The best chair exercises for cardio and strength training
When you’re in the middle of a long road trip in a cramped car seat or five hours into a workday spent hunched over in an uncomfortable office chair, you may want nothing more than to move your body. Without the ability to walk or any equipment to wake up your muscles, you might think that desire must remain a fantasy.
Your solution: chair exercises, moves that help you build strength, get your core going, and can be done with just a chair.
But a lack of exercise equipment isn’t the only reason you should give chair exercises a chance, he says Alyssa Gialamastwo-time Paralympic swimmer and founder AMG Fitness, a non-profit organization that helps raise the level of fitness resources for people with disabilities through at-home workouts. Movements that only require a chair can be beneficial for people who do You suffer from balancefor example, and an unconventional piece of equipment can also be used Functional exercises That improve daily movement patterns (think: bending over to pick something up off the floor, reaching for a box of cereal from the top of the fridge), says Gialamas. In addition, chair exercises make fitness more accessible for people with mobility limitations, individuals with disabilities, and people who are new to exercise.
Simply put, “As someone who works in all sorts of capacities, [I think] “Everyone will benefit from chair exercises,” says Gialamas. From people who work at a desk all day to the elderly who need more safe options for commuting, [chair workouts] It could be anyone.”
10 exercises for a quick chair workout circuit
Looking to boost your daily performance And Health? Try the chair exercises below, recommended and demonstrated by Gialamas, and collect your favorites in the gym Quick circuit workout that challenge your muscles and improve cardiovascular fitness. Throughout the exercise, remember to keep your feet planted flat on the floor to maintain proper form and core engagement. So if you’re on the shorter side or use a tall chair, you may need to sit closer to the edge of your seat. As you work through the movements, continue to listen to your body, and stop the activity if it feels too painful or stressful, says Gialamas.
How it works: Choose four of the chair exercises below that match your goals, abilities, and needs. Perform each move for 30 seconds, taking little or no rest between exercises. Then take a 60- to 90-second break and repeat the circuit for a total of three to five rounds.
What you will need: stable chair
Burpee has been adapted
This is sitting Burpee variation It gives you similar cardiovascular benefits as traditional exercise. Gialamas says the risk of injury will be lower by skipping the jumping element.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage the core, raise the arms above the head, and pull the shoulders down and back. Quickly lower the arms out to the sides, hinge at the hips to lower the chest to the thighs, and at the same time reach the arms toward the floor in front of the shins. If movement allows, quickly touch the floor with your fingertips.
c. Quickly reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Sitting superhuman
If lying flat isn’t in the cards, try sitting up superhuman. “[This exercise] It helps to lengthen your hips and shoulders, especially if you’ve been sitting most of the day or have a tight back,” says Gialamas. Because the chair exercise moves calls on your back and core muscles, it can, too. Improve your posture And breathing, like appearance Previously mentioned.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage core, raise arms above head, pull shoulders down and back, staring forward.
c. Pause, then slowly lower the arms out to the sides to return to the starting position.
Sitting marches
Although they Relatively simple to look at, seated marches can get your heart rate up and target major muscle groups throughout your lower and upper body, says Gialamas. Crawl with your legs, specifically, targets thigh muscles and quads, according to National Health Service.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage in a core, pulling the shoulders down and back, and bending the elbows to 90-degree angles. Quickly swing right arm forward, raising right elbow to shoulder height while driving left arm back, left hand next to ribs. If you can do this, simultaneously push the left knee up toward the ceiling, and lift the left foot a few inches off the floor.
c. Repeat on the other side, swinging the left arm forward, leading the right arm back, and driving the right knee toward the ceiling.
Glute Kickback
As you can probably tell by the name, this chair exercise helps build strength throughout the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, such as appearance Previously mentioned. Since the gluteal flex is a one-sided exercise (also known as a one-sided exercise), it helps define and Correction of muscular imbalances, which can eventually lead to compensated movement patterns and injury. (Just remember to repeat the movement on both sides of your body.) You’ll hold on to a chair to keep your body stable as you balance on one leg, says Gialamas.
a. Stand facing the back of a chair with feet hip-width apart and hands shoulder-width apart on top of the chair backrest.
B. Engage the core, then slowly kick your left leg back behind the body, lifting the left foot as high off the ground as possible. Keep the hips square with the chair and keep the core engaged to prevent the back from arching too much.
c. Pause, then slowly lead your left foot forward to return to the starting position.
Standing push-up exercise
Raising your hands, such as on a chair, bench, or plyo box, makes push-ups easier for people with strength limitations and individuals who are unable to get down comfortably to the floor, such as appearance Previously mentioned. However, the chair exercise still puts the muscles of your arms, chest, and shoulders to the test. Getting back to standing after each workout helps engage your lower body and challenge your balance, Gialamas says.
a. Start in a high plank position with hands directly on the seat of the chair in line with the shoulders, legs extended and feet shoulder width apart. The body should form a straight line from head to heels.
B. Engage the core by tucking the tailbone in and pulling the navel toward the spine. Stabilize the shoulders by pulling the shoulders down and away from the ears. Engage the glutes and quads. Push the elbows in so that the arms form a 45-degree angle to the body.
c. Look down and slightly forward to keep your neck neutral. Slowly bend at the elbows to lower the body, stopping about 3 inches above the chair.
Dr.. Push off the floor to return to the starting position, then move your feet forward one at a time to stand up. That’s one rep.
Hidden medicine ball slam
Just because you ditch the medicine ball doesn’t mean this exercise is “easy.” In fact, the movement still challenges you to generate explosive, downward force from your core, just like the original movement, such as appearance Previously mentioned.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage core, raise arms above head, pull shoulders down and back, staring forward. Explosively lower the arms down to the thighs as if you were throwing a medicine ball toward the floor.
c. Quickly raise the arms back above the head and begin the next exercise.
arm circles
This chair, which can be done sitting or Standing up, gets your blood flowing and increases your heart rate, says Gialamas. By the end of your set, your shoulders They will definitely feel like they are on fire.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage the core, raise the arms out the sides to shoulder height, and look forward.
c. Keeping the core engaged and the arms raised, quickly drive the arms forward in a circular motion. If shoulder movement allows, reverse the movement in the middle of the set.
Push-ups on the body with elbows high
This chair exercise will challenge you your whole heart, particularly your obliques — the muscles that run along the sides of your abdomen and help rotate your torso. In addition, you will gain strength in your spine, a group of muscles that run vertically along either side of your spine and allow you to extend your torso in accordance with American Council on Exercise.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage the core, raise the arms out the sides to shoulder height, and look forward. Bend the elbows to bring the hands to the ears and lightly touch the sides of the head.
c. Slowly hinge at the hips and rotate your torso to the left down right elbow to left knee. Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
Sitting twist
Just like the cross-body crunch, Gialamas says, this chair-based version of the Russian twist will put obliques through the wringer. In addition, the exercise works your body laterally motion planedirection of motion that is often overlooked in training and, when incorporated into your routine, can help you move more efficiently and ward off injury, such as appearance Previously mentioned.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage your core and bring your hands up to the middle of the chest, keeping the elbows tucked at the sides. Interlock your fingers and look forward.
c. While keeping the hips square and core, slowly rotate the torso to the right as far as is comfortable. Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
Sits toe touch
While toe touches are most commonly performed on the floor, the core-strengthening move, which targets your obliques, can also be done while seated.
a. Sit on a chair with feet on the floor hip-width apart and arms at sides.
B. Engage core, raise arms above head, pull shoulders down and back, staring forward.
c. Slowly hinge at the hips to lower the chest into the thighs while rotating the torso to the right and reaching the left arm toward the right foot. Keep the right arm up toward the ceiling and let it reach behind the body while lowering the chest to the thighs. If movement allows, quickly touch the right foot with the tips of your left toes.
Dr.. Quickly reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.