Table of Contents

Staying Fit Even When You Sit 4

Choosing the Right Seats and Workout Routines 6

Chair Yoga Poses 8

Calisthenics and Light Weights Workouts in Your Chair 10

Resistance Band Chair Workouts 12

Disclaimer: Use caution when beginning a new program. Not all exercise programs are suitable for everyone. Check with

your doctor before you begin. WellBalance will not be responsible or liable for any injury sustained as a result of

using any program presented and/or discussed.

Staying Fit Even When You Sit According to one study, most Americans sit for more than nine hours per day. Some studies claim that in terms of overall health and wellness, this sedentary lifestyle is actually more dangerous for us than smoking cigarettes.

Some people don’t have a choice, however. They might be a senior or other person with limited mobility, which makes getting up out of their chair, or even wheelchair, or scooter, difficult. Some people might have had an accident and broken a leg or ankle, and are forced to sit for long periods of time until the break heals. Some people are not able to stand at all, but the good news is they can still work out while sitting.

As with many things in life, it is a case of use it or lose it. Stiffness and pain will only increase if people remain in the same position for hours on end, then try to move in order to exercise. It is possible to maintain strength and flexibility regardless of age provided you choose the right exercises. It’s even possible to lose weight if you make smart choices when developing your own workout routines.

Seated Workouts Seated workouts will vary depending on where you are sitting, the type of chair or seat you are using, and whether or not you are disabled or lack strength in your legs. If you have trouble standing up and walking on your own, or are usually in a wheelchair, for example, it is still possible to get a good workout, but you need to plan ahead as to what exercises and equipment you will use.

Getting Toned and Trim Seated workouts won’t improve every part of your body, but they can do wonders for your upper body and core muscles. The core muscles support everything you do when sitting, and can therefore help you maintain good posture and a pain-free back.

You can do your workout movements such as upper body calisthenics, on their own, or add light weights or resistance bands to boost your results.

Choosing the Right Equipment

You don’t have to have a lot of fancy equipment. Some cans from your pantry, or bottles of water, can serve as light hand weights you can use at your desk, while sitting on the sofa, and so on.

You could also invest in a set of hand weights such as Aquabells. You add water to the little plastic reservoirs to increase the weight of the barbells. Each weight can hold a total of 16 pounds. They are useful too because you can take them anywhere. Just remove the water and pack them flat to take wherever you go.

Another good option for seated workouts is a set of resistance bands. These offer similar weights to light weights though your stretching dense rubber bands. They usually come in a set of several bands of different weights. Using 1 band might be 3 pounds of resistance. Using all the bands in a kit might give you a total of 75 pounds.

You can get a good work out sitting down. It’s just a case of learning more so you can choose the right routines for you.

Journal Your Thoughts

1. What are your feelings about working out? What do you like? What do you dislike?

2. What workout activities do you enjoy?

3. Which of these could be adapted so you could do them sitting down?

Choosing the Right Seats and Workout Routines There are a range of workout options you can do seated. Many of them can be described as strength work, using lightweights, resistance bands, and your own body weight to tone and trim.

Yoga can be both strength work and aerobics depending on how strenuous it is, and how much breath work is involved in the various poses you do.

Seated Yoga and Chair Yoga There are many poses you can do sitting on the floor, and there are modified poses you can do in a chair as well. Certain yogas like Hatha and Kundalini have a meditation component, while others focus on vigorous physical movement, like Bikram and Ashtanga. Hatha and Kundalini are suitable for people of all ages and physical conditions.

In terms of breathwork, the various breathing patterns are designed to help detoxify the body and improve circulation and oxygenation, nourishing all the tissues in your body and filling them with energy.

Sounds great, right? And all you have to do is work out sitting down!

Exercise Ball Workouts A popular option in recent years is for workers to swap their conventional desk chair for a stability ball. You need to buy the correct size for your height so your feet are planted on the floor solidly, with your knees at a 90-degree angle so you won’t topple over while doing your various tasks at your desk. The continual small adjustments required to keep your balance give your core muscles and legs a great workout, all while you’re getting on with your job. Those with disabilities may find stability balls challenging, however, so a more solid seat might be a better option.

Wheeled Desk Chair Workouts The traditional desk chair on wheels can actually be an exercise tool as well. In order to avoid injury or strain, and any damage to the floor, it should be sitting on a smooth-gliding mat.

Straight-backed Chair Workouts A straight-backed chair can support you in a range of workouts, including chair yoga and strength training. They are more stable than a wheeled desk chair, and therefore less likely to cause injury. They should have a sturdy seat and solid legs. A wooden kitchen chair or metal-legged chair will work well.

A Stool A stool can be useful in certain instances where a chair with a back might restrict the range of movement. For example, you might wish to do exercises that require you to rotate your torso and arms freely, or exercises where you wanted to lean back as flatly as possible. An example of this would be a chair sit up. Wedge your feet firmly under the feet of your desk or a sofa and lean back. Then sit up using your abdominal muscles. A stool would even allow your head to go lower than your hips, to intensify the sit up.

A Wheelchair People in wheelchairs can get good workouts too. It depends on the activity and the type of chair. Those with removable backs would give you more choices of activities. The important thing is to be sure all the wheels are locked before starting any workout. If the chair is too confining, try a kitchen chair or stool instead, as long as you can put your feet flat on the floor.

Journal Your Thoughts

1. What chair do you normally sit in at your desk?

2. Why would it be good for working out in? Why would it be a bad choice?

3. What seated workout routines sound interesting? Yoga, calisthenics?

Chair Yoga Poses There are a wide number of yoga pose that can work well even when you are sitting. Get a straight-backed chair and sit a few feet away from your desk, or with the back of the chair close to a wall.

Breath of Fire This will work your core muscles and help you focus on your yoga practice. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, knees together, palms flat on your upper thighs. Start “panting” though your nose only, feeling your muscles in your abdomen working as you breathe in, and pumping as you breathe out. Do this for 1 minute to start with. You can gradually work your way up to 3 or 5 minutes. Stop if you feel dizzy at all and just do long, deep breathing.

Cat-cow Cat-cow are 2 poses you move back and forth between. Sitting straight up in your chair, head up, shoulders back, arch your lower back as if you were an angry cat, chin tucking into chest. Hold the position for a few second. Now relax and move the other way, so that your back becomes curved like the sway back of a cow and the chin comes up. Hold this position, then move back to cat. Repeat cat-cow smoothly, without jerking or snapping, until you can feel your range of motion improving.

Spinal Twists Sitting straight up in your chair, head up, shoulders back, place your hands on your own shoulders with your thumb at the back and the other fingers at the front, elbows level with shoulders. Take a deep breath and twist to the left. Exhale and twist to the right. Start slowly and repeat the motion until you start to feel your spine open up. You can gradually go faster if you wish. Picture a top-loading washing machine agitator and you will get a good idea of the movement.

Seated Pigeon This is a great way to open the hips. Sitting straight up in your chair, head up, shoulders back, cross one leg so the ankle rests on the top of the knee. Place one hand on that ankle and the other on the opposite knee. Keeping your back straight, bend at the hips and lean forward over the leg until you feel a stretch in your leg and back. Repeat with the other side. Do a full round, right and left, 10 times.

Chair Side Angle Pose

Sitting straight up in your chair, head up, shoulders back, fold forward from the hips. As you do so, twist your torso so that one hand touches the floor, while the other extends straight up towards the ceiling. Hold for5 seconds and then return to sitting. This time, twist in the opposite direction, so your other hand is on the floor close to your feet and the other arm is extended upwards towards the ceiling. Repeat left and right 5 to 10 times.

Open your chest as you twist to the right on an inhale, bringing your right arm and gaze up at the ceiling. This

is your chair version of extended side angle pose. Hold here for several breaths. Bring the right arm down on an exhale.

If your left-hand doesn't come easily to the floor, place a block under it or bring it to your left knee instead and twist from there.

Do the same position with the right arm down and the left arm up.

Chair Pose Chair pose is normally done freestanding, as if you were sitting in a chair, butt out, knees bent, arms straight up from the shoulders, upper arms close to the ears, so you look like you are diving. If you can hover over the chair without sitting on it, you will get a good thigh and buttocks workout. If you have to sit, stretch the upper body forward and up so your elbows are over your knees.

Journal Your Thoughts 1. What are your feelings about trying yoga? Excited? It’s weird?

2. Which chair yoga poses are your favorite?

3. Which trouble spots on your body would you like to work on with yoga?

Calisthenics and Light Weights Workouts in Your Chair You can do these on their own, or add weights. Keep them handy nearby. And remember, there are a lot of things at your desk that you can do hands-free, such as talk on speaker phone, watch an online meeting or webinar, or dictate your work into your computer.

Repeat each of these moves 5 times to start with, and gradually work your way up to 10 then 15 repetitions. If you are using weights, start with a light hand weight of 1 or 2 pounds. Gradually increase the weight each time you get up to 15 repetitions without straining.

Overhead Stretch Sit straight up, hands on your shoulders. Straighten your arms over your head and feel your chest lift and spine elongate.

Bicep Curl Sit straight up, hands on your shoulders. Straighten your arms out to the left and right, elbows soft. Bend your elbows to bring your hands back to your shoulders. Keep the elbows up; don’t let them sag, especially if you are using weights, as that can cause strain.

Chest Rows Sit straight up, shoulders back, hands at the center of your chest, elbows, forearms and hands all about the level of your shoulders. Pretend you are pulling something your elbows will go backwards and your wrists will become parallel with one another.

Arm Circles Sit up straight. Hold your arms straight out to the sides. Circle forward 8 times, in small circles, then backwards. As you get comfortable with the movement, you can widen the circles so you feel freedom of movement in your shoulders and upper back.

Tricep Kickback Sit up in the chair, shoulders back, feet planted firmly on the floor. Make light fists with your hands and place your thumbs on the front part of your shoulders, just above your underarms, elbows bent. Straighten both arms so your fists go down towards the seat and

back, past the seat back. Keep the elbows soft as you try to extend the arms as far back as possible. This is the perfect exercise for getting rid of unsightly upper arm flab that dangles down when you raise your arms.

Chair Plank Pose Sit towards the edge of the chair and extend your legs so your heels are resting on the floor. Position your hands behind you on the chair, elbows bent. Try to straighten your arms to lift your buttocks off the chair and bring your body straight into alignment. Lower yourself down and do it a time or two more. If you can’t manage the first time, not to worry. Keep practicing.

Leg Lifts Sit straight up, hands on the seat of the chair, around the level of your buttocks. Heels and knees should be together. Try to lift both legs straight up off the floor until they are level with your hips. Lower the legs in a controlled manner. Repeat.

Elbow to Knee Twist Sit straight up, arms bent so elbows are about parallel with the shoulders. Twist your torso at the lower back and raise your left knee up, to try to touch your right elbow to your left knee. Don’t let your back sag. If you can’t reach, just do the best you can. Switch sides, trying to touch left elbow to right knee. Repeat 4 more times and gradually increase the number of repetitions.

Journal Your Thoughts 1. Do you set aside 30 minutes for working out each day, and do both aerobic exercise and strength training? If not, are you willing to start doing this?

2. What can you use for light weights if you don’t own a set? Water bottles, cans, etc.? Put them by your desk chair.

3. During what activities can you work out—talking on the phone, dictating into your computer, and so on?

Resistance Band Chair Workouts Resistance bands can be as effective as light weights, but even more convenient. They weigh very little, so can be curled up and packed in any bag. They also usually come with a door anchor, so you can attach the anchor to the door and close it, attach your resistance band of choice to the anchor, and do a variety of exercises.

If you’ve ever seen those rather confusing “Universal” machines, resistance bands can give you a similar workout without all the clanking, stressing and straining. It’s just a case of learning some basic movements and deciding what area/s of your body you want to work out.

The important thing to remember is to start with a low weight so nothing snaps back or gets strained. Also, be sure to protect your bands from concrete or other hard surfaces that might cause the bands to fray, tear or snap.

Arms to Shoulders Sit straight in a chair, feet flat on the floor. Place the center of the resistance band under your feet and grip the handles so your wrists are facing outward. With elbows bent, lift the handles to the height of your shoulders. Try not to lock your arms.

Arms Overhead Sit straight in a chair, feet flat on the floor. Place the center of the resistance band under your feet and grip the handles so your wrists are facing inward. With one smooth motion, try to stretch the bands to your shoulders and then right up over your head. Hold in place for a moment; don’t look your elbows. Bring your arms down in a controlled motion so nothing snaps.

Overhead Rows Place your door anchor as high as it will go. Place your chair so the anchor is above the middle of the chair. Sit on the chair with your back to the door and grip the handles over your head. Pull straight down in a steady motion until your elbows tuck into your waist. Ease back up to the overhead position in a controlled manner. Repeat.

Overhead Shoulder Extension Place your door anchor as high as it will go. Place your chair so the anchor is above the middle of the chair. Sit on the chair with your back to the door and grip the handles over your head. Pull down and outward, so your elbows are pointing in each direction and they are about the level of your shoulders. Ease back up to the overhead position in a controlled manner. Repeat.

Front Rowing Place your door anchor at about the level of your chest. Place your chair so you are facing the anchor and close enough to just grip the handles. Hold the handles together, wrists facing. Pull the bands until your hands are parallel with your chest and your elbows are all the way back. Ease back and repeat.

Chair Cycle Place your door anchor at about the level of your chair. Loop your band of choice through. Attach your resistance to one ankle with a Velcro strap. Sit straight up, hands on the seat of the chair, around the level of your buttocks. Bend the leg attached to the resistance band, bringing the knee up to your chest. Stretch it back out again, around and then back up. Concentrate on keeping the movement smooth, as if you were cycling. Be mindful of not letting your back sag as you are doing it.

Journal Your Thoughts

1. Resistance bands with handles cost less than $25 per set. They should have a door anchor and an instruction book. Which sets can you find online that would give you all you need to work out at home?

2. What trouble spots do you want to work on with your resistance bands? Arms, legs, upper body?

3. What are your favorite workout moves, and why?