Yoga has the amazing ability to reduce stress, improve mental wellbeing, and increase flexibility. And when you practice this mind-body exercise on a chair, you can feel all of these benefits without even having to leave your desk.
But chair yoga—AKA the type of yoga that is performed while perched on a chair or using a seat for support—not only makes sense for office workers who have spent the past eight hours glued to their screens. This accessible practice can also do wonders for those who have balance or mobility issues, as it makes this form of exercise more attainable for anyone who struggles to get up from and down to the floor.
Another upside to chair yoga is that relief from tightness and tension is only ever just moments away. For example, this yoga stretch, designed by yoga teacher Hye Yeon Lee, aims to rid neck, upper back pain, alleviate stiff shoulders, and help with desk-related strain—and it takes just four minutes.
While you won’t need to meet the yogi on the mat, if you can steal five minutes away from your desk, it’s a good idea to roll out one of the best yoga mats and pop it underneath your chair. This will help provide some extra grip during your seated workout and help cushion your feet.
Watch how to do this four-minute chair yoga stretch for neck and upper back pain
“This is a short and effective chair yoga class to release tension around your neck and upper back,” Lee tells her YouTube subscribers.
In this quick stretch, Lee demonstrates how to complete each seated stretch and adds in a voice-over explaining how to master the moves, too.
The class includes exercises like arm circles, a c-shape back stretch, and slow side rocks, which will help to increase the movement in your spine and neck.
Seated cat/cows are also thrown in, which will help to boost the flexibility in your upper body by taking your spine through spinal flexion (the bending forward or curving of the spine) and extension (the backward arching movement of the spine).
To end, Lee includes a side bend right and a side bend left, which are two other fundamental movement patterns needed for maintaining a healthy spine.
Does chair yoga really work?
Yes, chair yoga really does work, and it brings with it many physical and mental benefits.
According to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, an eight-week chair yoga program can help in the reduction of pain, fatigue and improvement in gait speed, in those who have osteoarthritis and are unable to take part in standing exercise.
A 2023 study, which looked at the effect that chair yoga has on those with knee osteoarthritis, also found that this low-impact type of exercise could improve functional fitness, boost daily life activity scores, and help with healthy ageing.
While another study, which tasked 20 office workers to complete 15 minutes of chair-based yoga and guided meditation, could “acutely improve” several physiological and psychological markers of stress by reducing respiration rate.
Lastly, chair yoga can be a blessing in disguise for newbies as they can try out many of the best yoga stretches for beginners from a seated position, and build their confidence and form before taking on a harder standing class.
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