Chair Yoga Exercises For Beginners And Seniors

• Improved flexibility and reduced stiffness. Chair yoga helps to stretch the muscles and increase flexibility, reduce stiffness in the joints, and improve overall mobility.

• Enhanced strength and stability. While yoga is often thought to just stretch the muscles, a lot of poses help to build strength and stability by maintaining alignment against the resistance of gravity and bodyweight.

• Better posture and alignment. Chair yoga helps to improve core strength and stretch the posterior chain, including the muscles in the back and shoulders. It also helps to raise awareness of alignment. Over time, this can help to improve posture and reduce strain on the spine and hips.

• Reduced stress and anxiety. Yoga practice involves breathwork and meditation which can positively benefit stress and anxiety levels. Bringing these elements into your everyday life can also help to reduce your response to everyday stress and build your mental resilience.

• Enhanced circulation. While chair yoga is unlikely to count as high intensity cardio, the different poses can help to increase circulation which is good for cardio health.

1. Chair Cat-Cow Stretch -- Bitilasana Marjaryasana

   Strengthens: Back, core

   Stretches: Neck, shoulders, back, hips, abdomen, chest

   • Sit on a chair with the spine long and both feet on the floor. Place your hands on your knees or the tops of your thighs.
   • On an inhale, arch your spine and roll your shoulders down and back, bringing your shoulder blades onto your back. This is cow position.
   • On an exhale, round your spine and drop your chin to your chest, letting the shoulder and head come forward. This is cat position.
   • Continue moving between cow on the inhalations and cat on the exhalations for five breaths.

2. Chair Raised Hands Pose - Urdhva Hastasana

   Strengthens: Triceps, shoulders, core

   Stretches: Shoulders, neck, chest

   • On an inhalation, raise your arms toward the ceiling.
   • Maintain good upper body posture with the shoulders relaxed and rib cage sitting naturally over the hips.
   • Anchor your sit bones in your chair seat and reach up from there.

3. Chair Forward Bend -- Uttanasana

   Strengthens: Hip flexors, shoulders

   Stretches: Back, hamstrings, neck

   • On an exhalation, bend forward over the legs so that your chest lies on the thighs if possible. Let the hands rest on the floor if they reach it. Let the head hang heavy.
   • On an inhalation, raise the arms back up over the head. Repeat this movement between a raised arms position and a forward fold several times, moving with the breath.

4. Chair Extended Side Angle - Utthita Parsvakonasana

   Strengthens: Back, shoulders, neck

   Stretches: Chest, core, shoulders, hips

   • After your final forward bend, stay folded. Bring your left fingertips to the floor on the outside of your left foot. 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.
   • 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.
   • Do the same position with the right arm down and the left arm up.

5. Chair Pigeon - Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

   Stretches: Glutes, hip flexors, lower back

   • Come back up to sit. Bring your right ankle to rest on your left thigh, keeping the knee in line with your ankle as much as possible. Hold this chair pigeon for three to five breaths.
   • You may forward bend to intensify the stretch if you like.
   • Repeat with the left leg.

6. Chair Eagle -- Garudasana

   Strengthens: Core, legs

   Stretches: Shoulders, back, legs

   • Cross your right thigh over your left thigh for eagle pose. If you can, wrap the right foot all the way around the left calf.
   • Cross your left arm over the right one at the elbow. Bend the elbows and bring your palms to touch.
   • Lift the elbows while dropping the shoulders away from the ears. Hold three to five breaths.
   • Repeat on the other side.

7. Chair Spinal Twist - Ardha Matsyendrasana

   Strengthens: Core

   Stretches: Back, core, shoulders, glutes

   • Come to sit sideways on the chair, facing to the left. Twist your torso toward the left, holding onto the back of the chair, for a spinal twist.
   • Lengthen your spine on each inhale and twist on each exhale for five breaths.
   • Move your legs around to the right side of the chair and repeat the twist to the right side.

8. Chair Warrior I - Virabhadrasana I

   Strengthens: Shoulders, arms, legs, glutes, core

   Stretches: Hips, chest, back

   • Now keep the right leg in position over the side of the chair while you swing the left leg behind.
   • Plant the sole of the left foot on the floor roughly parallel to the seat of the chair and straighten the left leg, so you are standing but supported by the chair.
   • Keep your torso facing over the right leg as you raise your arms up to the ceiling on a inhale coming to warrior 1. Hold for three breaths.

9. Chair Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II

   Strengthens: Legs, glutes, shoulders, core

   Stretches: Hips, shoulders, chest

   • On an exhale, open up the arms with the right arm coming forward and the left arm going back.
   • Draw the left hip back and turn the torso to the left, so that it is aligned with the front of the chair.
   • Gaze out over the right fingertips and hold warrior II for three breaths.

10. Chair Reverse Warrior - Viparita Virabhadrasana

    Strengthens: Shoulders, arms, legs, glutes, core

    Stretches: Hips, chest, back, sides

    • Let the left arm come down the left leg and lift the right arm up to the ceiling on an inhale for reverse warrior. Hold for three breaths.
    • Bring both legs to the front of the chair before coming to sit sideways on the chair facing left and going through the series of three warrior poses on the left side.

11. Final Relaxation: Chair Savasana

    Take a few minutes to sit with your eyes closed and hands in your lap at the end of your practice. This seated savasana will help your body absorb all the good effects of the poses you have done and transition you into the rest of your day.