You might wonder, is chair Yoga good for you? And the answer is, yes! Every day we do some form of chair yoga (it literally saves our bodies from feeling tight and restless).
If you were in our home office it wouldn’t be weird to see Carla sitting in double pigeon on her chair and Emma twisting out her back every hour on the hour (maybe twice!).
Chair yoga is a beautiful, safe and inclusive practice that you can welcome into your life today. Whether you are unable to move your legs, or whether you have a sedentary lifestyle, chair yoga poses are super easy to incorporate into your day to day life and really do make a big difference to your overall wellbeing.
Below we share just some of the benefits you’ll experience AND we share an entire full-length class for you to try which is directly from our MerryBody Online Studio. Experience the class and you will truly realise that Chair Yoga is good for you!
What is Chair Yoga? And is Chair Yoga good for you?
To put it plain and simple, chair yoga is a yoga practice in which poses are performed with the aid of a chair. In our chair yoga, you sit down the entire time (however, there are other classes that have you using the chair as more of a prop).
Chair yoga classes are perfect for those with physical disabilities or older populations who find a typical yoga session too challenging.
Chair yoga is also great for those who live a more sedentary lifestyle. If you sit a lot at work or have a long commute, knowing some chair yoga poses will do wonders for your day to day life.
It’s a gentle practice, perfect for anyone who wants to focus on going slow plus it is excellent for first-time Yogis.
What Are The Benefits Of Chair Yoga?
And yes you’ll experience these benefits from traditional Yoga too… but how amazing that you can experience all of this from your chair!
Chair Yoga is Amazing for Those Who Have Trouble Practicing Traditional Yoga
For those who struggle with traditional yoga, chair yoga is an excellent alternative since it was originally developed with an arthritic yogi in mind. Chair yoga isn’t just great for those who have arthritis. It can also help sufferers of chronic pain, carpal tunnel, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis (really, any condition that inhibits movement and strength of the body, especially the legs).
It’s extremely supportive of the body, making the practitioner feel safe to stretch and move.
Chair Yoga Improves Proprioception
Proprioception is perhaps a word you haven’t heard before, but it is a skill you possess! Proprioception means knowing where your body is in space and coordinating your movements accurately.
This is particularly important for older people because it can prevent injuries and falls.
For people with conditions such as MS, arthritis, or physical disabilities, it also means having better control over your body and movements.
Chair Yoga Improves Flexibility
If you have mobility issues or are recovering from an injury, you know how simple tasks like reaching down to tie shoelaces or picking something up can be complicated and very often painful. Chair yoga can help with that, as it improves flexibility and mobility.
Online At Home Chair Yoga Class
In our Chair Yoga class, we make sure the body moves in all directions (even though we stay seated the entire time). You will twist, reach bend and stretch forward, backward, and laterally.
This Chair Yoga Class is perfect for seniors if you have limited mobility or if you’re working on rehabilitation. The gentle chair Yoga flow will show you how simple it is to welcome movement into your everyday life, even when you are sedentary or have limited movement and mobility. Using the chair you’ll twist, bend and stretch your amazing body, bringing peace and groundedness to your day. Keep these stretches in mind for moments when you find yourself sitting for long periods of time. Think: at your desk, on the train, on the plane, even at the cafe!
Chair Yoga Reduces Stress and Improves Mental Clarity
Chair yoga can help reduce the impact of chronic illnesses and chronic pain, and helps with overall relaxation and calmness of the mind. This is because there is still a focus on moving with the breath (just like traditional yoga!). Being more relaxed and calmer inevitably leads to a greater feeling of well-being and happiness, which everyone can benefit from!
Chair Yoga is Ideal for Desk Jobs or Long Flights
Experts agree that sitting is the new smoking, and sedentary jobs are more and more common now.
If you are sitting for a few hours at a time without taking a movement or standing break, your body is suffering.
But what if you simply can’t leave your desk?! We get it, work can be urgent sometimes!
In moments like this, it’s important you know how to move your body while still getting your work done. Chair yoga can help you out here. Do the class we provided above and take a few simple stretches to your next workday.
The same is true for long-haul flights (when they were still a thing) since they put us at the risk of developing blood clots due to being stationary for long periods. By practicing chair yoga in your airplane seat, you will get your circulation going, and reduce the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis.
How to Incorporate it into Your Day?
The best thing about chair yoga is that you can do it anytime, anywhere! And now that you know that YES, chair yoga is good for you! All you need is a chair, fifteen free minutes, and some guidance. And we can help you out with that! We have a Chair Yoga Class available on YouTube, and we will take you through this quick and energizing Chair Yoga workout.
If you do the class, let us know! Even better if you LOVED it and want more Online MerryBody Classes, secure your FREE 7 Day Trial over here! At MerryBody, it’s not about before and after images… it’s about before and AHHH-I feel amazing.
Always merrymaking,
Emma + Carla