12 Chair Yoga Poses Perfect for Beginners, According to Yoga Teachers

On days when your inbox is full to the brim, your MIL won’t stop bugging you about that family trip you were supposed to book weeks ago and you can’t stop reaching for the coffee pot, there’s hope. All you need is the right type of yoga to help you stretch and unwind. I chatted with yoga teachers Patrick Franco and Kristin McGee to learn more about the benefits of chair yoga, plus 12 easy-to-do chair yoga poses that can help improve your strength and flexibility—all from the comfort of, you guessed it, a chair.

• Patrick Franco is the Yoga Director and Co-Owner of YogaRenew. Revered as the yoga teacher’s yoga teacher, Franco has leveraged his extensive knowledge across yoga and eastern medicine to develop and inspire some of the world’s most influential yoga instructors.
•  Kristin McGee is a nationally recognized yoga and Pilates teacher, speaker, entrepreneur and author. With more than three decades of experience in the fitness and wellness space, she has had a continuous roster of high profile celebrities, pioneered the launch of Peloton’s yoga and pilates program and launched Kristin McGee Movement.

Just as it sounds, chair yoga is a style of yoga that can be practiced while sitting on a chair or using a chair for support. It involves gentle stretches or enhancing more challenging postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. Franco tells me that chair yoga can be both gentle or rigorous depending on how the chairs are used. He says, "Using chairs can make the physical practice accessible for people who may have difficulty with traditional yoga poses due to age, injury, mobility issues or other physical limitations."

Good news, per Franco: "Chair yoga is good for all yoga practitioners. There is a perception that chair yoga is only for the elderly or people with injuries, for which they are a great tool, but the use of chairs can also be employed in more active forms of yoga as well." He adds that chair yoga can provide many of the same benefits as traditional yoga, including improved flexibility and mobility, stress reduction, increased circulation and support for mental wellbeing.

"While chair yoga is generally safe for most people, it may not be appropriate for individuals with certain medical conditions or mobility limitations," Franco says, stressing that it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have specific health concerns or limitations. "Additionally, chair yoga may not provide the same level of cardiovascular or strength-building benefits as more vigorous forms of exercise. While it can still improve flexibility, strength and overall well-being, individuals seeking high-intensity workouts may find chair yoga insufficient."

As mentioned, chair yoga has many of the same benefits as classic mat yoga, from improved flexibility and mobility to enhanced strength. That being said, remember what Franco shared above: "Chair yoga may not provide the same level of cardiovascular or strength-building benefits as more vigorous forms of exercise. While it can still improve flexibility, strength and overall well-being, individuals seeking high-intensity workouts may find chair yoga insufficient."

Considering that chair yoga is a style of yoga that can be practiced while sitting on a chair or using a chair for support, it's a great option for folks who may have difficulty with traditional yoga poses due to age, injury, mobility issues or other physical limitations (though chairs can also be employed in more active forms of yoga as well). It involves gentle stretches, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, and can provide many of the same benefits as traditional yoga, so is definitely worth a try should you be interested in improved flexibility, enhanced strength and stress reduction.