Chair exercises allow you to target the whole body without having to use any equipment. These workouts are quite versatile – you can do them at home, in the office, while you’re in a Zoom meeting, and in the gym. There are a lot of exercises you can do with a chair and we’ll list them down in this article in a bit.
First things first, are chair exercises effective?
If you do them correctly, they can be very effective because these exercises work all the muscles in your body. The main reason these exercises are so effective is because many of them work just like the moves that are already familiar to you. For example, the push up. Your hands are elevated on the seat as you position your body in an incline, and yet you are still doing the same push up movement. The only difference is the angle. A chair pushup will still work on your shoulders, triceps and chest muscle.
Are chair exercises only beneficial to newbies?
Of course not. You can adjust the level of difficulty of your exercise to suit your current fitness level. You can do a basic move like a squat and make it more advanced by lowering your body further or increasing the duration of your movement. When learning the technique, a chair provides you with a physical cue that lets you go lower without worrying that you could slip or fall.
Chair Exercises You Can Try Right Now
You can do many variations of classic strength-training moves. Chair exercises can also incorporate cardio movements to increase your heart rate. Finally, you can do chair yoga exercises and stretches too for improved flexibility.
Just make sure to choose a sturdy chair that can hold your body weight. Don’t use ergonomic chairs as these usually have wheels which can be dangerous to use for working out.
Now that we’ve got it out of the way, here are some of the best chair exercises you can try right now.
1. Mountain Climber
Feet hip-distance apart, stand facing a chair and lower your upper body towards it, palms flat on the seat’s edge. Straighten your legs behind you with your toes planted on the floor. Keep your core muscles tight, back straight. Your body should be at a slight angle. Then bring your left knee towards your left arm, straighten your leg and then bring it toward your right arm. This makes 1 rep. Do 10 reps then switch to your right knee.
2. Elevated Push-Up
Face a sturdy chair stand up with your feet hip-distance apart. Both arms should be at the sides. Lower your upper body to the chair and your hands flat on the seat just below the shoulders. Extend your legs back with toes planted on the floor. Face down as you bend your elbows slowly moving your chest towards the seat. Push your body away from the seat. This makes 1 rep. Do 10 reps at a time.
3. Squat
Stand with both feet planted on the ground, shoulder distance apart. Your body should be facing the chair. Clasp both hands together to make a fist and then place your hands over your chest. Keep your core engaged and shift your body weight into your heels, bend your knees and push your hips back. Then lower your buttocks to the chair and pause when you’ve reached the lowest you can go. Straighten your legs. This makes 1 rep. Do 10 reps at a time.
4. Glute Kick Back
Face the back of a chair with feet about 8-10 inches away. Place both hands on the back of the chair, keep your core and glutes engaged. Extend your left leg behind you with toes pointing down. Pause and contract your left glute. Lower your left leg to the original position. This is 1 rep. Do 10 reps per leg at a time.
Try these chair exercises whether you’re at home or working out at Anytime Fitness. Chair workouts are very flexible and versatile, and they’re definitely something you should look into.