Many popular ab exercises require you to get up and down from the floor. But you can hit all your core muscles without standing up from your seat. And not all chair ab exercises are for beginners, either — some can humble even the most experienced exercisers.
The best part? These exercises can be performed without any equipment, no matter where you are. All you need is a place to sit and your own body weight.
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Below, we share the best ab exercises you can do in a chair. Here are a few things to know before you get started:
- Always engage your core muscles and keep your shoulders relaxed as you do these exercises. Breathe normally — don't hold your breath.
- Some of these exercises can be modified to match your strength level. If something feels too hard or too easy, try changing your body position.
- These chair ab exercises can be performed for a number of reps or for time. We suggest starting with 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds per exercise. Add more reps or time when you need an additional challenge.
- These exercises are a great fit for many people, but if you're already very strong, you'll likely need external load or harder core exercises to see further strength gains.
9 Chair Exercises for Abs
Want to build your own ab chair workout? Select 3 to 5 of these exercises to do in circuit. Perform each exercise in a row with 10 to 30 seconds of rest in between. Once you've completed all the exercises one time, go back to the top and repeat for 2 to 5 rounds.
1. Hollow Hold
The hollow hold is a classic ab exercise that teaches you to engage and hold your muscles for time. Think of this as an upside-down plank that targets every muscle in your core.
If you're a beginner, use hollow holds to build strength and improve your posture. More experienced? You can seriously smoke your core and legs using long hollow holds with arms and legs up.
You can perform several variations of hollow holds while seated. Start with level 1, then gradually make the exercise harder as you get stronger.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your legs extended out in front of you. Lean backward slightly and engage your core muscles.
- Level 1: Keep your heels on the floor and place your hands on the chair next to your hips.
- Level 2: Keep your heels on the floor and lift your arms overhead.
- Level 3: Lift your feet off the floor and place your hands on the chair next to your hips.
- Level 4: Lift your feet off the floor and lift your arms overhead.
- Hold this position for 20n to 60 seconds. Breathe normally and keep your core muscles engaged throughout.
2. Leg Marching
Leg marching is a combo move that targets your core and lower body. It's a great way to strengthen your hip muscles, which can become tight and weak with too much uninterrupted sitting.
- Sit on the edge of your chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the side of the chair and lean back slightly.
- March your feet out to the sides of your body then back to your middle.
- Pick both feet up off the floor and pull your knees in toward your chest. If that feels too hard, you can pick up one leg at a time.
- Return your feet to the floor and repeat for 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Forward Crunch
The forward crunch is a seated variation of the standard floor crunch. This move primarily targets the rectus abdominus, also known as your six pack. Skip this exercise if bending your spine causes low back discomfort.
- Sit upright on the edge of a chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your hands on your chest.
- Engage your core muscles and crunch forward, rounding your back and pulling your chest toward your knees.
- Crunch as far as you can, then return to your upright position. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Backward Crunch
Despite the name, this exercise isn't a true crunch. Rather, you use your core muscles to lean backward while maintaining a flat, straight back. This is a great alternative for anyone who feels discomfort doing forward crunches.
- Sit upright on the edge of your chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Engage your core muscles and lean backward, keeping your torso straight. Keep your arms crossed on your chest (easier) or extend them over your head (harder.)
- Lean back as far as you can, then return to your upright position. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds.
5. Bicycle Crunch
Bicycle crunches on the floor are a staple of many ab workouts because they effectively target the front and sides of your abs. This chair variation works the same way and can be surprisingly humbling!
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lean back slightly and place your hands behind your head.
- Pick one foot up off the floor and drive your knee up toward the middle of your body. Crunch your abs and bring the opposite side elbow across toward your knee.
- Relax out of your crunch position and place your foot back on the floor. Then repeat with the other arm and leg.
- Make the exercise easier by keeping your feet flat on the floor and crunching with your upper body only.
- Alternate sides for 10 to 15 reps per side or 20 to 30 seconds.
6. Knee-In Crunch
This challenging crunch variation targets your abs, hips and legs. Beginners may want to build strength with other exercises on this list before trying these.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your legs extended out in front of you. Lean back slightly and place your hands on the sides of the chair.
- Engage your core muscles and pick your feet up off the floor. Pull your knees in toward your chest. Gently crunch your upper body in toward your knees.
- Extend your legs back out in front of you, keeping your feet off the floor.
- Make the exercise easier by doing one side at a time. Keep one leg extended and off floor as you pull in one knee, then alternate sides.
- Make the exercise harder by raising your arms overhead and holding them there for the entire set.
- Repeat for 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds.
7. Oblique Twist
Your obliques are muscles on the sides of your core that help you bend and twist from side to side. The oblique twist is a simple exercise that anyone can do to train their obliques from a chair. This exercise requires you to rotate through your spine, so it may not be a good fit for some people with low back pain.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head (harder) or across your chest (easier).
- Engage your core muscles and slowly rotate your chest to one side.
- Turn your chest back to the center, then rotate to the opposite side.
- Make the exercise even harder by leaning back slightly and holding your arms together out in front of your body.
- Repeat for 10 to 15 reps per side or 20 to 30 seconds.
8. Side Bend
Side bends are another simple chair oblique exercise. Whereas the oblique twist hits the rotation function of your obliques, side bends hit them through side-to-side bending. This exercise also provides a nice stretch for your side.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Let one arm hang down to your side. Place the other arm in your lap (easier) or behind your head (harder).
- Bend at your waist and reach your down side fingers toward the floor. Keep bending until you feel your obliques (the sides of your core).
- Relax and return to your upright starting position.
- Repeat for 10to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds on one side. Then do the other side.
9. Side Crunch
The side crunch is the most challenging oblique-focused exercise on this list. Add it to the mix once you feel strong with side bends and forward crunches.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with one foot flat on the floor and the other leg extended out to the side.
- Reach the crunching side hand over your head and rest the other hand on your knee. Lean toward the bent side knee so the other side of your body forms a straight line.
- Engage your core muscles. Crunch your elbow down and pull your knee up until you feel your obliques on the side of your core
- Return your leg to the floor and reach you arm back overhead.
- Repeat for 10 to 15 reps or 20 to 30 seconds on one side, then do the other side.