13 Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do Anywhere

There’s no getting around the fact that many of us are on our seats more than we’re on our feet. At the same time, we already know how crucial movement is for our physical and mental health. Fortunately, spending a lot of time in a seated position doesn’t preclude you from an active lifestyle. That’s where chair yoga poses can help. Almost anything you can do on your mat can be done in a chair.

What Is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is exactly what it sounds like—yoga poses modified for a seated position. Although it originated as a practice for anyone experiencing limited mobility, anyone can practice yoga in a chair to stretch stiff muscles and fascia, experience relief from aches and pain related to prolonged sitting, regain proper posture, improve blood flow, and draw awareness to the breath, which can promote a sense of calm.

Chair yoga offers many of the same benefits as traditional yoga, which include:

• Building strength
• Boosting mental health
• Improving flexibility and balance
• Reducing muscle pain

Because it is a gentle and therapeutic variation of yoga, chair yoga exercises are often recommended for seniors, as chair yoga puts less pressure on joints. People who use wheelchairs or those experiencing physical disabilities may also benefit from chair yoga.

Tips for Getting Started With Chair Yoga

Not every chair will provide the support you need for chair yoga poses. Here’s what to keep in mind:

1. You need a stable, sturdy seat. A kitchen chair or almost any armless chair that isn’t too cushy will work. Although some companies sell yoga chairs that are marketed specifically for chair yoga, it’s not necessary. You should be able to sit with your feet on the floor and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your feet on blocks if they don’t reach the floor.
2. If practicing chair yoga in a wheelchair, be sure to lock the wheels to keep them from moving during your practice.
3. As in any yoga class, you may also want to keep blocks, a strap, or a belt nearby when practicing chair yoga poses to support you in finding a version that works for you.

13 Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do Anywhere

These chair yoga exercises will help you be creative in being active even when you’re sitting down.

1. Upward Salute Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

1. Sit tall with your back a few inches from the back of the chair. Lift your chin slightly.
2. Place your feet flat on the floor. If you experience lower back pain, practice with your feet hip-distance apart.
3. Inhale, draw your shoulders away from your ears, and raise your arms overhead with your hands shoulder-distance apart and palms facing each other in Upward Salute. If your shoulders are tight, take your arms wider than your shoulders. Gently draw your navel toward your spine to engage your core. Reach your fingers toward the ceiling and keep your gaze straight ahead. If you prefer, touch your palms together and bring your gaze to your thumbs. Stay here for several breaths.

2. Cat Pose (Marjaryasana)

1. Sit with your feet hip-width apart. Let your hands rest on your thighs or knees.
2. Exhale and, round your spine, lowering your chin toward your chest in Cat Pose. Take several relaxed breaths here.
3. On an exhalation, slowly lift your head and return to an upright position.

3. Cow Pose (Bitilasana)

1. Sit tall with your feet and knees hip-width apart. Let your hands rest on your thighs or knees.
2. Inhale as you reach your chest forward and lift your chin slightly, allowing your back to arch. Release your shoulders away from your ears in Cow Pose. Take several breaths.
3. Slowly lower your chin and return to a neutral position.

4. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

1. Sit with your feet hip-width apart. Let your hands rest on your thighs or knees.
2. Inhale and lift your chest and chin, allowing your back to arch. If it’s comfortable, let your shoulder blades touch the back of the chair. Draw your shoulders down away from your ears. Keep your hands on your thighs or reach your arms back to grasp the legs of the chair. Press your feet into the floor and breathe in Camel Pose.
3. To come out of it, release your grasp on the chair, lower your chin, and return to an upright position.

5. Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

1. Sit toward the front edge of the chair with your feet on the floor, a little wider than hip-width apart.
2. Exhale and hinge forward at your hips, lowering your chest toward your thighs or the floor. If it’s comfortable, reach for your outer shins, ankles, or feet in Happy Baby Pose. Take several breaths.
3. To release the pose, release your grip and draw your navel in as you lift your head, neck, shoulders to return to upright.

You can more easily control the intensity of the stretch in your quads in this chair version of the pose. (Photo: Andrew Clark)

6. King Arthur’s Pose

1. Sit so that your body is on the right side of the chair with your knees hip-width apart, feet flat on the floor, and your back a few inches from the back of the chair.
2. Keep your right thigh connected to the chair seat as you bend your right knee, lift your foot off the floor, and point your toes toward the back of the chair. Reach down with your right hand and grasp your ankle. Or loop a belt, strap, or towel around your right ankle and hold onto both ends of it in your right hand. Lift your ankle toward your body until you feel a stretch in your right thigh and shin.Take several breaths.
3. Lower your foot and return to a seated position. Switch sides.

7. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

1. Sit tall toward the front edge of the chair.
2. Extend your left leg straight in front of you. Flex your foot or point your toes toward the floor.
3. Bend your right knee to the side, keeping your foot or toes on the floor. Bring your hands into prayer position (anjali mudra) at your chest or reach your arms overhead with your palms facing each other in Tree Pose. Take several breaths.
4. To come out of it, release your arms and return your right and then left thigh to the seat. Switch sides.

8. Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

1. Sit so your body is on the left side of the chair and your left thigh clears the seat.
2. Extend your left leg straight out to the side.
3. Inhale and raise your arms to the sides in a T shape with your palms facing down. Draw your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Exhale as you hinge from your hip and reach your chest to the left. Lower your left hand and rest it on your thigh or shin. Reach your right arm toward the ceiling. Keep your head in a neutral position in Extended Triangle Pose or turn to look either at your right hand or down at the floor. Take several breaths. Inhale and return to a seated position. Shift your body to the right side of the chair and switch sides.

9. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

1. Sit tall toward the front edge of the chair so your sitting bones are supported but your knees clear the seat.
2. Open your legs wide so your knees point away from each other and draw your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Keeping your knees wide, bring your feet together. Come onto the balls of your feet and turn them out slightly, as if you’re opening a book, in Bound Angle Pose. Place your hands on your thighs and gently press your thighs away from each other. Take several breaths. Slowly release and return to a seated position.

10. High Lunge

1. Sit facing the left side of the room. Make sure your thighs are fully supported by the seat. Then shift forward on the seat until your right thigh clears it.
2. Reach your right leg straight back, planting the ball of your foot on the floor. Straighten your leg.
3. Inhale and reach your arms overhead with your palms facing inward. Draw your shoulders away from your ears in High Lunge. Take several breaths.
4. To release the pose, release your arms and bring your right leg forward, planting your right foot next to your left. Shift in the seat to face the right side of the room and repeat on the opposite side.

11. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

1. Sit facing the left side of the room so your thighs are fully supported by the seat. Shift yourself to the right, near the front side of the chair, so your right thigh clears the seat. Reach your right leg straight back and plant your foot flat on the floor with your toes angled toward the front of the chair. Keep your left knee bent with your foot flat on the floor.
2. Hinge from your hips toward your left knee, bringing your left fingertips to the floor or on a block inside your left foot. Reach your right arm straight up toward the ceiling or alongside your right ear with your palm facing the floor, in Extended Side Angle Pose. To intensify the stretch in your right shoulder, bend your right elbow and reach your hand behind your back, turn your chest toward your top arm. Bring your gaze to look toward the ceiling or keep your gaze forward if more comfortable. Take several breaths. To come out of it, press into your left hand as you lift yourself to an upright position. Turn on the chair to face the right side of the room and switch sides.

12. Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

1. Turn to face the right side of the chair. Sit tall and cross your right leg over your left leg.
2. Inhale and lift both arms toward the ceiling. Exhale and twist to the right as you lower your hands to grasp the back of the chair. Gently turn your head to the right, looking past your right shoulder in Half Lord of the Fishes Pose. Take several breaths. To come out of it, inhale and reach your arms toward the ceiling, then exhale and unwind to a neutral position. Place both feet on the floor. Turn to the left side of the chair and switch sides.

13. Spinal Twist (Marichyasana III)

1. Sit tall with your spine supported by the back of the chair and your feet on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Lift your right knee and draw it toward your chest. If it’s comfortable, place your right foot on the seat of the chair as close to your right sitting bone as possible.
3. Inhale and lengthen your spine. Exhale and twist to the right. Place your left hand against your right knee or wrap your left elbow around your right knee. Drape your right arm over the back of the chair and either grasp the chair back or clasp your hands together in Spinal Twist. Take several breaths. As you inhale, sit tall. As you exhale, gently twist a bit more. To release the pose, lower your arms, unwind your body, and place your right foot back on the floor. Switch sides.

This article has been updated. Originally published July 3, 2022.

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