20 Best Chair Exercises – The Low Impact Chair Trainer Workout

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall on the edge of the chair, feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
2. Place your fingertips behind your head, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
3. Shift your weight to your left leg, side lunge, and then bring your right knee toward your right elbow.
4. Lower your right leg and return to the starting position.
5. Switch sides, bringing your left leg to your left elbow. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Get into a plank position, palms resting on chair seat and hands shoulder-width apart, back flat, abs engaged, and head in alignment.
2. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as you can and quickly.
3. Switch legs, bringing your right knee back and pulling the left knee in. That’s one rep.
4. Continue alternating, keeping hips down, and slide your knees in and out as quickly as you can.

How do:

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and slightly hip-width apart. Cross your arms across your chest with your palms facing your shoulders.
2. Lean your upper back toward the back of the chair without changing the alignment of your spine.
3. Once your upper back touches the rest, you can reset to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Pro tip: Do this movement slowly to feel your core muscles working hard to resist gravity.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the floor, slightly shoulder-width apart. Raise both arms above your head, fingers pointing to the sky.
2. Lower your left hand down and bring your right foot to meet it halfway up. Press on the inside of your right foot.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your right hand and left foot. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and slightly shoulder-width apart.
2. Raise both arms and make fists in front of your face.
3. Twist to your right and extend your left arm out in front of you as you twist.
4. Pull your left elbow back, returning to the starting position.
5. Repeat the movement with the right arm. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and long, away from the back of the chair.
2. Kick your right leg forward, bending through your heel while punching with your left arm.
3. Drop your right leg and pull your left elbow back.
4. Quickly switch between sides. That’s one rep.

Pro tip: Every time you kick your legs, pull your abs deeper toward your spine.

How do:

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and slightly shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your right foot planted and extend your left leg straight out to the side, toes pointed.
3. Extend your arms straight and lean forward slightly, reaching your left arm to the inside of the right foot, and bring your right arm up behind the body, twisting through the torso.
4. Quickly switch between sides. That’s one rep.

Pro tip: The faster you do this movement, the higher your heart rate.

How do:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart behind a chair, holding onto the back of it with one or both hands.
2. Extend your right leg behind you as far as you can without arching your back or letting your hips lean too far forward.
3. Squeeze your glutes as you reach the top of the movement, hold for two seconds, and then lower your leg back to the floor. That’s one rep.
4. Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

How do:

1. Stand with your back towards the chair. With your right foot on the floor a few feet in front of the chair, place the top of your left foot on the seat of the chair, toes down.
2. Clasp your hands together to form a fist and hold them in front of your chest. Keep your chest lifted and look straight ahead.
3. Engage your core as you bend your knees down into a split squat. Your right knee should ideally form a 90-degree angle with your thigh parallel to the floor, and your left knee hovering above the floor.
4. Driving through your left heel, stand back up to the starting position. That’s one rep.
5. Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

Pro tip: Your right foot should be far enough away that you can do this without letting your right knee go over your right toes.)

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and long, away from the back of the chair. Put your feet together and raise your arms up to make the goal post.
2. Close your arms and bring your elbows close together (your thumbs should be directly over your nose).
3. Step out with your feet out to the sides in a jumping motion with your arms spread out to the sides. You will now be in the center of the goal.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together while also squeezing your gluteal muscles to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Pro tip: The faster you do this movement, the higher your heart rate!

How do:

1. Stand about one foot behind the chair with your left leg closer to the back of the chair.
2. Place your left hand on top of the chair and keep your right hand on your waist.
3. Lift your right leg out to the side as high as you can and hold it. Circle your leg in a clockwise direction, moving from the hip. That’s one rep. Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

How do:

1. Sit upright on the edge of a chair with your hands in front of your chest. Lift left foot off the ground and extend slightly in front of you.
2. Press into the right foot to lift the hips off the bench, and rise to a standing position, keeping the standing leg slightly bent.
3. Slowly lower your butt into the chair. That’s one rep.
4. Complete all the exercises on one side, then repeat the exercise on the other leg.

Pro tip: Extend the arms in front of you for balance.

How do:

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, back facing your chair, and heels close to chair legs.
2. Brace your torso, shifting your weight to your heels as you push your hips back and bend your knees down into a squat. Lower your butt into the chair without sitting on it and clasp your hands together to make a fist on the way down.
3. Pause at the bottom of the squat, push through your heels to stand up, and squeeze your glutes at the top. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your palms facing inward.
3. Slowly roll the dumbbells toward your shoulders, rotating your palms so they face you. Your elbows should only move slightly as you rotate your palms throughout the motion.
4. Count to one at the top.
5. Lower the dumbbells down to the starting position. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.
3. Hinge forward at the hips so that your back is flat and parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as possible).
4. Extend your arms toward the floor without touching it and hold the dumbbells close to your ankles.
5. Slide the dumbbells toward the sides of your rib cage, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Make sure not to arch your back and keep your neck aligned with your back.
6. Hold at the top for 1 second.
7. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the floor, hips apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with your palms facing you.
2. Press the dumbbells above your head with your hands rotating 180 degrees so your palms are facing forward. Press the weight above your head until you get a straight arm, keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Lower with control as you reverse the movement back to the starting position. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Place your hands on the seat of the chair with your arms shoulder-width apart facing the back of the chair.
2. Walk your feet back until you are in a plank position. Your abs are engaged, and your head is in line with your spine and hips.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees.
4. Push up to the starting position. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your spine straight and long and your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the seat by the front edge of the chair. Step forward until you get off the chair with only your arms supported
3. Keeping your back straight and your midsection engaged, slowly bend your elbows to lower your body. Stop when your arms are parallel to the ground.
4. Reverse the movement by pushing yourself back up to the starting position. That’s one rep.

Pro tip: You can keep your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor, or extend your legs so that your weight is on your heels.

How do:

1. Start in a low plank position with toes resting on the seat of a chair and hands on the floor. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, back flat, abs flat, and head in alignment.
2. Walk your hands back towards the legs of the chair, keeping the legs straight so that your body is in an upside-down V position.
3. Walk your hands back into a plank position. That’s one rep.

How do:

1. Sit with your spine straight and tall on the edge of a chair, with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
2. Place your fingertips behind your head, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
3. Lift your left leg off the ground and bring your right elbow toward your left knee by twisting your torso.
4. Touch your right elbow to your left knee if you can and press your obliques as you rotate and crunch.
5. Lower your left leg and right elbow back, then return to the starting position.
6. Repeat on the other side, bringing your right leg to your left elbow. That’s one rep. Repeat alternating sides.