6 best exercises you can do with a chair

Physical and mental fitness play very important roles in your lives and people who are both, physically and mentally fit are less prone to medical conditions as well.

One does not need to go to a gym to maintain his or her fitness. Sitting all day is bad for your health.

But despite all the research that suggests you buy a standing desk or get moving every hour, the reality is that these kinds of recommendations aren’t terribly realistic for most of us.

Luckily, even if you’re stuck in your seat for extended periods, you can still do exercises to stretch and move your body with the simple use of a chair and maintain your fitness.

Here are 5 basic best exercises one can do at home with the use of a chair.

1. Incline Push-Ups

Place both palms on the seat of the chair and walk your feet back to a plank position.

Keeping your body in a straight line between the top of your head and your heels, bend your elbows and lower your body toward the seat.

Pause, then push up through your palms to return to starting position. What it works: Your core, chest, back, and arms.

2. Oblique Twist

Benefits: Works obliques and core

How to do it: Sitting in a chair, take your right elbow and twist your torso so that your elbow touches your left knee, while bending forward so you feel your abdominal muscles contract.

Return to an upright position and then repeat, taking the left elbow and bringing it down to the right knee. Work up to 3 sets of 10 reps.

3. Seated Press-Ups

Benefits: Works the triceps, relieves spinal compression

How to do it: Sitting in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor, place your hands on the arm-rests of the chair and press down, raising your body off the chair.

Extend your arms straight and allow your hips and buttocks to lift up off the chair. Keep your head lined up over your pelvis.

Allow your spine to “dangle” and unravel straight down, creating space between each vertebrae. Hold this position or push up and down to work the backs of the arms more. Repeat four times if holding; work up to 3 sets of 10 reps if lifting and lowering.

4. Triceps Knee Tucks

Stand with the chair facing forward on your left side.

Then, bend at the waist as you place your right palm on the seat and your left palm on the back of the chair, elbow pointing straight up.

Point your left toe and extend it up and out to the side until your foot is higher than your head. Then bring your knee into the body and place it gently on the chair, keeping your left triceps engaged for support the entire time.

Press into your palms as you extend the leg back out to starting position.That's one rep. Complete 10 to 15 reps before switching sides. What it works: Outer thigh, triceps, core, and glutes.

5. Leg Extensions

Benefits: Works hips and thighs

How to do it: Sit on the edge of your chair with your arms by your sides.

Extend your right leg out straight and flex your foot so that just the right heel is on the floor (keeping your foot flexed engages the muscles in the shins and ankle).

Lift your leg up as high as you can without rounding your back. Hold for 3 counts then lower. Repeat again with the other leg. Work up to 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg.

6. Chair Slide

Benefits: Works the backs of your thighs

How to do it: If you have a chair with wheels, sit and extend both legs forward, toes up and heels on the floor.

Keeping the rest of your body still, press your heels into the floor as you bend your knees and try to bring the chair toward your feet. Extend your legs again and repeat.

If you're in a regular chair, place your heels on a towel on a slick floor (or wear socks), and draw the towel toward your chair.

Straighten your legs and slide the towel out again to return to the starting position.

Do up to 10 repetitions.