Chair Yoga Standing Exercises: More Ways to Do Yoga With Your Chair!
There’s research that says if you can reduce the amount of sitting to less than three hours a day, you can increase your life expectancy by two years! So, let’s get out of our chairs and practice chair yoga standing exercises. Yes, there are exercises you can do with a chair even when you’re not sitting in it!
The best thing you can do throughout the day is get off your butt! Set a timer on your computer or phone for the last five minutes of each hour. When the timer goes off, stand up. While you’re at it, try some chair yoga standing exercises.
Your chair is an awesome yoga prop. You can use it to do certain standing yoga postures with more ease and control. I sure found this to be true when I did chair yoga standing exercises while pregnant.
Get Out of Your Chair
There are times when you can get so engaged with your work on the computer or a program on Netflix that before you know it, you’ve been in your seat for too long. Humans are designed to move, not stay stuck in one position for extended periods of time. The repercussions from sitting all day are worse than we realize. The most interesting thing about the studies done on prolonged hours of sitting is that one hour of exercise doesn’t offset all the risk factors.
The goal with chair yoga standing exercises is that they become built-in moments throughout your day to get up and get moving. This will help you be at ease and find a comfort level in your body that will make you happier, healthier, and live longer!
What else can you do to ensure you get up once an hour? Walk to the water cooler to refill your water bottle. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Go to a colleague’s desk instead of calling, emailing, or sending an instant message. Go outside and take a walk at lunchtime. Find any excuse you can to get up, stretch, and move!
There Are No Excuses: You Can Do Chair Yoga Standing Exercises
I find we limit ourselves with excuses for why we can’t move, when the reality is it’s easier than we think. I’ve found myself at the airport doing hamstring stretches on a chair. I’ve been in doctors’ offices using the waiting room chair as a prop for downward-facing dog. And in case you’re wondering, I rarely get odd looks! I usually have people asking me how they can join in!
I encourage you to try chair yoga standing exercises whenever you can throughout the day. Be creative and have fun! You’ll need a little more space to do standing poses, so make sure your area is open. Feel free to practice in shoes, or if you can and want to, take off your shoes and socks. You may find you have better balance through your feet for chair yoga standing poses when you’re barefoot.
If you’re not sure how to use your chair as a yoga prop for standing poses, you can find out in chapter 9 of my book, Chair Yoga, Sit, Stretch, and Strengthen Your Way to a Happier, Healthier You.
Kristin McGee is a celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor in New York City. She is currently teaching yoga with Peloton. She is the star of over 100 videos, seen in several magazines and tv shows and is a spokeswoman for many brands and causes she believes in. A proud mom to three, she sure keeps herself busy!