Chair yoga is not just for older people. It's good for everyone, especially the desk-bound

Sitting down to exercise may not seem to make sense on first glance. After all, there is a reason why people uninterested in physical activity are often dubbed couch potatoes. But chair yoga is one beneficial form of exercise that embraces the seated posture.

Chair yoga is traditional yoga performed while sitting in or using a chair. Many people assume it’s an exercise for older adults, as chair yoga classes often target this demographic. In addition, many studies have documented its benefits for the older set.

Chair yoga was found to be an effective intervention for women 65 years and older with knee osteoarthritis, according to a small study. The therapy boosted the women’s functional fitness and daily life activity scores, suggesting chair yoga could help lessen the risk of osteoarthritis progressing to disability.

But chair yoga is great for everyone, no matter your age, especially if you’re glued to your desk most of the day. Fifteen minutes of chair yoga or guided meditation greatly improved several physiological and psychological stress markers in study participants. Scores of companies also offer free chair yoga to their employees specifically for stress reduction and improved health.

That’s no surprise, as chair yoga is safe, gentle, and has numerous benefits. It helps with flexibility, posture, and combats repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Despite yoga’s association with meditation and calm, it actually gives you a lot of energy afterward, plus improves concentration and focus.

Chair yoga also offers people another way to move their bodies. It is great for releasing tension, muscle soreness, and for full mobility. The more you can vary your movements, the better.

The benefits of a regular yoga practice include increased blood flow, improved sleep, better breathing, and a boost to feelings of well-being, coupled with decreases in blood pressure, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and inflammation.

Ready to give it a try? Aim for five minutes a day to start. You want to create a habit. Once you do five minutes, people often want to do more because they feel better.

If you feel any pain or discomfort while performing a movement, do not force it and ease up or take a moment to pause before moving on to the next pose.

Here are a few movements for beginners. As you perform these poses, breathe in and out through your nose. This approach fully engages the diaphragm and allows for a deeper and calmer breath.

Joint warm-up: Sitting tall on the edge of the seat and facing forward, make circles with your hands and feet together or separately.

Cat-cow: This yoga movement involves arching and rounding the spine. Sit tall and inhale as you lift your chin slightly and reach your chest forward in the cow pose, which expands the chest. Then exhale and round your spine in the cat pose, which stretches the upper back.

Side bends: Put your right hand up in the air and lean to the left, then switch sides with your left hand up in the air and leaning to the right.

Twist to one side, hold the pose for three to five breaths, then switch sides.

Seated forward bend: This movement is great for combating tension in your shoulders. Start by placing both feet flat on the floor with your chair pushed back from your desk. Raise your hands in the air, interlace your fingers, then bend forward so your chest is on your knees and your hands touch the floor.

Standing frame: Hold each elbow in the opposite palm, then raise your arms above your head. Think of pulling your arms apart while also holding them together.

Seated pose: End your session with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting on your thighs. Take slow, deep breaths for several minutes while being aware of your body and listening to the sounds around you. Before getting up or going back to work, place your hands over your heart, one on top of the other.