A set of exercises with a chair for therapeutic purposes in the workplace

You don't have to buy a gym membership to stay in shape. You don’t even need to buy dumbbells, exercise machines and other sports equipment! All you need for this home workout is a regular chair.

A video of the technique can be viewed below.

Maximum efficiency in minimum time: quick workout in 30 minutes

Lying pelvic lift (legs on a chair)

This exercise uses the gluteal muscles in isolation.

What does the stand provide? After all, the exercise can simply be performed on the floor (without a stand).

A stand in the form of a chair, stool, or whatever allows you to make the exercise more difficult by increasing the range of motion. The greater the amplitude of movement = the more complex the exercise, which means the more benefit it will provide.

I recommend performing this exercise after the main butt exercises, such as squats, lunges, etc.

Another variation of this exercise looks like this:

Exercises with a “lifting” effect

What is lifting? Skin tightening effects are essential when losing weight. The presented exercise scheme allows you to tighten the epidermis and start the process of natural collagen production.

• You need to sit on a chair facing backwards, take your legs back, spread your heels. You should try to keep your knees in a reduced position for as long as possible, move to a sitting position on your feet, place your palms on your knees. In this position, you need to squeeze your buttock muscles for 40 seconds and then relax them. You need to do 30 times in 4 sets, rest - 15 seconds.
• Stand up straight, hold the chair with your hands, you need to lean forward 45 degrees, placing your palms on the seat. When taking a deep breath, you need to pull in the abdominal muscles. It is recommended to remain in this position until slight discomfort occurs. Finally, they exhale slowly and relax their muscles.
• You need to come closer to the chair, your right leg bent at the knee, your leg should rest against the wall. Then you need to start slowly bending your left leg, after which you perform a squat. This exercise is an effective stretch of the inner thigh muscles, which has a beneficial effect on the activity of the prostate gland. It is recommended to repeat 50 times.
• Lie down on a hard floor, place your hands on the legs of the chair, it should be securely fastened. You should try to lift your knees up while your lower limbs are parallel to the floor. Lift each leg in turn, trying to tighten your thigh muscles as much as possible. Repeat 12 times for 6 sets.

Push-ups (feet behind on a chair/bench/etc.)

What does a footrest do for push-ups? Firstly, the exercise becomes harder (since the amplitude increases), which means there will be more benefit from it, and secondly, this variation shifts the emphasis more to training the chest muscles. In general, the pectoral muscles and triceps are actively involved in the exercise.

Additionally: front deltas, core muscles and abs. Detailed technique in the main article: “How to do push-ups correctly from A to Z.”

Exercises for all muscle groups at the workplace for weight loss

Of course, there is no universal training base that will suit absolutely everyone. All representatives of the fair sex are individual, lead different lifestyles, work in different offices or at home, and, accordingly, each woman must choose training individually to suit her lifestyle.

Note! The greatest effect can be achieved by selecting classes from the database, as well as diluting them with some additional elements.

Basic exercises for losing weight in the abdomen and sides on a chair can be performed both at home and in the office.

Raising your legs while sitting on a chair:

1. you need to sit straight in the chair, straightening your shoulders and straightening your back;
2. take a deep breath;
3. place your hands on the sides of your body, palms down;
4. exhale;
5. raise your knees low so as not to attract undue attention from colleagues;
6. for 10–13 seconds. try to maintain this position;
7. Do not lean forward or arch your back;
8. lower your legs to the starting position;
9. perform about 10-12 approaches.

Hovering over a chair:

1. you need to sit on a chair and start moving forward until your pelvis is on the edge;
2. lean on the seat of the chair with your palms;
3. try to move a little further so that your pelvis hangs in the air;
4. legs should be straight, toes pointed, and heels touching the floor;
5. raise your right leg, while your pelvis should be lowered slowly down;
6. within 5 seconds you need to try to hold this position;
7. lower your legs to the starting position;
8. repeat the same with the right leg;
9. It is advisable to complete about 10-12 approaches.

Pump up your abs while sitting on a stool:

• you need to sit upright in a chair with your back straight;
• tighten the gluteal muscles;
• take a deep breath and, as you exhale, quickly draw in your stomach;
• You need to do this exercise about 50 times.

Oblique abdominal muscle training:

• to perform this exercise, you must sit upright in a chair with your back straight;
• clasping your hands at the back of your head;
• spread your elbows to the sides;
• bend the body to the sides;
• repeat this exercise about 20-30 times on both sides.

Triceps swing while sitting on a chair:

1. sit on a chair, lowering your body as far forward as possible;
2. keep your forearms parallel to the floor;
3. raise your arms vertically with your palms facing your body;
4. First, straighten your arms with any goods (eg books, water bottles) by extending them back;
5. then return your hands to their original position;
6. perform this exercise about 15-20 times.

Training the muscles of the back and upper abdomen (pregnant women and patients with hypertension are not recommended to do this).

Training the muscles of the back and upper abdomen:

1. sitting on a work chair, stretch out the toe of your right leg, while simultaneously straining the muscles of your upper abs;
2. try to stay in this position for about 5 seconds;
3. return to original position;
4. repeat the same with the left toe;
5. Perform this exercise 3-5 times on both legs.

Exercises to strengthen the thighs and buttocks:

1. sitting on a chair, press your left leg to the floor;
2. remain in this position for a minute or until fatigue appears;
3. relieve pressure;
4. repeat the exercise, changing legs;
5. repeat this exercise 12-15 times on both legs.

Note! This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and buttocks, and you can also do it with both legs at the same time.

Exercises to strengthen leg muscles:

1. sitting on a chair, fold your knees;
2. knees pushing each other;
3. Stay in this position for 10-12 seconds. or until fatigue sets in;
4. return to original position;
5. perform this exercise 12-15 times.

For your information! This exercise is directly aimed at losing weight.

It, like all the previous ones, is completely invisible to others, therefore it is universal, and it can be performed not only in the office, but even on a bus, in a traffic jam, anywhere and under any circumstances.

Exercises to strengthen the muscles of the legs and abdominals:

1. sitting on a chair, cross your legs and slightly raise the knee of the leg that is on top;
2. stay in this position for 12-15 seconds. or until fatigue sets in;
3. Maintaining this position, lift your lower leg off the floor and hold both legs overhang for about 12-15 seconds. or until tired;
4. repeat this exercise 10-12 times.

Note! The load may be increased. To do this, lift the leg that is below from the floor, while simultaneously pressing on it with the other one that is on top. It is also worth considering that the leg located below will provide resistance so as not to touch the floor. This exercise has a huge impact on the leg and abdominal muscles.

Chair push-ups

A lighter version of push-ups, because... the chair is usually not very wide in life, the position of the hands during push-ups will be quite narrow, which means the emphasis in this exercise will be more on the triceps.

I can’t really recommend this option to girls, it’s better to just do regular push-ups from the floor, or from the knees (if full push-ups are still difficult), where the placement of the hands will be neither wide nor narrow, but somewhere in the middle (shoulder-width apart). everything is involved evenly (both triceps and chest - this is what young ladies need).

But men can do regular classic push-ups and this option is of no use at all...

Exercises for a flat stomach and thighs

Chair exercises for weight loss help you lose excess volume around your waist.

Types of exercises:

• Knees to chest

Sit up straight, straighten your back, lean on the back of the chair. The legs are placed in front of the width of the pelvis. Lift your right and left knees alternately, pulling it towards your chest. Tighten your stomach as much as possible. Place your hands on your knees to help stretch your lower abdomen. Run about 30 times.

• Double Knee Raise

Place your hands on a chair and bring your legs together. Keeping your back straight, lift your knees, bringing them closer to your chest. The abdominal muscles should be tense. Return your limbs to the starting position, but do not lower them to the floor. Run 20 times.

• Raise your knees while bending your body to the side

Sit on the edge of a chair, keeping your back straight. Hands rest on the armrests. Tilt your torso to the side, transferring your body weight to 1 buttock. Bring your legs together and pull your knees toward your chest. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Run 15 times.

• Touching the floor

Place your feet on the floor. Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder level. Move your lower body to the right and lean forward, touching your left toes with your right hand. Hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Run 20 times.

• Raise your torso above the chair

Sit in a chair (without wheels) and lean on the armrests. Stand on your hands, lifting your hips and legs off the chair. As you tighten your abdominal muscles, pull your knees toward your chest. Hold in this position for 5 minutes, then slowly lower. Run 4 times.

• Knee to Elbow

Sit on a chair without leaning on your back and straighten it. Place your hands behind your head. Lift your right knee toward your chest and touch it with your left elbow. Return to the starting position. Run 12 times.

Reverse push-ups

The exercise can also be performed with support on one leg:

One of my favorite exercises OUTSIDE of the gym (at home or outdoors) for TRICEPS.

I put my legs on another chair, so the exercise becomes harder and more effective. Read more in the main article: “Reverse push-ups.”

General recommendations for performing exercises with a chair

The activities presented below, although they have a direct connection with a chair, you will hardly be able to sit and relax. Doing exercises while sitting on a chair will require a lot of work. With such equipment it is much easier to lose excess weight, maintain your physical fitness, and recover from injuries or illnesses. The main thing here is a reasonable approach and regularity, which only the lazy have not talked about.

Having just the most ordinary chair, you can work out almost all muscle groups and perform a full range of exercises. The main thing is that your improvised sports equipment is not placed on wheels and is quite durable. You can check the last characteristic by leaning your entire weight on its back.

Tips for beginners

First of all, you need to remember that any sports training, including on a chair, cannot be performed without first warming up the muscles and ligaments. To do this, the easiest way is to use ready-made warm-up complexes developed by professionals. It doesn’t hurt to vary it with a few stretching movements.

• Breathing during the warm-up and chair training itself should remain even and calm. You cannot delay it even for one second, because then you will have to restore it for a long time. In addition, this can provoke surges in blood pressure, which also does not bode well.
• During exercise, you need to inhale only through your mouth, and exhale through your nose; this is a mandatory condition for proper training. This is the only way to ensure proper supply of oxygen to all tissues of the body, therefore, a significant acceleration of metabolism.
• When performing different movements, try to keep the abdominal muscles, abdomen and lumbar muscle corset tense.
• Under no circumstances should you turn your training into unbearable hard labor. Exercises should be easy, and you should give all your best and work hard - this is more suitable for bodybuilders.
• Give preference to the morning hours to perform chair exercises. Although you can do them at any time, it is in the morning that they will give the best effect, and at the same time they will give you vigor and energy for the whole working day.

Many people experience muscle pain (soreness) after exercising with a chair; this is not something to be afraid of. This confirms that the exercises themselves and the degree of load are selected correctly.

Bulgarian lunges

A very cool and relevant exercise for all girls/women.

Lunges are the second exercise after squats, one of the most effective accentuated and indispensable exercises for the buttocks.

What does a rear footrest provide? Thanks to the stand, the angle of stretching of the buttocks increases (i.e., the buttocks will contract much more effectively). This implementation option is considered the most effective.

Detailed technique here: “Lunges for the buttocks, everything from A to Z.”

How to choose the right workout chair

The main criterion when choosing a future simulator is reliability and stability. Therefore, you should not take a wobbly stool or a chair with a poorly secured seat. For the same reasons, we ignore the chair on wheels.

Another important point is the quality of the coating. The best option would be a chair with thick upholstery made of leatherette or other durable materials that will create reliable support for the arms and legs and will not tear from strong mechanical stress. However, an ordinary wooden stool with a well-polished surface will do.

Considering the specifics of some exercises, it is better to take two chairs at once for training: with a backrest and a stool. The height of the improvised exercise machine should ideally correspond to the level of your knee.