Chair Leg Workouts: Building Lower Body Strength at Office

Just because you don't get time to hit the gym doesn't mean you should keep sulking deeper into the unhealthy lifestyle and give up working out altogether. A slow and steady workout is better than no workout. And thankfully some workouts can be done without involving complicated and twisted movements, which require you to change into gym clothes and hit the lunges on a yoga mat only. Keeping this in mind, it is possible to have chair leg workouts right from your workstation without needing to get up. Isn't it great? A workout routine that doesn't demand much but gives you the complete benefit?

Chair exercises for leg strength are a popular practice among office workers who spend a certain number of hours in front of the screen. In addition, chair leg exercises for seniors are also very helpful for older people with issues like back problems and joint pains. If you also have an office chair and a lazy lifestyle, starting with chair stretches is the best idea rather than sitting idly. In this article, we will cover all you need to know about practicing chair leg workouts amidst a busy day.

How to Do Chair Exercises?

For most chair exercises, you will need a desk chair with no wheels and a few inches of free space in front of you. These exercises are friendly for beginners, and most don't even require you to get up from the seated positions. So before shifting to expensive office workout equipment, starting with basic chair exercises is a good idea.

Easy Chair Leg Workouts and Exercises

Below are some ways to stretch and relax your legs and entire body with the help of an office chair.

Seated Chair Stretches

Seated stretches are a wonderful warm-up activity you can do right in your chair. Seated stretches help you reset the muscle energy after a long tiring day and provide a good posture while working. You can practice seated stretches several times a day without putting the body under strain or fatigue. Here is how you do various types of seated stretches in a chair.

Lower Back Stretch

Stretching the lower back will help release tension that has built up there from sitting all day on a chair. And sometimes, even the best office chairs for long hours cannot undo the fatigue gathered in lower back muscles by sitting all day. Hence these stretches work great. All you have to do is sit up straight and cross your left arm over your hip. Gently sway to the left while deepening the stretch with your right hand. Continue on the opposite side after holding for 20 to 30 seconds.

Wrist Stretch

Wrist stretches are crucial for anybody who uses a keyboard or mouse for extended periods, including gamers. Start by putting a forward arm with the palm up and grabbing the fingers with the other hand. Stretch the forearm by gently pulling the fingers in your direction and holding for 20 to 30 seconds. On the opposite side, repeat.

Arm Stretches

Working all day or even gaming and tapping on a computer and mouse has a lot of tension in your wrists and elbows, which then travel up to your arms and rest in the shoulders. Similarly, you might also find the upper back and neck region hurting after a long day, as the shoulders get tired of keeping the neck in an ideal po sition. Arm stretches, which also stretch the shoulder region hence in this case, are very useful to fight off fatigue. Below are some common arm stretches you can perform right in the chair.

Triceps Dips

By starting with the triceps, we may prevent the agony from ascending. Put your hands on the seat of a sturdy chair near your hips. Bending the elbows while lowering the torso until the elbows are at 90-degree angles requires moving the hips forward towards the chair. Repeat 16 times by pushing yourself back up.

Biceps Curl

Regularly stretching and relaxing your biceps muscles can improve your arm mobility and recharge your work energy. With your abs tight and your spine straight, curl a weight or a water bottle towards your shoulder for 16 repetitions. On the opposite side, repeat.

Leg Stretches

If all of us had massage office chairs, it would still be wise to practice a few chair stretches to get the muscles moving and improve blood circulation. While we pay a lot of attention to the upper body and its stretches, we tend to forget how our lower body can suffer from fatigue from sitting all day. Especially as the legs are hanging in the air, it is normal to feel the numbing sensation in them soon. Here are some easy-to-do leg stretches to reset your lower body.

Seated Heel Raise

Seated heel raises are a wonderful activity several times a day to relax the calves and reduce the pain build-up in the back of the lower leg. You can move to the edge of your chair with your feet directly flat on the floor. While keeping your toes on the floor, slowly lift the heel of your legs until you begin to feel a stretch happen. Pause in the heightened position for a few seconds before touching the floor again. Repeat this exercise several times until you feel the pressure lifting off your calves.

Seated Squats

Chairs and sitting all day are not kind to the bottom, no matter how cushioned the seat is. Hence you need to work out those muscles so the stress doesn't build up too much. When beginning a lower body workout, novices might start with a chair squat because it is simple. Place your feet on the floor and occupy the front part of the chair seat. Lean a little forward while contracting your abdominal muscles.

Then slowly elevate your body to standing by pressing through your heels. Reverse the motion, then gently lower yourself while tapping your glutes or bottom on the chair's end. Avoiding total sitting down throughout each round of squats is a terrific method to maximize their effectiveness. You can also practice this workout while holding weights to engage and balance the upper body.