Yoga Chair Exercises to Help You Become the Best Version of Yourself

Yoga has long been celebrated for the profound impact it has on mental and physical health. The practice helps a person feel relaxed and focus on the things that matter. Sadly, some social media influencers and posts demonstrate poses that are pretty complex. This may make you think that yoga isn’t for you. Luckily, we have some options here that are a great place for a beginner to start. If you’re looking for a way to bust those stress hormones and get in shape, you should start off with yoga chair exercises (1).

Essentially, yoga is more about improving skills such as breathing, practicing self-care, and regulating emotions. Even a little time doing these poses can leave you feeling much more energetic and refreshed. You could even feel more prepared to face all kinds of curveballs life throws your way.

Chair yoga, in particular, includes gentle exercises you can do while seated. You can make various poses while focusing on the same core aspects – steady breathing, attention to your thoughts, and living in the moment. This article covers the benefits you can enjoy when you perform chair yoga and how some exercises could help you hit your wellness objectives.

Does Chair Yoga Really Work?

The perks of an active lifestyle are well documented. Exercise is the best medicine as it helps people deal with several health problems. We tend to believe that we might feel tired if we were to move more, but the truth is that you end up feeling more active after workouts (2).

When you start the practice of chair yoga, you’ll feel a sense of relaxation and ease flowing through your body. Over time, you’ll realize that the tension stuck in your muscles and joints has started to release. Here are some rewards that you can experience:

Improved Strength

Using your muscles to perform yoga poses can build your strength. More strength can help you have better balance when standing or doing everyday activities. This can reduce the risk of falling. Over 25% of individuals aged 65 and above experience a fall annually, and this risk escalates with age (3). Fortunately, some of these falls are preventable with increased and frequent exercise.  

Exercises performed on a chair can improve your strength, which can contribute to decreasing your risk of falling. It can also improve your body’s potential to withstand injuries. Having more muscle mass improves your ability to burn calories and bone density and helps you get better at doing daily movements (4).

Increased Flexibility

The ability to twist, bend, and stretch is important for every human. These movements enable a person to lift something, sit on the floor, or hold a toddler. Some people think that the loss of flexibility is inevitable as a person progresses in years. However, the fact is that you can reverse the impact of aging by being more active throughout your life. Chair yoga sequences can gently challenge your body, helping you increase your range of motion and improve your mobility at any age (5).

Reduced Stress

According to research published in Psychiatry Online, yoga can have a positive impact on stress as it can alleviate symptoms of depression and relieve anxiety (6). Mindfulness is integral to yoga, regardless of where you perform it. Focusing on breathing and how your body reacts to the exercise creates a sense of relaxation. It doesn’t matter if you perform yoga chair exercises for seniors or for beginners, you can end up feeling more confident and happier when your session ends (7).

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Better Sleep Patterns

A solid exercise routine is also associated with better sleep patterns. Chair yoga can also help you sleep better if you consistently pose with proper form. These mindful exercises can help people have a better outlook on life, allowing them to rest more, have fewer headaches, and sleep like babies (5).

Improved Pain Management Abilities

Researchers have long emphasized that exercise can help reduce pain (8). This happens because working out releases endorphins, which work as natural painkillers. Chair yoga stretches for seniors could be particularly helpful for adults who are undergoing physical changes and those who are reliant on medications to relieve pain (9). Deep breathing together with gentle movements can help convince your mind that pain is leaving your body, which can then increase your body’s capability for dealing with pain and discomfort.

After examining the rewards of chair yoga, we can easily answer the most asked question – Is chair yoga good for seniors? Yes, absolutely! In fact, there are no age barriers to performing these exercises. Those who do it with care feel reconnected with their minds, bodies, and breathing. This mind-body connection provides stellar rewards such as a happy mood, optimism, and a will to face all challenges with bravery.

However, you should always remember to contact a medical professional before you start any new exercise routine. You could encounter potential injuries or limitations that would prevent you from performing some of these movements. Therefore, it’s best to be medically cleared to perform these exercises so you can reduce your likelihood of injury. 

Can You Get in Shape with Chair Yoga?

Yes, chair yoga can burn calories and help you get in shape. However, it typically isn’t as fast as conventional exercise routines.

While a combination of increased calorie burning and reduced calorie intake can lead to weight loss, the prevalence of obesity in Western societies often stems from unhealthy eating habits and psychological factors. These ingrained behaviors can make it difficult for people to lose weight, even with dedicated efforts to reduce calorie intake and increase physical activity.

Chair yoga can encourage people to develop healthy habits and focus on their well-being. It has been noted that people tend to pay less attention to their physical health due to busy schedules. However, you can easily perform chair yoga, even at your workplace, as you only need a sturdy chair. 

A small study involving older adults participating in weekly chair yoga sessions found that after 3 months, participants experienced reduced stress levels, improved mood, and decreased panic attacks (10). In addition, they reported enhancements in their overall health, physical functioning, and social well-being.

The optimism a person feels after working out may compel them to pay more attention to other aspects such as eating healthy meals, improving their sleep patterns, and decreasing chronic stress.

Read more: 21 Day Chair Yoga: Reasons To Add This Challenge To Your Routine

Is Chair Yoga Good for Weight Loss?

As previously mentioned, chair yoga isn’t a surefire way to lose weight. You can use it to enhance your total caloric burn, but you must change other aspects of your life to see the desired results. Remember, eating well and staying within your daily caloric intake limits are the biggest contributors to weight loss. Here are some eating tips that can help you shed some pounds when combined with chair yoga:

• Maintain a balanced and healthy diet
• Eat regular meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Avoid overeating or binge-eating
• Avoid late-night snacking

Yoga allows people to adopt healthy habits easily (11). A consistent yoga practice can help you establish overall balance and regulate specific habits, such as maintaining consistent meal times and incorporating protein or snacks throughout the day. Chair yoga, in particular, can be a supportive tool for making lasting changes to your diet and adopting other healthy lifestyle habits.

Example Chair Yoga Exercises

First, you should understand that no single chair yoga exercise can help you lose weight or body fat in a specific region. You’ll get the best results from your yoga practice if you create a regime according to your body, individual goals/limitations, history, and lifestyle. However, if you’re curious about these exercises, we’ve listed some examples below. These are free chair yoga exercises you can learn at home and perform at your own pace:

Chair Cat-Cow Stretch

1. Sit straight on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting on your knees or thighs.
2. Take a deep breath, gently arch your back like a cow, and push your shoulders back.
3. Breathe out, round your back like a cat, and tuck your chin toward your chest.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, moving like a cow when you breathe in and a cat when you breathe out for five breaths.

Box Squats

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight and chest lifted.
2. Slowly lower yourself toward the chair as if you didn’t expect it to be there.
3. Keep your chest up, and take 4-5 seconds to reach the bottom.
4. Quickly push through your heels and squeeze your bottom to stand back up.
5. Do this 10 times, and repeat for a total of 3 sets.

Chair Eagle

1. Stand up straight and lift your right leg, crossing your right thigh over your left thigh. If possible, wrap your right foot behind your left calf.
2. Cross your left arm over your right arm, bending at the elbows. Bring your palms together.
3. Raise your elbows to the height of your shoulders while relaxing your shoulders down.
4. Hold this position for 3 to 5 deep breaths.
5. Repeat the same steps with your left leg and right arm.

Chair Dips

1. Sit at the edge of a sturdy bench or chair with your hands on the edge, supporting your body weight.
2. Stretch your legs before you, keeping them straight and your heels on the floor.
3. Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
4. Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
5. Do this 10-15 times and repeat for a second set.

Chair Spinal Twist

Sit sideways on a chair, facing to the left.

1. Gently twist your upper body to the left, using the back of the chair for support.
2. Every time you breathe in, try to sit up a little taller. Every time you breathe out, twist a little further.
3. Repeat this for 5 breaths.
4. Switch your legs to face the right side of the chair and repeat the twist on your right side.

At the end, take a few minutes to sit on the chair with your eyes closed. Keep your hands on your lap and allow all the positive effects of the poses to absorb into your body. This is the transition phase and you need it to bounce back to your regular day so you can function with a rested mindset.

You should look for more complex poses if you feel you’re good at the basic poses. Some, such as yoga chair exercises with weights, are meant to stimulate your body more and improve your muscular activities, which can ultimately increase the total calories burned through these exercises.

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Can You Tone with Chair Yoga?

Studies have shown that traditional yoga can help improve body strength. A 2021 review concluded that chair yoga can help older adults build and preserve muscle strength (12). Furthermore, the researchers discovered that chair-based exercise enhances both upper- and lower-body function, which is important as muscle mass and strength naturally decrease with age.

The best part of following these routines is you can find some pretty effective free yoga chair exercises online. You can also subscribe to some platforms for a nominal fee to get guidance from certified fitness experts. The stretching of muscles during these exercises can tone your muscles and improve the way you look over time. 

Read more: Unlocking Relaxation: The Magic of Restorative Chair Yoga

FAQs

• How many days a week should you do chair yoga?

The CDC suggests that older adults (65 and up) should do exercises that make their muscles stronger two days a week and activities that improve their balance three days a week (13). Chair yoga is a great way to start and even a little bit of exercise is typically better than none.

• Does chair yoga count as exercise?

Chair yoga is a fun and easy way to exercise that the majority of people can do. It can be just as challenging as regular yoga and could be a great choice for people who have difficulty moving around due to conditions such as multiple sclerosis, heart problems, or lung problems. Once again, remember to contact a medical professional if you have these conditions or any other condition that could limit your ability to exercise. 

• Can you lose belly fat with yoga?

Yes, doing yoga can help you lose weight, even belly fat, but like any form of exercise, it will burn fat for your whole body, rather than focusing on one area.

• Does the 28-day yoga chair challenge work?

Yes, studies on chair yoga for older adults have shown good results. Although there’s been a limited number of participants, these studies still demonstrate that this is an effective form of exercise for the majority of people. As more research is conducted, we will learn more about this style of exercise and how it can benefit people of all ages. 

The Bottom Line

Yoga chair exercises aren’t a new addition to fitness circles, but there’s no doubt that they’ve become pretty famous for their distinct take on physical movements. You should keep in mind that it isn’t always about losing weight or getting skinny. Instead, the happiness you feel after a workout session is worth all the time and effort. Get started as soon as you get the green signal from your physician and see the gifts it brings your way.