Whether you spend hours of each day in a chair for work, or a lot of time seated in general, you don't have to sacrifice your fitness. The nonprofit website, HelpGuide.org, emphasizes that you can work strength, flexibility and endurance, even if permanently, or temporarily, chair-bound. Consider purchasing a set of hand weights or resistance bands to help with strength-building. Note that some exercises use the chair as a prop, while in others, you perform an exercise while seated.
Engergizer Exercise
Use this flowing movement to warm up before other chair exercises, or by itself, to shake off sleepiness. Sit toward the end of your chair seat, then spread your feet apart about two to three feet. Raise your arms towards the ceiling on an inhale, then lean forward and down, criss-crossing your hands between your legs, on an exhale. Create a wide circular shape with your arms on your way down and up. Do 10 or more sets.
Chair Hover
Strengthen your legs, hips and core muscles with a chair hover. Sit toward the end of the seat, with your feet about eight inches apart. Place your hands on each side of the chair. Contract your core and gluteal muscles as you raise your hips off the chair a few inches above the seat. Hold for three breaths, then lower back to rest. Repeat up to four more sets. Remember to keep your abdominal muscles toned in toward your spine to help support your body.
Upper Back Strengthener
Adapt this upper back exercise from ACE Fitness, by doing it while seated in a chair. With hand weights or the ends of a resistance band in each hand, stretch your arms into a T shape, with elbows bent. Keep your hands at shoulder height. Turn your hands so the backs of them face the ceiling. On an inhale, draw your shoulder blades toward each other, then come back to starting position on your exhale. Do up to 20 sets, up to three times.
Spinal Twist
With your knees together and your feet flat on the floor, sit orientated so your knees point off to the right side. Sit up tall as you turn your chest toward your seat back, then place your hands on the chair. Relax your shoulders and breath deeply for seven to 10 breaths. Look toward your right shoulder. If you have trouble breathing deeply, you have most likely twisted too far. Repeat on the other side.
L Stretch
Gently place your hands either on your seat back, as you stand behind your chair, or on your seat, as you stand in front of it. Walk your feet back until they are directly under your hips. Lengthen your spine and back, but keep your face and shoulders relaxed. Tilt your hips upward to intensify the hamstring stretch and bend your knees to feel it more in your back. Hold for up to one minute.
Hip Opener
Sit up tall in your chair seat. Cross your right ankle onto your thigh, just above your left knee. Grasp each side of the chair as you lean forward. Hold for up to one minute, then switch sides.
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