Chair Exercises For The Abdomen

Maintaining optimal fitness in our chair-bound society is difficult but not impossible. If you want to shape up, start with low-impact abdominal exercises. From a study chair, you can do effective abdominal exercises that require no jumping or jarring of your joints.

Side Twists

Side twists work the obliques, the muscles located along the sides of your midsection, to slim your waistline and diminish love handles. Sit on the edge of an armless chair with your feet planted flat on the floor. Extend your arms straight out to your sides, then bend your elbows so that your hands face inward and your fingers point to the ceiling. Tighten your tummy, twist your torso to the right, then to the left. Complete 16 repetitions.

Combination Stretch

According to Jorge Cruise, author of "8 Minutes in the Morning to a Flat Belly," strong obliques are the key to cinching in your stomach. Exercises that involve twisting or bending at the waist target the obliques. The combination stretch does both. Sit on the edge of an armless chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your right arm straight above your head and bend your torso toward the left. Return to the start position. Now extend your right arm across the front of your body. Twist at the waist and pretend to push your right hand against a wall. Repeat the movements on your opposite side. Complete 10 repetitions.

Seated Crunch

Seated crunches tone and strengthen your lower abs. They can be performed anywhere you sit -- at your computer, watching television or at work. Sit with your feet planted firmly on the floor and your hands interlocked behind your head. Lower your head and trunk toward your knees. Slowly raise your head and trunk to the start position. Start with 10 repetitions and gradually work up to 50.

Captain's Chair

The American Council on Exercise rated the captain's chair the top exercise for enhancing the obliques and the second-best exercise for strengthening the rectus abdominus, the long muscle extending the length of the abdomen. Although the conventional captain's chair is traditionally executed on gym equipment with the same name, you can effectively perform the captain's chair on a sturdy, armless chair. Sit with your palms on the seat of the chair, fingers grasping the side edges of the seat. Move your body weight onto your palms and lift your thighs off the chair. In a slow and controlled movement, lower your thighs back onto the chair seat. Complete 10 to 12 repetitions.