Chair Yoga: A Gentle Practice With Powerful Benefits

WASHINGTON — If the word yoga makes you think of pretzel-like poses on a mat, you’re not alone. But there are options beyond downward dogs. Chair yoga offers a gentle, adaptable form of movement that makes yoga more accessible, particularly for individuals who need a little extra support.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, navigating the aging process, or simply looking for a low-intensity way to move and breathe during the workday, chair yoga might be the practice you didn’t even know you needed.

What Is Chair Yoga?

Chair yoga is a modified version of mat yoga. It retains the core elements of a Western yoga class, including breathwork, meditation and mindful movement, while providing extra stability.

While yoga can be many things to many people, the physical practice of yoga can help improve balance, mobility and strength. Research suggests that chair yoga for older adults helps improve muscle endurance and flexibility, similar to performing yoga while standing.

How Does Chair Yoga Work?

While you can do chair yoga on your own, just by sitting and breathing or trying a simple stretch, a chair yoga class with a certified instructor will work like a traditional yoga class, just with a chair.

A typical structure includes a proper warm-up for the mind and body including breathing, meditation, dynamic stretches and increasing blood flow. This is followed by a seated yoga flow with modified poses, an optional standing section for those who are able, using the chair for support, and a cool-down with more breathing, meditation and final stretches.

Examples of Poses

Here are some common modified poses you’ll encounter in a chair yoga class.

• Seated joint circles for neck, shoulders, wrists and ankles.
• Seated cat-cow.
• Seated mountain pose.
• Seated forward fold.
• Seated spinal twist.
• Chair warrior I, II, and reverse warrior.

Who Is Chair Yoga Good For?

• Older Adults: Most research on chair yoga focuses on older adults with limited mobility, additional support needs, or chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis.
• Wheelchair Users: People of any age who use a wheelchair.
• Desk Workers: Sitting at work all day? Practicing chair yoga can reduce stiffness and improve posture.
• Those With Injuries: Chair yoga offers a safe way to return to movement.
• Those Seeking Low-Intensity Movement: Anyone looking for gentle movement to reduce stress or improve mental and physical health.

Health Benefits of Chair Yoga

The latest research on chair yoga suggests these potential benefits.

• Provides Pain Relief and Better Function: An eight-week chair yoga program reduced pain, fatigue and improved gait speed in older adults with lower-body osteoarthritis. Pain relief persisted even three months after the program.

• Improves Daily Function: Chair yoga enhanced functional fitness and daily activity performance in older women with knee osteoarthritis.

• Supports Mental Health: Participants experienced reductions in depression and pain, along with improved life satisfaction.

• Helps Prevent Falls: Chair yoga may reduce the fear of falling, which is especially important for older adults and those with chronic conditions.

• Improves Quality of Life: Regular chair yoga has been linked to improved flexibility, muscle tone, and overall well-being.

• Support for People With Dementia: In care home residents aged 80 to 101, chair yoga improved mood and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, even among those with mild to severe dementia. 

• Benefits for Psychiatric Patients: A 12-week chair yoga program improved physical fitness and reduced fear of falling in psychiatric inpatients.

Sit, Breathe, Stretch

Chair yoga shows that you don’t need to be able to touch your toes or even stand up to enjoy the benefits of yoga. By blending movement, breath, and mindfulness, it creates a space for healing that’s inclusive, accessible and evidence-based.

Whether you’re easing back into movement or just looking for a mid-day pause that’s kinder to your joints, chair yoga is a great way to bring balance and breath back into your day, without ever leaving your seat.

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