Abdominal exercises are an essential part of an overall fitness routine. But for many people, getting to the floor to do crunches or attempt advanced moves like leg raises is too difficult.

Luckily, you can easily do a chair AB workout at home, at work, or anywhere you have a chair. These workouts are also easy to fit into your day, regardless of your schedule or fitness level.

Below you’ll find a mix of exercises that target the upper, lower, and oblique abdominal muscles. Each exercise is designed to be performed while seated, making it accessible to everyone, including those with mobility issues or new to exercise.

Benefits of Chair AB exercises

Building a solid core is essential to your overall health, posture and daily activities, especially as you age. When your core is strong, it can function the way it needs to – preventing falls, protecting you from back pain, and making tasks like lifting, bending, and running easier.

As you age, it’s especially important to keep your core strong. A strong core helps with balance and stability – vital to staying independent and active.

Your abdominal muscles are just part of your core, which includes muscles in your back, glutes, pelvic floor, and diaphragm. They are important for keeping your body upright and stable, protecting your spine and organs, and helping with movements between your ribcage and pelvis. Adding AB workouts to your fitness routine is one way to improve your overall core strength and stability.

One of the best things about chair-based exercises is their convenience and accessibility. You don’t need AB machine equipment – just a sturdy chair and some space – and they can help you maintain good posture and reduce back pain.

Chair AB Workout

According to healthcare experts, chair-based exercises are an ideal simple exercise plan for older adults who need a gentler approach to increasing their strength and mobility. These exercises focus on seated movements and are intended for people with limited mobility as chairs provide stability and safety. Chair AB workouts can be customized to suit your preferences and needs, and you can change them as your needs change.

The chair AB exercises also build strength and prepare you for more advanced standing exercises. They improve your ability to perform daily tasks, elevate your mood, and increase joint mobility, muscle strength, and coordination. To prevent injuries, each training session should begin with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

A warm-up might include gentle seated marches, shoulder rolls, and deep breathing exercises. After your workout, cool down with seated stretches, focusing on your back, neck and legs to help you recover and prevent stiffness. Here are some exercises you should try at home, although you should speak to a healthcare provider first if you have limited mobility or chronic health problems.

Sitting knee lifts

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight.
2. Raise your knees toward your chest and engage your upper abs.
3. Slowly lower them back.
4. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps.

Seated crunches

1. Sit on the edge of the chair and lean back slightly.
2. Place your hands behind your head.
3. Bring forward together and bring your chest to your knees.
4. Return to starting position and repeat for 10 to 15 reps.

Sitting leg lifts

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight.
2. Extend your legs in front of you and lift them together, engaging your lower abs.
3. Slowly lower them back.
4. Do 10 to 15 reps.

Sitting scissors kicking

1. Sit on the edge of the chair and lean back slightly.
2. Extend your legs in front of you.
3. Alternately raise each leg up and down in a scissor motion.
4. Perform 30 seconds to a minute.

Sitting Russian phrases

1. Sit on the edge of the chair and lean back slightly.
2. Lift your feet off the floor.
3. Keep your hands together and rotate your torso from side to side, touching the chair on each side.
4. Do this for 30 seconds to a minute.

Seated side crunches

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight.
2. Raise one knee toward your chest as you bring the opposite elbow toward the knee, engaging your obliques.
3. Alternate sides for 10 to 15 reps per side.

Sitting bicycle crunces

1. Sit on the edge of the chair and lean back slightly.
2. Lift your feet off the floor.
3. Alternatively, bring each knee into a pedaling motion towards the opposite elbow.
4. Perform 30 seconds to a minute.

Seated V-ups

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight.
2. Extend and lift your legs as you reach your hands to your feet, forming a “V” shape with your body.
3. Hold for a moment and then move down.
4. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps.

How to make progress

For beginners, start with the easier versions of the exercises if you’ve never tried them before. Perform fewer reps and shorter durations if necessary. Also focus on maintaining proper form.

As you get stronger, you can increase the number of repetitions or increase the duration of each exercise. Once you feel comfortable, try the more challenging variations of Chair AB.

Conclusion

Chair AB exercises are a simple and effective way to strengthen your core, improve your posture and support your overall health. Performing these exercises regularly as part of a well-rounded routine will help you build a solid core without needing special equipment or a gym membership.

Remember to listen to your body and move forward at your own pace. Over time, progress to more challenging variations to continue building strength.