Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : February 27, 2024 6:10 PM IST
Have you tried chair yoga? (Photo: Freepik)
Many people make the excuse of not finding the space, or an appropriate prop with which to exercise. It is crucial to stay physically active and find the time to exercise daily -- be it walking, doing yoga, or even going to the gym. Prioritising fitness has many health benefits. Not only is it good for the bones and the muscles, it can also boost your mood, make you more energetic, take care of mental health issues, as well as promote emotional well-being. Yoga, in particular, has many benefits, and it does not require a lot of effort either. You do not need a gym membership or expensive and heavy equipment at home. All you need is a mat, and occasionally, a chair. Wondering how a chair becomes an interesting prop to perform asanas on? Read on.
Taking to Instagram, celebrity yoga and holistic wellness expert Anshuka Parwani demonstrated certain key yoga asanas that can be done on and with a chair. According to the expert, making use of yoga props is a "great way to go deeper into asanas, improve flexibility and mobility, practise advanced asanas and also increase the range of motion in the entire body". Take a look at the video here.
The first asana demonstrated by the expert is called the Seated Cat Cow Pose. Akin to the regular way of doing it on a mat, you sit on a chair and then contort your body inwards while tucking the neck in, only to stretch it all the way outwards while looking up.
This can be followed by a Seated Forward Fold. In order to do this, you first sit on the chair. Stretch both your legs sideways. Then, with the support of your arms, move forward and gradually touch the floor by bending your upper body. Make sure to look straight up. Stay in this position for a while.
Move on to the Seated Side Stretch pose. Lift your body from the previous position and keep your legs stretched sideways, lift your hand to stretch the body to one side. Repeat on the other side.
In this, you take the support of the chair while stretching one of your legs backward, and folding the other knee. Keep your arms stretched out on either side of the spine. Face towards the direction of the folded leg. Usually, the weight of the body rests on this leg, but for those who are just starting out, they can use the chair's support.
You can also bring one of your arms up to stretch it over your head. Repeat on the other side. Initially, do it for 15 minutes, while slowly building up endurance.
Sit on the chair normally. Place your hands on your knee. Make sure the feet are firmly on the floor. Now, twist your upper body sideways to work your spinal muscles.
"The chair flow will help to strengthen your core muscles and build on your upper body strength," said the expert.
Would you like to try these asanas?
