Here are 5 easy yoga poses that you can do just on your chair!
Really, easy yoga poses on a chair? Shortcuts aren’t usually advised when it comes to our health, but why not knock out two birds with one stone when we are stuck at a desk? While most yoga stretches and postures are performed on a mat, several can be adjusted to be performed in, or with, a chair.
These easy yoga poses are perfect when we just need a quick stretch without bringing out our yoga mat, an ideal choice for the workplace or when we don’t have much space to work with. On the plus side, we will reap many of the same advantages from practising yoga in a chair as we would on a mat. Below are the 5 easy yoga poses that we recommend.
Cat/Cow
Sit tall with hand on knees
Drop chin toward chest and round the back like a cat
Draw shoulders back and open chest up and forward
Arch back and tilt pelvis forward
Repeat twice
Extended Mountain Pose
Sit on edge of chair with feet flat on floor
Slightly point toes outward
Take a deep breath
Reach arms overhead, shoulders away from ears
Sway arms right or left to feel stretch on side of body
Return to center and switch sides
Hamstring Stretch
Sit with feet flat on floor
Extend left leg in front with heel on floor
Keep spine long and hinge at hips
Breathe deeply and hinge more to increase hamstring stretch
Release and switch sides
Pigeon Pose
Sit with both feet flat on floor
Lift right foot and place right ankle or calf on left thigh
Sit tall, and exhale and hinge at hips
Feel the stretch on right glute and lower back
Hold for a few breaths and hinge forward slightly
Release and repeat on opposite side
Spinal Twist
Sit tall in chair and extend arms straight up
Inhale
Twist torso left and place right hand on left knee
Place left hand on back of chair
Exhale
Breathe in and out and twist gently
Return to center and switch sides
There you have it! We hope you can regularly use these easy yoga poses to throughout the week to help strengthen the body and mind. Never underestimate the health benefits of yoga.