13 Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do Anywhere

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When you work at a desk or spend quite a lot of time commuting, there’s no getting round the truth that you’re in your seat greater than you’re in your toes. You’re already conscious of the well being risks repeated by medical consultants in regards to the lack of motion but there by no means appears to be sufficient hours within the day. That’s the place chair yoga poses may help.

Chair yoga is precisely what it feels like—yoga poses modified for a seated place. Though they originated as help for anybody who has restricted mobility for any cause, anybody can follow yoga in a chair to stretch stiff muscle tissue and fascia, expertise reduction from aches and pains, regain correct posture, assist enhance blood move, and draw consciousness to the breath with the intention to regain a way of calm.

Nearly something you are able to do in your mat might be accomplished in a chair. The next chair yoga poses may help you be inventive in being energetic even if you’re sitting down. Apply them individually in between conferences or as a sequence.

What Is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga originated as a follow that made yoga poses out there to anybody experiencing restricted mobility. Nevertheless, anybody who spends lengthy intervals of time in a seated place can follow chair yoga poses to assist scale back ache from sitting.

Chair yoga supplies the identical advantages as conventional yoga, equivalent to constructing energy, flexibility, and stability, and serving to scale back stress and despair. As a result of it’s a light and therapeutic variation of yoga, chair yoga for seniors is usually a really useful type of train, as chair yoga places much less strain on joints. Individuals in wheelchairs or these with bodily disabilities may additionally profit from the added help chair yoga presents.

Suggestions for Getting Began With Chair Yoga

Not each chair will present the help you want for chair yoga poses. Right here’s what to bear in mind:

Chair yoga poses require a secure, sturdy seat. If you’re at dwelling, a kitchen chair or virtually any armless chair that isn’t too comfortable will work. Though some firms promote yoga chairs which can be marketed particularly for chair yoga, it’s not needed to purchase a specialised chair.
Discover a chair that means that you can sit along with your toes on the ground along with your shins and thighs at a 90-degree angle. Putting blocks below your toes could assist.
Some chair yoga poses are wheelchair accessible. Be sure you lock the wheels to maintain them from transferring throughout your follow.

13 Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do Wherever

Most chair yoga poses require you to sit down ahead on the seat—away from the again of the chair—in order that you’ll be able to transfer extra freely. However the chair again may also act as a prop to present you extra help and leverage, particularly in twisting postures. As in any yoga class, you may additionally wish to maintain blocks or a strap (or belt) close by when practising chair yoga poses to help you to find a model that works for you.

As a substitute of standing along with your arms alongside your ears, strive seated Upward Salute. Have interaction your core to stop an exaggerated backbend. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

1. Upward Salute Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

Upward Salute is a good way to stretch your arms and shoulders whereas lengthening your backbone.

Sit along with your again just a few inches from the again of the chair. Lengthen your backbone, reaching the crown of your head up and gently releasing your tailbone towards the seat. Raise your chin parallel to the ground.
Place your toes flat on the ground along with your massive toes touching and somewhat area between your heels. (When you expertise decrease again ache, follow along with your toes hip-distance aside. Place your toes on blocks in the event that they don’t attain the ground.) Root down along with your massive toe mounds, your heels, and the surface edges of your toes.
Inhale, draw your shoulders again, soften your entrance ribs, and lift your arms overhead along with your fingers shoulder-distance aside and palms going through one another. In case your shoulders are tight, take your arms wider than your shoulders.
Attain your fingers towards the ceiling and maintain your gaze straight forward. When you desire, you’ll be able to contact your palms collectively and convey your gaze to your thumbs.
Maintain your arms sturdy. Keep right here for a number of breaths. Launch your arms.

South Asian woman practices Cat Pose as a chair yoga pose. — In seated Cat Pose, sit ahead on the chair so your again isn’t touching the again of the chair. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

2. Cat Pose (Marjaryasana)

As within the extra acquainted model of Cat Pose practiced from fingers and knees, you wish to concurrently spherical your again as you draw your chin towards your chest. This helps enhance flexibility within the backbone and stretches the shoulders.

Sit on the chair along with your toes hip-width aside.
Relaxation your fingers in your knees.
On an exhalation, spherical your backbone and decrease your chin towards your chest.
Take a number of relaxed breaths right here. On an exhalation, slowly roll your head up and return to the unique place.

Maybe essentially the most accessible backbend is to easily arch your again and raise your chest in addition to your gaze whereas in a seated place. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

3. Cow Pose (Bitilasana)

You may acknowledge Cow Pose from the back-to-back sequence of Cat Pose and Cow Pose that’s typically cued on all fours in a yoga class. This seated model remains to be a backbend during which you raise your chest and your gaze. Much like Cat Pose, it might probably enable you enhance flexibility within the backbone.

Sit on the chair along with your toes and knees hip-width aside. Let your fingers relaxation in your thighs or knees.
Inhale and arch your again. Lengthen alongside the again of your neck and your decrease again to create an extended, even curve.
Raise your chin and sternum, broaden your collarbones, and permit your shoulders to fall again and away out of your ears.
Take a number of breaths. Slowly decrease your chin and return to a impartial backbone.

Camel Pose is a extra intense chest-opener, however you wish to keep in a variety of movement that’s snug for you. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

4. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

You’ll expertise stretching and strengthening of the chest, higher again, and shoulders on this seated model of Camel Pose.

Sit on the chair along with your toes hip-width aside.
Inhale and arch your higher again, permitting your shoulder blades to the touch the again of your chair. (It’s wonderful in case your shoulders don’t contact the again of the chair; merely give attention to arching your again and lifting your gaze with out straining.)
Raise your chin and sternum, broaden your collarbones, and permit your shoulders to fall again and away out of your ears.
If it’s snug, attain your arms again to understand the legs of the chair. Rotate your arms externally in order that the within of your elbows face ahead.
In your subsequent inhalation, raise your chest, permitting your rib cage to develop and creating an extended, even curve by way of your mid and higher again. You possibly can press your toes into the ground to have interaction your legs and core.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, launch your fingers, tuck your chin, and are available again to your unique seated place.

South Asian women bends from the waist to do a modification of Happy Baby pose. — As with every yoga follow, you’ll be able to alter the pose to your consolation. On this seated model of Joyful Child, you’ll be able to maintain your backbone straight or permit your again and shoulders to spherical ahead as you calm down your neck. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

5. Joyful Child Pose (Ananda Balasana)

On this seated model of Joyful Child, you’ll be able to maintain your backbone straight or permit your again and shoulders to spherical ahead as you calm down your neck.

Sit towards the entrance fringe of the chair along with your toes on the ground, somewhat wider than hip-width aside.
Attain the crown of your head up and draw your tailbone down to seek out size in your again.
As you exhale, fold ahead at your hips and convey your stomach between your thighs. It’s possible you’ll select to widen your legs to create more room in your torso.
Inhale and attain down between your legs and grasp your outer shins, ankles, or toes.
Gently pull your torso down between your thighs, reducing your physique towards the ground.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, let go of your grip and have interaction your core muscle tissue as you raise your head, neck, shoulders, and torso to return to your unique seated place.

You possibly can extra simply management the depth of the stretch in your quads within the chair model of King Arthur’s Pose. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

6. King Arthur’s Pose

In King Arthur’s Pose, you’ll be able to alter the stretch in your quadriceps by altering the place of your ankle. Convey your ankle nearer to your hip for a extra intense stretch, or farther away for a milder stretch.

Sit in a chair along with your sit bones in the course of the seat. Shift your weight to the proper aspect of the seat and place your toes flat on the ground along with your knees hip-width aside.
Maintain your proper thigh related to the chair seat as you bend your proper knee, raise your foot off the ground, and level your toes towards the again of the chair.
Attain down along with your proper hand and grasp your ankle. Gently raise it towards your physique till you are feeling a robust stretch in your quadricep and the entrance of your shin. (When you can’t attain your ankle, loop a strap or towel round your foot.)
Take a number of breaths. Decrease your foot and are available again to your unique seated place. Repeat on the alternative aspect.

Tree Pose is meant as each a stretch for the hips in addition to a balancing pose. It nonetheless delivers each within the seated model. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

7. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Tree Pose is meant as a stretch for the hips, a strengthening of the hamstrings, in addition to a balancing pose. It delivers all the above within the seated variation.

Sit towards the entrance fringe of the chair. Inhale deeply, lifting your chest, and exhale as you draw your shoulder blades down your again. Look straight forward at a gentle gazing spot.
Prolong your left leg straight out in entrance of you. Flex your foot or level your toes towards the ground.
Open your proper leg out to the aspect, protecting your knee bent and your foot or toes on the ground.
Place your fingers in anjali mudra, or prayer place, at your coronary heart or stretch your arms overhead.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, plant your proper thigh again onto the seat, and place each toes firmly on the ground. Come again to your unique seated place. Repeat the pose on the opposite aspect.

You wish to really feel a stretch, not a pressure, in your neck in seated Prolonged Triangle Pose. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

8. Prolonged Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Prolonged Triangle Pose stretches the thighs, hips, decrease again, and torso, which makes it an amazing stretch for muscle tissue which can be stiff from extended sitting. Hearken to your physique and switch your gaze anyplace that feels most snug, whether or not straight forward, at your lifted arm, or down at your leg.

Sit in order that your physique is on the left aspect of the chair and your left thigh clears the seat.
Prolong your left leg straight out to the aspect. Agency your thigh and straighten your leg as a lot as potential.
Inhale and lift your arms straight out out of your shoulders and parallel to the ground. Maintain your shoulder blades broad and your palms down.
Exhale and lean your torso to the left, bending out of your hip joint. Attain your left arm out and down towards your prolonged leg, resting your left hand in your shin or thigh. Attain your proper arm towards the ceiling.
Maintain your head in a impartial place or flip to look both at your proper hand or down on the flooring.
Take a number of breaths. Inhale and are available again to sitting. Shift your physique to the proper aspect of your chair and repeat the posture on the opposite aspect.

You possibly can simply change the depth of seated Certain Angle Pose by enjoying with the place you place your toes. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

9. Certain Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Taking your toes farther away from you in Certain Angle Pose creates a less-intense stretch if protecting your toes nearer to the chair feels an excessive amount of. Don’t power the stretch.

Sit towards the entrance fringe of the chair in order that your buttocks are supported however your knees clear the seat.
Open your legs broad, in order that your knees level away from one another.
Sit tall, urgent your shoulder blades towards your higher again to raise by way of your sternum. Attain the crown of your head towards the ceiling.
Maintain your knees broad as you deliver your toes collectively. Open your toes as when you have been opening the pages of a ebook, protecting the outer edges of your toes collectively.
Place your fingers in your thighs and gently press your thighs away from one another.
Take a number of breaths. Slowly launch and are available again to your unique seated place.

South Asian woman practices High Lunge in a chair. Her arms are extended overhead. — A seated Excessive Lunge builds energy with out requiring you to seek out and maintain your stability. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

10. Excessive Lunge

This seated Excessive Lunge stretches your thigh muscle tissue and strengthens your hips, knees and ankles.

Sit in your chair going through the left aspect of the room in order that your thighs are totally supported. Shift towards the entrance of the chair in order that your proper thigh clears the seat.
Retaining each hips going through ahead, lengthen your proper leg straight again. Plant the ball of your foot on the ground. Have interaction your proper thigh by pushing it up towards the ceiling to straighten your leg as a lot as potential. Be sure that your left knee is stacked on prime of your proper ankle.
Inhale and attain your arms towards the ceiling, protecting your shoulders broad and your arms aligned along with your ears.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, launch your arms and convey your proper leg ahead.
Shift within the seat to face the proper aspect of the room and repeat the posture on the opposite aspect.

Dark-haired woman in rust colored tights and top practices Extended Side Angle in a chair — In case your backside hand doesn’t attain the ground in Prolonged Aspect Angle Pose, place it on a block or a water bottle, or relaxation your forearm in your entrance thigh. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

11. Prolonged Aspect Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Prolonged Aspect Angle Pose stretches your prolonged leg whereas opening your shoulders, chest, and hips. If it’s not snug, your backside hand doesn’t have to be on the ground. Use a block or one other prop you may have at dwelling to deliver the ground to your hand as a substitute. You’ll nonetheless profit from a aspect stretch.

Sit going through the left aspect of your chair in order that your thighs are totally supported on the seat. Shift your self to the proper, close to the entrance aspect of the chair, in order that your proper thigh clears the seat.
Prolong your proper leg again. Open your hips towards the entrance of the chair. Straighten your proper leg and place the underside of your proper foot on the ground along with your toes going through ahead.
Lean your torso towards your left knee, hinging at your hips to deliver your left arm towards the ground. Place your left fingertips on the bottom or on a block, so your arm and shin are parallel.
Attain your proper arm towards the ceiling. Prolong it alongside your proper ear, palm going through the ground, or bend your proper elbow and attain again to understand the again of the chair.
Rotate your torso to show your chest towards your prime arm. Flip your head to look towards the ceiling or maintain your gaze ahead if extra snug.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, press your self up along with your left hand and convey your proper leg in to return to your seated place.
Activate the chair to face the proper aspect of the room and repeat the posture on the opposite aspect.

Dark haired woman practices Half Lord of the Fishes in a black chair. — There’s no have to twist 90 levels if that doesn’t really feel proper in your physique. Merely begin to flip towards one aspect and pause if you really feel a stretch. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

12. Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Half Lord of the Fishes stretches your outer thighs and hips whereas lengthening your backbone. Don’t use power right here. As a substitute, twist till you are feeling a stretch and pause for a number of breaths. Sit going through the aspect of your chair so that you’re totally supported on the seat.

Cross your proper leg over your left leg.
Inhale as you lengthen your backbone and raise each arms towards the ceiling.
Exhale and twist to the proper as you deliver your fingers down to understand the again of the chair.
Flip your head to the proper, trying previous your proper shoulder. Be sure you don’t pressure your neck.
Take a number of breaths. To launch the pose, inhale and attain your arms up after which exhale and unwind your physique. Place each toes on the ground.
Flip to the left aspect of your chair and repeat the posture on that aspect.

South Asian woman in burgundy clothes practices Marichyasana — Your foot doesn’t have to relaxation on the chair seat. You possibly can draw it towards your chest after which flip towards the aspect any quantity which you can. (Picture: Andrew Clark)

13. Marichyasana III

In seated Marichyasana III, the twisting movement permits for a stretch in your shoulders, hips, and decrease again.

Sit along with your backbone supported by the again of the chair. Lengthen your backbone and gently launch your tailbone towards the seat.
Place your toes on the ground hip-width aside.
Raise your proper knee and draw it towards your chest. Tempo your proper foot on the seat of the chair as near your proper sitting bone as potential.
Inhale and lengthen your backbone. Exhale and twist to the proper. Grasp your proper knee along with your left hand or wrap your left elbow round your proper knee.
Drape your proper arm over the again of the chair and both grasp the chair again or clasp your fingers collectively.
Take a number of breaths. Lengthen on every inhalation and gently twist a bit extra with every exhalation.
To launch the pose, decrease your arms, unwind your physique, and place your proper foot again on the ground. Repeat on the opposite aspect.

This text has been up to date. Initially printed July 3, 2022.

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