Our Chair Workout can be made very easy or fairly difficult, with just the tweaking of a few simple details. It targets all major muscle groups and is almost literally impact free.

This is an excellent routine for anyone of any fitness level or age. From those who are trying to workout at work to those who are injured or trying to stay active with a health condition such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, this low impact workout is easy on the joints but still very effective for toning.

Another bonus of this video is that it is built using moves that would be perfect desk exercises. It just happens to be the perfect length to squeeze into that lunch hour, which is quite possibly the best time to sneak in an exercise session (even if you only get a short lunch, you can just cut it a few reps short & clock back in on time).

For those that want to increase the challenge of this largely seated workout routine, we recommend that you grab a pair of hand weights. Even if you don’t use extra resistance, you may still feel a challenge, particularly if you have not worked out in a while.

Options to make this workout more difficult:
• Focus on contracting the targeted muscle group throughout the entire range of motion for each exercise
• Hold onto hand weights

Exercises in this Chair Workout
• Seated Toe Stretch – Stretch those hamstrings and lower back by scooting to the edge of your chair, leaning forward and reaching for your toes. Be careful with this one if you are using this as a cubicle workout & you have a chair on wheels!

• Seated Toe Raises + Chest Presses – Keep your back straight and press your hands together as hard as is comfortable. While maintaining that inward pressure on your hands, drive your hands outward as you extend both arms. At the same time, rise up onto your toes so that you feel a contraction of your calf muscles. Bring your arms back in while at the same time dropping your heels back to the ground – all the while maintaining the pressing of your palms together.

• High Knees + Lateral Raises – You will feel this one in both your hip flexors and shoulders. Keep a nice steady motion going and don’t “throw” your limbs or use momentum.

• Seated Leg Extensions + Overhead Presses – One leg at a time, lift your thigh from your chair and then extend at the knee so that your leg is straight. At the same time, push both hands up above your head in a press. Come back down and immediately repeat the motion.

• Seated Side Bends – Place one hand behind your head and extend the other arm out straight. Lean as far as you can control to the side with the extended arm, then squeeze through the obliques and abs in order to pull yourself back over for a stretch on the opposite side. Really focus on getting a squeeze in on each lean.

• Russian Twists – Turn sideways in your chair so that you can lean back without the back of the seat being in your way. Lean back as far as you can control and rotate your shoulders as far as you can to the left and then right. Keep your hands in front of your body and your back straight.

• Seated Swimmers – Tilt at the waist so that you are leaning forward from the edge of your seat, with your arms hanging loosely at your sides. Using as full of a range of motion as you can, bring your arms in a full circle so that they meet together, up above your head. Bring them back down along the sides of your body so that they return to their starting position; repeat.

• Assisted Sumo Squats – These squats are very deep and very slow; you will feel them in your glutes and thighs. Use the chair for balance if you need to. Remember to keep your back straight and stick your butt out behind you in an exaggerated way.

• Assisted Side Leg Lifts – Alternating from left to right, use a slow and controlled motion to lift each leg out to the side, using the chair for balance if necessary. Do not use a swinging motion to complete the movement. You will feel this in your outside thigh, obliques and glutes.

• Assisted Hamstring Curls – Using a very deliberate movement, bend at your knee and contract your hamstrings to bring your foot up to your butt. Use the chair for balance if you need to, or increase the demand on your core by using minimal assistance to stay steady.


How many calories does this Fitness Blender Chair Workout Burn?
We estimate that these low impact chair exercises burn between 4-7 calories a minute, or 128 and 224 calories total. If you use additional resistance or weights to do this routine, you could burn more than that.