body to fold over your thighs, keeping your back straight. 
4. Hold the position for 5 – 10 seconds before returning to the starting position. 
5. Repeat for 5 – 10 repetitions.

Chair Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) 

1. Sit sideways on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. 
2. Slowly twist your torso to the right, using the chair’s backrest for support. 
3. To help you get a deeper stretch, place your left hand on the outer side of your right knee and your right hand on the back of the chair. 
4. Hold the position for 5 – 10 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position. 
5. Repeat the twist going the other way. 

Standard Yoga for Seniors Poses 

Butterfly Pose 

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight out before you. 
2. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall out to the sides.
3. Pull your heels toward your pelvis as far as is comfortable, keeping the outer edges of your feet pressed together. 
4. Grab your feet, ankles, or shins with your hands, depending on your flexibility. 
5. Take slow, deep breaths and hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute or longer if it feels comfortable.
6. Release the pose and return to the starting position. 

Upward Salute Side Bend Pose 

1. Begin by standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feet together or hip-width apart.
2. On an inhale, raise both arms overhead, palms facing each other. 
3. On your next exhale, gently bend to the right, extending both arms overhead. 
4. Hold the pose for 5 – 10 seconds before returning to the center.
5. Gently bend to the right and hold that stretch for 5 – 10 seconds before returning to the center and letting your arms fall back to the starting position. 

Sphinx Pose  

1. Begin by lying face down on your mat with your legs straight behind you. 
2. Place your elbows directly underneath your shoulders, with your forearms parallel to each other on the mat and your palms facing down. 
3. Press with your forearms and hands to lift your chest and head off the mat. 
4. Avoid compressing your lower back by slightly engaging your core and pressing your pubic bone into the mat. 
5. Hold the position for 5 – 10 seconds or longer if comfortable. 
6. Release the pose and slowly lower back to the starting position. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the standing tree pose in yoga called?

The standing tree pose in yoga is called Vrksasana, and you pronounce it vrik-SHAH-suh-nuh, based on the Sanskrit word for Tree. 

The pose challenges your ability to stay balanced on one leg and strengthens your legs, core, and ankles. It also promotes mental concentration and focus, as you must maintain a steady balance while holding it for several seconds(7). 

• What is the name of the standing position?

The primary standing position in yoga is called Tadasana (pronounced tah-DAH-suh-nuh). Many people also call it the Mountain Pose. It’s the foundation for many other poses and emphasizes proper alignment, balance, and posture(8).

• What is the name of the yoga pose standing twist?

The yoga pose that involves a standing twist is the Parivrtta Utkatasana (pronounced pah-ree-VREE-tah oot-kah-TAH-suh-nuh). People also call it the Revolved Chair Pose or Twisted Chair Pose. It helps strengthen the legs and core and enhances flexibility in the spine (9). 

• What is the queen of all yoga poses?

The pose often referred to as the “Queen of all Yoga Poses” is Sarvangasana, but you might hear people call it the Shoulder Stand. It has numerous benefits, including improved circulation, a stronger core and shoulders, and a calmer mind. 

The Bottom Line 

Standing chair yoga poses provide a safe and accessible way to enhance strength, balance, and flexibility. Whether you’re a beginner or have mobility limitations, these poses offer a gentle yet effective workout. 

Incorporating these poses into your fitness routine improves overall health and mental focus and builds confidence in your physical appearance and movement capabilities.