If you work from home or an office and sit in a chair all day, chair yoga is the perfect workout to incorporate into your day. Sometimes it can be hard to get exercise in, even a quick stretch. But what if you didn’t even have to leave your chair? Chair yoga offers the same mental benefits as traditional yoga and modifies poses so you can strengthen and stretch your body while sitting down. Here are eight at home chair yoga poses and workouts to try!
What Is Chair Yoga?
Chair yoga is a gentle, modified form of yoga that’s done while seated in a chair. It’s an accessible form of yoga and is especially beneficial for seniors, people who cannot stand, or those who sit in a chair all day at work. In chair yoga, poses are adapted so they can be done while sitting, making them the perfect midday exercises.
Many of the basic body mechanisms of the poses are the same as in traditional yoga and include versions of twists, hip stretches, forward bends, and mild back bends. Chair yoga is a great way to find mobility in a soft and gentle way that’s still really supportive and beneficial.
For chair yoga, pretty much any armless chair that isn’t too soft and cushy will work. Just make sure it’s a chair that allows you to sit with your feet flat on the floor with your shins and thighs at a 90 degree angle.
What Are the Benefits of Chair Yoga?
- Accessible for those who have limited mobility
- Promotes relaxation
- Reduces stress
- Boosts mood
- Enhances mental clarity
- Improves muscle tone
- Better breathing habits
- Improves sleep
- Enhanced sense of well-being
- Relieves anxiety and depression
- Improves confidence
5 Chair Yoga Poses
1. Chair Cat-Cow
Cat-cow is a great warm up yoga exercise that brings flexibility to the spine. It stretches the back torso and neck, and softly stimulates and strengthens the abdominal organs. It also opens the chest.
Sit on a chair with your spine long and feet flat on the ground, hip width apart. Place your hands on your knees or tops of your thighs. Inhale, arching your spine and rolling your shoulders down and back, bringing your shoulders blades onto your back. This is cow position. Exhale, round your spine and drop your chin to your chest letting your shoulders and head come forward. This is cat position. Move between cat and cow for five to eight breaths.
2. Chair Pigeon
Pigeon pose focuses on opening your hips and supports mobility and flexibility in the hip joints. Start sitting with your back straight and feet flat on the ground, hip width apart. Bring your right ankle to rest on your left thigh, keeping the knee in line with your ankle as much as possible. Hold for three to five breaths. If you want to add more intensity to the stretch, you can gently bend forward over your right leg. Come back to starting position and repeat with the other leg.
3. Seated Extended Triangle Pose
This pose stretches the thighs, hips, lower back, and torso, making it a great stretch for muscles that are stiff from prolonged sitting. Sit towards the edge of the chair. Extend your left leg straight out to the side, firming your thigh. On an inhale, raise your arms straight out from your shoulders, keeping your shoulder blades wide and palms down.
Exhale and lean your torso to the left, reaching your left arm down toward your extended leg and resting your left hand on your shin or thigh. Reach your right arm toward the ceiling. You can keep your head in neutral position, look up toward your right hand or look down at the floor.
4. Seated Warrior 1
Seated warrior 1 pose is a gentle way to target and strengthen the feet and ankles, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and psoas. Move your legs around to the right side of the chair. Keeping the right leg in position over the side, swing your left leg behind you. Plant the sole of your left foot on the floor parallel to the seat of the chair and straighten your left leg. Keep your torso facing over the right leg as you raise your arms up to the ceiling on an inhale. This is warrior 1. Hold for three breaths and repeat on the other side.
5. Seated Forward Fold
This pose provides a gentle inversion, calming the mind and stretching the back. Bring your sit bones to the middle or front of the chair, whatever’s more comfortable. Bring your feet wide- about three to four feet apart. On an inhale, reach your hands up, and on an exhale, gently bend forward, placing your hands on the sides of the chair, the ground, or your feet. Hold for three breaths and slowly come back up.
3 Chair Yoga Workouts
1. Chair Yoga – Yoga for Seniors | Yoga with Adriene
This is a great workout if you’re a senior or just getting into chair yoga. It’s a 17 minute practice that brings awareness and integrity into the body, specifically the line of the spine. It activates the muscles that help you find length up through the spine for better posture and energy flow. She explains every move thoroughly so you can do the sequence with ease.
2. Chair Yoga for Core Strength | Yoga by Kierstie Payge
Looking to strengthen your core with chair yoga? This workout features seated exercises that strengthen and stabilize your core while reinforcing the mind and body connection. It’s a quick five minute class that can easily be done in a small office when you need a break from work. It’s an impactful yet straightforward workout that you can come back to again and again.
3. Chair Yoga | 10 Minute Daily Routines | Brain Education TV
This chair yoga routine is excellent for relaxation and stress relief. She guides you through a series of stretches, from shoulder stretches to side stretches, and back stretches. It’s perfect whether you have limited mobility or are at a desk or in an office space all day. At just 10 minutes, you can easily fit it into your schedule during a busy day.
If you’re interested in getting into chair yoga, we hope these poses and workouts provide you with some inspiration!
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