Be a chair person. 5 fat-burning exercises I want you to try with your chair.
These 5 chair exercises form a complete workout to burn fat at every fitness level

My chair man story
I must confess to you that I don’t use a chair to work. I’m a trainer so my job is far from being sedentary. I use a standing office when I work on my laptop (yes I’m standing as I’m writing this). The only reason I keep a chair in my studio is to demo exercises. I’ve only been using a chair for training for the last 5 years when my training business moved online.
Who are chair exercises good for?
They have a perception of being mainly for the older population. There is even a thing called chair yoga and it helps with dementia. It can truly be a good replacement for floor-based exercises. Some of my clients find it challenging to go down on the mat and raise back up, especially when they start working with me. It’s also a replacement for standing exercises for people with balance issues, such as recovering from an injury. However, there are certain advantages apart from that:
- You can make certain exercises more challenging. The extra safety means you can go all out, doing a move until you drop your body back on the chair. The first exercise, One inch squat, is a great example of this approach.
- You can do them regardless of a space or cleanliness constraint, such as being in an airport. I’ve seen people working out in airports a number of times, but never saw them using a mat.
- It’s widely available, really hard to find a place without a chair
This article focuses on chair exercises, and they have nothing to do with chair yoga for older people, thank you for asking! Please note that you need a simple type of chair for them. Which means a chair without wheels firmly standing on the floor. Free of armrests as well. That’s going to exclude most office chairs and gaming types. I like to do time-based exercises when you keep doing the same move for 30 secs or 1 minute. If you prefer counting reps, please feel free to keep it at 10–15 per exercise, unless the exercise description states otherwise.
5 best chair exercises
Exercise 1. One inch squat (Invisible chair).

A safe zero worries exercise to set your lower body on fire.
- start sitting on a chair with a straight back
- step both legs forward to get a 90 degrees angle at your knees
- start getting up and freeze as soon as you’re off the chair
- hold the position until you drop back on the chair. Repeat 2 more times
Exercise 2. Stepovers

Good for your mobility. If your body structure prevents you from stepping all the way above, just move to the other side of the chair, moving over the air instead of the seat.
- start facing the side of the chair, hold on to the chair’s back until you get used to the balance
- step the outside leg above the chair first
- step the inside leg forward
- turn around and step back the same way
Please note some people might find it dizzying to turn. In this case, step back over the chair instead of turning around. Do separate rounds for both sides.
Exercise 3. Side jumps

A great cardio full-body exercise.
- put the chair’s back against the wall for the peace of mind
- stand facing the chair and put both arms on the seat
- put your weight on your arms so your legs become light
- jump both legs to the right, then to the left
Exercise 4. Leg raises.

This core exercise is tougher than it looks.
- sit on the edge of the chair, lean back
- hold on to the sides of the chair
- keep your legs bent, lift your feet off the ground
- pull your knees toward your chest, get back to the hanging position
Exercise 5. Chair dips

A classic exercise, which is slightly more technical than the rest. A good option for ladies if push-ups are still a challenge for you. You can rest right there when you get tired, then do a few more repetitions.
- put the chair’s back against the wall for the peace of mind
- sit on the edge of the chair, knees at 90 degrees
- make a half step forward with both legs
- hold onto the sides of the chair
- move your backside in forward and off the chair
- move your body down with your back close to the chair, raise back up
- it’s important to sit down and rest once you’re done. Please never rest down
These 5 chair exercises are great if you need a quick workout in a tiny space. Simple yet challenging, they make you sweat and burn fat. Try them and get healthier today!
P.S. Need more exercise ideas to work out from home without buying any equipment? Check out my recent articles:






