10 Minute Total Body Chair Workout

By Jari Love & Charlene Bazarian

Do you sometimes feel as though you’re practically chained to your chair?  With so much of our lives tied to our PCs, from work to Zoom meetings to social media, we’re sitting a lot!  You’ve likely heard the expression that, “sitting is the new smoking,” and how sitting for too long impacts your overall physical and mental wellbeing and can increase your risk of a number of serious chronic health issues.

Well, pull up a chair as we asked Jari Love , certified personal trainer, author, and creator of the incredibly popular and scientifically tested Get Ripped! workout series, to create a ten-minute full body workout that you can work into the busiest of schedules and do from the comfort of your own chair!

Intense Chair Workout

*Before beginning, for safety, be sure to use a sturdy chair on a flat surface. Avoid using a chair with wheels as they are unstable.

Chair Step-ups (advanced):

• Place a chair firmly against the wall.  Place your right foot in the middle of the chair and your thigh should be at a 90 degree angle.
• Step up on the chair with your right foot on top and bring your left foot up beside the right foot in the middle of the chair.
• Step down with your right foot and then step down with your left foot, feet together.
• Do 8 repetitions with the right leg leading and then 8 with the left leg leading.

Sit Up Sit-Down Squats:

• With your chair against the wall, sit back on the chair and have both knees at 90 degrees. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
• Come to a standing position and keeping your core tight and your body weight transferred onto the back of the heels.  Be sure not to lean forward as you are coming up to a standing position.
• Come back down and keep your hips back as you sit and remember to keep the knees at 90 degrees when sitting.
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Right Lunge:

• With your chair placed against a wall, place your left leg on top of the middle of the chair, with a slightly bent knee.
• Tighten your core, place your hands on your hips, and bring your left knee down as low as you can, making sure that the right knee stays behind your toes as you come down.
• Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and come back up without locking your knees.  It is important to be able to keep movement slow and controlled as this helps with muscle recruitment and balance.
• Do 8-10 reps for 1-2 sets.

Front Left lunge:

• While your chair is still against the wall, put your right leg on top of the middle of the chair, knee slightly bent.
• Tighten your core, put your hands on your hips, bring your left knee down as low as you can, making sure that the right knee stays behind your toes as you come down.
• Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and come back up without locking your knees.  It’s important to be able to keep movement slow and controlled as this helps with muscle recruitment and balance.
• Do 8-10 reps for 1-2 sets.

Standing Right Leg Abduction:

• While standing behind your chair, place both hands in the middle of the back of the chair, then place your right leg out to the side with your foot facing forward.
• Center your weight as if you are balancing on one leg.   Bring the right leg up as high as you can and bring it back down beside the left foot.
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

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