Chair Exercises

Chair exercises, as the name suggests, are workouts that are done while sitting down in a chair. These types of workouts are good for seniors that may need the additional support, or people who may have an injury or limited mobility.

With any exercise program for those that have an injury, limited or restricted mobility or health concerns, first check with your doctor.

You can discuss your limitations and find out if there are any exercises that you should not do.



Some of these chair workouts suggest using a dumbbell weight or a band to provide extra resistance to tone and strenthen the muscle. Use a lighter weight or less resistance to start with if you are not comfortable with too much resistance.

List of Chair Exercises

You can use the links below to go to a specific exercise or simply scroll down the page. There are workouts for both the upper and lower body. All of these workouts are performed sitting in a chair.

• Seated Shoulder Press
• Seated Shoulder Raise
• Seated Bicep Curl
• Spinal Twist
• Seated Leg Extension
• Seated Heal Raise
• Seated Abdominal Crunch
• Chair Aerobics

Benefits of Chair Exericses

You might be wondering if working out while sitting down really gives you any health benefits. Well the answer is yes. While you might not burn as many calories or even work up a sweat, you are still benefiting from these exercises.

Weight Loss

Although chair exercises are not a high impact aerobics or a super strength training workout, they will still help with maintaining a healthy weight. Losing weight is about caloric intake and calories burned in order to lose weight. You must burn more calories than you take in to lose the pounds, and any exercise helps you burn calories.

Strengthen and Tones Muscles

Strengthening your muscles can help increase your metabolism in order to burn more calories. It also improves your ability to do everyday tasks. It will help with increased strength, improve bone health, minimize risk of injury and increase mobility and flexibility.

In addition strengthening and toning your muscles boosts energy, enhances brain and mental health and improves cardiovascular health.

Increased Circulation

All exercising, even while sitting down, can improve your circulation. As you exercise your blood is pumping and moving. This delivers oxygen, nutrients and healthy compounds throughout the body. This can help speed healing of injuries and wounds and shortens recovery time. You are also increasing lung capacity and improving mobility.

Reduced Risk of Diseases

Staying active can help you minimize your risk of certain diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. It can also minimize your risk of type 2 diabetes or help you manage your blood sugar levels if you are diabetic. Exercise can also help you avoide getting osteoporosis, certain types of cancer and dementia. Exercising also helps with depression and anxiety.

So regardless if you are doing your workout standing up or sitting down, there are many health benefits from exercising.

Exercise #1 - Seated Shoulder Press

As the name suggests, this chair workout will primarily strengthen the shoulders. The below instructions can use either a resistance band or a pair of low weight dumbbells. If you are not sure how much resistance to use, start with the lightest dumbbells or the least resistant band. You can even do this without any equipment until you are comfortable with the more and are ready to increase the resistance.

How to do the Seated Shoulder Press

This exercise will work your shoulders primarily but will also strengthen the arms and back.

1. Sit comfortably in the chair with your hips as far back as possible. Ensure that the back is firm to the backrest of the chair.
2. Hold the lightweight dumbbells in each hand.
3. Or if using a resistance band, place the band underneath both feet in the center of the band, holding then ends in each hand.
4. Place your feet flat on the ground.
5. Bend your elbows and bring your hands up to the shoulders with palms facing out. This is your starting position.
6. As you exhale, extend the arms up, reaching above the head until they’re fully extended (or get to a range that feels most comfortable). Don’t touch the hands together and keep both arms parallel to each other.
7. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
8. Repeat this several times.

Do only enough to strengthen the shoulders without overdoing it. You don't want to be sore the next day.

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Exercise #2 - Seated Shoulder Raise

As with the first chair exercise above, this one also works the shoulder. You can use either a resistance band or a pair of dumbbell weights. The weights are the easiest, but both will work.

1. Sit comfortably in the chair with your hips as far back as possible. Ensure that the back is firm to the backrest of the chair.
2. Keep your abs tight and stick out your chest slightly.
3. Hold the lightweight dumbbells in each hand and let your arms hang down naturally with palms facing towards your back.
4. Or if using a resistance band, place the band underneath both feet in the center of the band, holding the ends in each hand. Start with your arms down by your side.
5. Place your feet flat on the ground.
6. Bend your elbows and bring your hands up to the shoulders with palms facing out. This is your starting position.
7. Keeping the arms straight and the palms facing down, move your arms up in front of your body to about shoulder height (or as far as you can but no higher than the shoulders).
8. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
9. Repeat this several times.

If you are doing both shoulder exercises, reduce the number of reps for each one so that you are not over working the shoulders.

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Exercise #3 - Seated Bicep Curl

This workout move will strengthen the bicep muscles. The biceps muscle is located at the front of your upper arm and are fairly visible when bending the arm.

1. Sit comfortably in the chair with your hips as far back as possible. Ensure that the back is firm to the backrest of the chair.
2. Keep your core tight and push out your chest slightly.
3. If using dumbbells, hold one in each hand and let your arms hang down next to your body with palms facing forward.
4. Or if using a resistance band, place the band underneath both feet in the center of the band, holding the ends in each hand with palms facing forward and arms at your sides next to your body.
5. Place your feet flat on the ground.
6. While exhaling, bend your elbows and bring your hands up to the shoulders with palms facing upward.
7. Inhale as you return to the starting position.
8. Repeat this several times.

If you do not want to use a band or weights, you can simply make a fist and do this workout without any equipment.

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Exercise #4 - Seated Spinal Twist

This chair exercise is more of a stretch versus a strengthening. However it will still help strengthen and tone the lower and upper back area.

1. Sit sideways in a chair and press your left (or right) hip into the back of the chair.
2. Make sure your knees and feet are also sideways in the chair so that you are sitting up straight.
3. Twist your torso (keeping your feet on the ground) towards the back of the chair.
4. Grab the back of the chair with both hands and hold this twist (stretch) for a count of 4 - 6 seconds. Be sure to breath while holding the stretch.
5. Place your feet flat on the ground.
6. Return to starting position and hold for a seconds.
7. Repeat for several reps.
8. Change your sitting position to repeat this on the other side.

This chair exercise does not require any equipment. Only twist until you feel the stretch and then hold that position.

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Exercise #5 - Seated Leg Extension

This workout will be targeting your Quadriceps (front of thigh) but will also engage your abdominal area and calves to some degree.

1. Sit with your bottom at the edge of the chair and your hands holding on to the bottom of the chair.
2. Place your feet flat on the ground.
3. Slowly lift your foot off the floor keeping toes pointed toward the ceiling.
4. Hold in the position for just a little bit.
5. Slowly lower your foot back to the floor.
6. Repeat for several reps.
7. Now repeat for the other leg.

If you want to make this a bit more challenging try wearing an ankle weight.

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Exercise #6 - Seated Heel Raise

This chair exericse is a small movement but you will feel it in your calves if done right.

1. Sit at the edge of the chair. Hold onto the chair with your hands on either side of the bottom of the chair.
2. Place your feet flat on the ground.
3. Slowly lift your heels off the floor keeping your toes on the ground.
4. Contract your calf muscles as you lift your heels.
5. Pause and hold this position for just a bit.
6. Slowly lower your heel back to the floor.
7. Repeat for several reps.

If you want to make this a bit more challenging try wearing an ankle weight.

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Exercise #7 - Seated Abdominal Crunch

This workout is a great way to strengthen your abdominal muscles with minimal pain to your lower back.

1. Sit at the edge of the chair. Hold onto to the seat of the chair with your hands (on the side).
2. Place your feet flat on the ground.
3. Sit with back straight.
4. Bending your knee, slowly raise your left leg toward your chest keeping your toes pointed.
5. At the same time, lean forward with your upper body, allowing your chest to approach your thighs. This will engage your abdominal muscles.
6. Slowly return to starting position.
7. Repeat for several reps and then switch legs.

If this starts to hurt the lower back, do not crunch as far. Only lift the leg slightly and bend the back less.

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Exercise #8 - Chair Aerobics

This chair exercise is not a step by step instructions as aerobics can vary greatly based on what you may want to do. Instead, this just talks about what chair aerobics are and how it can benefit you.

Chair Aerobics

Chair aerobics, like any aerobic workout, is designed to elevate your heart rate and keep it elevated for a set period of time. It helps build endurance and strengthen the heart.

Chair aerobics are rhythmical in nature. It's this steady rhythm that keeps the heart elevated and gives you the cardiovascular workout that benefits the heart muscle. You want to work up to sustaining this rhythm for about 20 - 30 minutes. However, if you are just starting out, don't go for the full session.

Instead, break it down into shorter sessions and do them 2 - 3 times a day. Then after a week or so, increase this to 7 - 10 minutes. You can even add an additional session if you want.

Your goal is to work up to doing one session for at least 20 minutes. This is where you will get the most benefit in building strength for your heart and burning calories.

Here's a fun chair aerobic workout on youtube. This is a 24 minute video so just stop it if you can't do the whole thing. This one is very upbeat.

If you are looking for one that isn't as long or active, try this one. 



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