Forget planks and sit-ups — this 10-minute chair workout strengthens your core while sitting down

a pjoto of a woman working out with a chair

(Image credit: Getty Images/gzorgz)

Far from being an easy alternative, chair workouts can improve your upper and lower body strength, work your core, and increase your flexibility, all while sitting down.

Whether you have mobility issues and need an alternative, or you’re looking for a quick ab workout that you can do at your desk (just make sure you turn your camera off), this 10-minute chair workout strengthens your core and burns calories.

The workout, designed by trainer Lucy Wyndham-Read, promises to burn belly fat while sitting down. As a reminder, you can’t spot-reduce fat in your body — if you’re looking to target belly fat, you’ll need to focus on your diet, cardio levels, and overall fitness, rather than focusing on ab workouts alone.

What is the workout?

The workout is 10 minutes long, and focuses on a quick warm-up, before moving onto the circuit of five exercises, that you’ll repeat twice. You’ll do each exercise for 45 seconds with a 15-second rest between. As always, if you need a longer rest you can press pause and catch your breath.

You can follow Wyndham-Read in real-time to ensure you’re moving with good form, she gives you useful pointers along the way to help you get the most out of the workout. As with all ab workouts, think about engaging your core, sucking your belly button into your spine. Move dynamically and complete as many reps as possible to get the most out of this workout.

The nature of this seated ab workout makes it suitable for most people, however, if you’re returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to check with a physio before taking on a new exercise routine.

Here are the exercises involved:

Cardio core punches
Seated ab crunches
Seated cardio taps
Seated skipping arm and knee lifts
Seated cardio abs

Lose Belly Fat Sitting Down | 10 Minute Chair Workout - Seated Exercises for Better Health - YouTube

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I tried the 10-minute chair workout — here’s what happened

To find out more, I pushed my best office chair back from my desk and gave the workout a go. Here’s what happened:

It was harder than expected

I’ll admit, I assumed any exercise that could be done sitting down probably wouldn’t be all that challenging. I was completely mistaken — this workout got my heart rate up and worked my core harder than I was expecting.

I found my upper body got a workout too — for the swimming arms during the cardio taps I felt my arm and back muscles engage, even though I was just using my body weight.

As a fitness editor, I’ll often recommend lifting the best adjustable dumbbells or heading out for a run, but this reminded me that sometimes, simple bodyweight workouts can be just as effective.

Plus, if you’re unable to get any other movement into your day, chair workouts are a fantastic way to get your heart rate up between meetings.

The chair wasn’t quite right

Working at Tom’s Guide means we know exactly what to look for when it comes to finding the best office chair, with a decent amount of lumbar support, that makes sitting down for hours a day more comfortable.

The problem is, my office chair wasn’t quite right for this workout. The arms, for example, really got in the way of the seated skipping arm and knee lifts, and the wheels on my chair meant I was a little more unstable than I’d have liked during the punches section.

While I’d definitely recommend my colleague’s choices when you’re choosing an office chair, if you’re looking to do this workout at home, you’re probably better off using a chair from your dining table, or a stool like Wyndham-Read.

As a general rule, I won’t recommend a workout I wouldn’t send to a friend. This one gets my stamp of approval — I was able to do it from my desk between meetings, and I really felt my core and shoulders had worked afterward.

I didn’t get the deep, inner-core shake I’d get after a Pilates session, but I didn’t expect to, and was impressed with the results of this workout, considering I’d done the entire thing sitting down.

Of course, I didn’t notice any difference in my core after just one workout. Sculpting visible abs is the result of a low body fat percentage, not just crunches and planks, but I’m always looking to add more movement to my day, and this workout is one I’ll repeat.

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Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.