Looking for a comprehensive workout that you can do seated? Dive into our list of the 30 Best Chair Exercises for a Full Body Workout. These exercises are perfect for all fitness levels and will help you on your fitness journey

30 best chair exercises for a full body workout. Get strong and healthy

Chair exercises

Chair exercises are a variety of physical activities that can be performed while sitting on or using a chair for support. These exercises are designed to help improve strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness without requiring extensive equipment or space. They are particularly useful for individuals with limited mobility, those recovering from an injury, or anyone looking for a convenient way to exercise at home or at work. Chair exercises can target different parts of the body and can be adapted for various fitness levels. They can also help with pain such as back pain and more.

Chair exercises are a practical way to stay active, improve fitness, and enhance overall well-being, especially for those who may have difficulty with traditional standing or high-impact exercises. And they are great for people who are in a wheelchair. All you need is a sturdy chair and the intention to do it. You can work your entire body and many people work their way up to standing exercises from doing chair workouts. You’ll notice an improvement in balance, flexibility, endurance, range of motion, strength, and an easing in the symptoms of a chronic condition you may have such as heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and more. 

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Benefits of a Chair workout:

  1. Accessibility: Suitable for people of all fitness levels, including seniors and those with physical limitations.
  2. Convenience: Can be done almost anywhere, using just a chair.
  3. Low Impact: Gentle on the joints, making them ideal for individuals with arthritis or joint pain.
  4. Versatility: Can be modified to increase or decrease intensity as needed.
  5. Full Body Workout: Can target various muscle groups, including the upper body, core, and lower body.

Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve flexibility, or increase your cardiovascular fitness, these chair exercises will help you achieve your fitness goals efficiently and effectively.

Chair exercises for weight loss

You can lose weight by doing chair exercises. They are especially effective when they are combined with a healthy diet and other lifestyle changes. While chair exercises may not burn as many calories as high-intensity workouts, they can still contribute significantly to your overall calorie expenditure and help improve your fitness level. Here’s how chair exercises can help with weight loss that you can make part of your daily routine:

1. Calorie Burning

  • Aerobic Chair Exercises: Activities like seated marching, chair running, and seated jumping jacks can get your heart rate up and burn calories.
  • Strength Training: Seated exercises that use resistance bands, weights, or body weight can build muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories even at rest.

2. Improved Muscle Tone

  • Building muscle through chair exercises increases your muscle-to-fat ratio. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, even when you’re not exercising.

3. Consistency and Adherence

  • Accessibility: Chair exercises are easy to perform and can be done anywhere, making it more likely for you to stick with your exercise routine.
  • Low Impact: These low-impact workouts are gentle on the joints, reducing the risk of injury and making it easier to exercise consistently.

4. Enhanced Metabolism

  • Regular exercise, including chair exercises, can boost your metabolism. This means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day.

5. Complementary to Other Activities

  • Chair exercises can be a part of a broader fitness regimen, complementing other activities like walking, swimming, or yoga. This combination can enhance overall calorie burning and fitness.

It’s a good idea to warm up before you start and remember to use good posture. 

Here are 30 of the best chair exercises for a full-body workout:

a woman doing a bicep curl in a chair

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Upper Body chair exercises

  1. Seated Shoulder Press: Press dumbbells or water bottles overhead. In the starting position, your dumbbells should be above your shoulders next to your ears. Slowly press them straight up until your arms are straight.
  2. Chair Tricep Dips: Use the chair to lower and lift your body. Sit on the edge of your chair and place your hands on the arm rests. Scoot your body forward and slowly lower yourself down in front of the chair and then back up to the seat and sit back on it. 
  3. Seated Bicep Curls: Curl weights or resistance bands up to your shoulders.
  4. Seated Rows: Use a resistance band to pull towards your chest. Hook the band around your feet and pull it toward you on either side of your legs. Stretch it toward your chest slowly with controlled motion and release it back down again.
  5. Overhead Tricep Extension: Extend weights overhead and lower behind the head.
  6. Seated Lateral Raises: Lift weights out to the sides to shoulder height.
  7. Front Raises: Lift weights in front to shoulder height.
  8. Upright Rows: Pull weights or resistance bands up to your chin.
  9. Seated Chest Press: Push weights or resistance bands forward. Place the resistance band around your back and pull it out on either side. Press it forward straight in front of your pecs until your arms are straight and slowly return to the starting position. 
  10. Reverse Flyes: Bend forward and lift weights out to the sides.
a man doing torso twists in a chair

Core chair exercises

  1. Seated Leg Lifts: Lift one or both legs while seated.
  2. Seated Bicycle Crunches: Mimic a cycling motion with your legs while twisting your torso.
  3. Seated Russian Twists: Twist your torso side to side with or without a weight.
  4. Seated Knee Tucks: Pull your knees towards your chest and extend them back out.
  5. Chair Plank: Place your hands on the chair seat and hold a plank position.
  6. Oblique Side Bends: Bend side to side while holding a weight or resistance band.
a woman doing leg extensions in a chair

Leg chair exercises

  1. Seated Leg Extensions: Extend and lower your legs alternately straight out in front of you
  2. Chair Squats: Stand up and sit back down repeatedly letting your bottom tap the seat of the chair.
  3. Seated Calf Raises: Lift your heels off the ground while leaving your toes on the floor. 
  4. Single-Leg Stand-Ups: Stand up using one leg.
  5. Seated Hamstring Curls: Pull your heels back towards the chair.
  6. Chair Marches: March in place while seated.
  7. Seated Hip Abductions: Move your legs out to the sides.

Cardio Exercise in a Chair

  1. Seated Jumping Jacks: Mimic jumping jacks while seated by moving your arms and legs.
  2. Chair Running: Run in place while seated.
  3. Seated High Knees: Lift your knees up high while seated one at a time.
  4. Seated Skaters: Mimic a side-to-side skating motion.
  5. Seated Boxing: Punch forward alternately while seated.
  6. Arm Circles: Circle your arms forward and backward.
  7. Seated Toe Taps: Tap your toes on the ground quickly.

These exercises target all major muscle groups and can be easily modified to match your fitness level. Incorporate them into your routine to build strength, improve flexibility, and boost cardiovascular health, all from the comfort of your chair. Try to do 12 reps and work your way up to 3-4 sets of 12 over time. These exercises are great to get regular physical activity and build core strength and muscle strength for older adults and people with mobility issues without risk of falls. You could hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to show you the proper technique and get you started on a great low-impact routine that will help with balance issues, a health condition you may have, or meeting your specific needs. 

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