Sometimes the answer to better posture and mobility can be right under your nose (or your dining room table). Yes, it’s nice to sign up for a class, join a community and be motivated by others — yet, sometimes it can be a real bother to get out the house, which is why this short chair yoga routine is ideal.
If you're worried that chair yoga isn't advanced enough for regular yogis (people who practice yoga), it's a versatile practice beneficial and convenient for everyone— especially when your body needs a good old stretch and some feel-good movement.
We recommend rolling out one of the best yoga mats underneath your chair for extra grip or placing it under your feet for a cushioned footrest. Oh, and before you start googling yoga chair, you needn’t bother — a normal sturdy chair (without wheels) will be just fine.
Here’s how to implement chair yoga into your schedule with an effective routine to try.
What is chair yoga?
Chair yoga is a type of yoga that is practiced while sitting on a chair, or using a chair for support. It’s designed to make yoga more accessible for those who may have mobility or balance issues or find it difficult to get up or down to the floor.
Plus, you can do many of the poses while at your desk or on the couch. It can be done at home, in a studio or even in the office, and is a gentle way to stay active and maintain overall wellness without placing any impact or stress on the joints.
Watch Caroline Jordan’s 10-minute chair yoga workout
“This 10-minute chair yoga routine will help you improve your mobility, improve your performance, boost your energy, boost your positivity and just help you to feel amazing in your body — all while being supported by your chair,” explains certified health coach Caroline Jordan.
It’s the perfect option when you need a feel-good stretch, and starts with side bends that will see you interlink your fingers overhead and bend to the side as you stretch through the entire length of the body, to the right and the left.
You’ll instantly feel taller as you lift up through your fingertips and feel the length from your head to your hips. What a feeling! You’ll finish with some knee hugs which will help release your back, seated twists again great for the lower back and abs, triecp stretches for the upper body.
And the session closes with a loosening of your wrists — an area I’ve never thought to stretch but feels wonderous as I release any tension built up from typing all day. When you're done with the 10-minute session, you'll have strengthened and stretched every muscle from head to toe.
Not only does it suit beginners, seniors, prenatal, postnatal and desk workers, but can also be used as recovery or if you have low energy, high stress levels or limited mobility. The moves are very simple yet effective and will fit easily into your busy lifestyle while delivering soothing yet powerful results.
You’ll also find it to be a great morning routine rather than an overwhelming and vigorous session. The tempo is very relaxing and your glutes, hips, shoulders and spine will rejoice as you cultivate a mind-body connection, increase your energy levels, and delight in a holistic approach to wellness, flexibility, strength, and mental balance.
Does chair yoga really work?
If you find it difficult to get onto the floor, you’re injured or even better you want to move deeper into stretches, chair yoga makes it accessible if you find it tricky to stand or balance, according to research in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Take the low lunge for example, by allowing the chair to fully support your pelvis, you can explore new depths of the exercise and perfect your form. Without the chair, most would struggle to find balance or even get down low enough to reap the full benefits of this hip opening exercise.
Sitting on the chair whilst you do moves like the hamstring stretch and figure-of-four glute stretch also helps you to get proper spinal alignment as you focus on the mechanics of sitting up tall and releasing any tension throughout the entire lower body.
The chair is basically your 'best friend' in these foundational postures, and allows you to fully surrender to the move while trusting the chair to hold you. This stability also allows your to breathe deeply, focus on the task at hand and quiet the mind.
Jordan also mentions that we don’t give enough credit to recovery, and chair yoga offers gentle adaptable movements that promote healing without over-exerting the body.
“Recovery is when your muscles repair so that you can come back stronger,” she says. “Regular stretching is essential to success, and this chair workout provides a safe, gentle way to help stimulate blood flow and oxygenate the body,” she adds.
Can you progress from chair yoga to regular yoga?
Yoga with a chair is a great way to get used to yoga stretches for beginners, build confidence and body awareness. Many of the basic structures of yoga poses remain the same when using a chair, so you can experience each pose without overexerting or becoming overwhelmed.
The other good news is that the benefits of yoga, which include improved muscle tone, better breathing habits, stress reduction, better sleep, and an improved sense of wellbeing remain the same.
But the chair helps you to build a strong foundational and understanding of breathing techniques and basic poses before finding the confidence to transition to a more regular floor practice.
It certainly serves as an excellent starting point for many and a good introduction to how strong, flexible and positive yoga can make you feel. Plus, any movement is good movement and when you start to feel into your body and reap the benefits.
More from Tom's Guide
- I did yoga every day for a month for the first time in 10 years — here's what happened to my body
- Forget squats — this 20-minute chair yoga routine sculpts stronger legs and core muscles without weights
- I tried this 5-minute morning yoga routine as soon as I woke up — here’s what happened
