Yoga is a meditative practice that combines mind, body, and spiritual elements. It includes postures that help improve flexibility, balance, and strength. It enhances focus, mental clarity, and breath control, promoting relaxation and reduced stress.

But not everyone wants to go to a studio, and many people can’t lie down on the floor to do yoga. Chair yoga for seniors can be a convenient, comfortable alternative. Here, learn more about chair yoga poses for older adults and how to get started.

Benefits of chair yoga for seniors

Yoga of any form has many benefits, including improving:

• Flexibility and range of motion
• Muscle strength
• Balance and posture
• Mental health and stress
• Sleep quality

Yoga is also frequently recommended for seniors because it’s low-impact, meaning it doesn’t put much strain on your joints. It’s also not competitive, and it typically involves slow, deliberate movements.

When you add a chair, you get extra support, making it a safe and accessible way for people with injuries or health conditions like osteoarthritis to try yoga.

For example, in one study of women aged 65 and older with knee osteoarthritis, 12 weeks of chair yoga classes improved participants’ ability to carry out their daily activities. It also improved their functional fitness, or measures of strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance.

Chair yoga is also accessible and easy to modify for people with any number of mobility concerns, including those who have difficulty standing or transitioning between lying down to seated to standing, which is required in many traditional yoga classes.

Preparing for home practice

Chair yoga is typically safe for many beginners and seniors, but it’s still a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider before starting any new fitness routine. As long as you’re cleared to exercise on your own at home, all you’ll need is a chair and a comfortable space to get started. You can also keep some water nearby and take sips (and longer breaks) as needed.

Finding the right chair

Pick a sturdy, comfortable chair that will stay still as you exercise. “Choose a chair that does not swivel or on wheels,” says Bold trainer Alison Burmeister.

You can even position the chair against a wall for more stability, she adds. 

Make sure you can plant your feet on the floor while sitting toward the front edge. Your hips and knees should be bent at 90-degree angles, and your knees should be directly over your feet and even with your hips, she says. A chair without armrests will also give you more room to move in every direction. 

Safety tips

Even though seated yoga for seniors is generally considered safe, it’s important to keep a couple of precautions in mind, such as:

• Talk to a doctor before starting any new exercise program.
• Make sure all four legs of your chair are stable on the floor.
• Give yourself plenty of room around your chair to move in all directions.
• Know your limits. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain or dizziness, for example.
• Drink water as needed to prevent dehydration from exercise.
• Wear clothing that won’t get in the way of your movements or get stuck in or on your chair.
• Warm up and cool down appropriately to help prevent injury.
• Avoid any movements or positions that put strain on muscles or joints where you have existing pain or injuries.
• Remember to breathe throughout the movements.

Popular chair yoga poses for seniors

Chair yoga workouts can include a number of different gentle, beginner-friendly movements. Here are some of the most common chair yoga poses for seniors, including some you’ll find in Bold’s popular seated yoga classes.

1. Seated mountain pose

• Start sitting with your back against the back of the chair, your knees over your ankles, and the soles of your feet firmly pressing into the floor.
• Place your hands gently on top of your thighs and engage your core by drawing  your navel in and toward your spine. Think about lifting up through the top of your head to lengthen your spine as you relax your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keep your chin parallel to the floor and your lips gently parted so you don’t clench your jaw.
• Bring your focus to your breath. Gently inhale through your nose and out through your mouth and repeat for a few breaths.
• Optional: Keep your eyes gently closed. 

2. Chair pigeon pose, also called seated figure four stretch

• Start sitting on the front edge of your chair, knees over your ankles and soles of your feet firmly pressing into the floor. 
• Lengthen your spine by bringing your shoulders down and away from your ears. 
• Cross one leg over the other with your ankle above theyour knee. Keep your other foot flat on the floor.
• Gently place your hands on the shin of your crossed leg. 
• For a deeper stretch, lean forward to bring your chest closer to the shin of your crossed leg.
• Bring your focus to your breath and hold the pose for a few seconds, then repeat on the other side.

3. Seated leg extensions

• Start sitting on the front edge of your chair with your feet firmly pressing on the floor.
• Keep your back straight and your shoulders back and down.
• Extend one leg until it’s parallel with the floor (or as close as you are able to get without straining).
• Pause briefly, then lower your leg back to the starting position.
• Complete a few repetitions, then repeat on the other side.

4. Gentle neck rolls

• Start sitting with your back resting on the back of the chair and your feet pressing firmly into the floor. 
• Drop your shoulders down and away from your ears.
• Tilt your chin up to look at the ceiling. 
• Roll your right ear toward your right shoulder.
• Roll your chin to your chest.
• Roll your left ear toward your left shoulder.
• Roll your chin up to look at the ceiling again.
• Repeat a few times, then switch directions.

5. Seated forward fold

• Start sitting on the front edge of your chair with your knees over your ankles and  your feet firmly pressed on the floor, hands on your hips.
• Inhale, and on your exhale, hinge at your hips and fold your torso over your thighs, leading with your chest.
• When you feel like you’ve leaned forward as far as you can, curl your head, neck, and shoulders down over your legs. Optional: Release your arms down toward the floor.
• Hold for a few breaths.
• On an inhale, rise up halfway with your back flat.
• Exhale and fold over your legs again.
• Hold for a few breaths, then on an inhale, rise all the way up to the starting position.

6. Seated cat cow

• Start sitting on the front edge of your chair with your knees over your ankles and your feet firmly pressed into the floor, hands on your thighs.
• Drop your chin and press your navel back as you round your back for the cat pose.
• Return to sitting up tall.
• Press your chest forward and your shoulder blades together behind you as you arch your back for the cow pose.
• Return to sitting up tall.
• Continue alternating between cat and cow pose for a few rounds.

7. Seated side angle

• Start sitting on the front left corner of your chair. Bend your left knee to 90 degrees and straighten your right leg to the side in front of your chair.
• Gently press your left knee open with your left forearm.
• Inhale, then on your exhale, bring your right hand to your right hip and look over your right shoulder to open up your chest. Optional: Extend the hand that’s on your hip with your palm up. Lean into your forearm and stretch your other arm up and over your head.
• Hold for several breaths. Make sure to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed.
• Repeat on the other side.

How to add to yoga to your routine

Before starting a new exercise, talk to your healthcare provider. Not only will they help you determine if chair yoga is safe for you to do on your own, they can offer some suggestions for adding it to your routine.

Then, find some time to try it. Sitting yoga is likely to be more of a strength-training and balance workout for seniors than a cardio workout. This means you can aim to do it at least twice a week to meet the official exercise recommendations for older adults from the CDC. 

That said, even one yoga workout a week was linked with improvements in core strength, flexibility, and balance in a 2021 study. It doesn’t have to be long, either: “Start with short sessions of 5 to 10 minutes to build strength and confidence,” Burmeister says. “Starting small can help prevent soreness and make it easier to stay consistent.”

You can add more days of chair yoga stretches as you get comfortable with the practice. “Any new activity takes at least 30 days to become a habit,” Burmeister says, so stick with it. “Set a goal to be consistent and create a reward for yourself if you achieve it. Once you achieve 30 days, go for 60 days and then 90 days.”

Make sure to mix in some cardio workouts, too: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week to meet the CDC’s recommendations. Bold’s online exercise platform has plenty of different types to try, including seated cardio.

Maintaining a regular yoga practice

Once you try chair yoga, pay attention to how your body feels. If you’re ready for more, you can follow these tips for staying consistent:

• Try different chair yoga classes to see which ones you enjoy the most and feel best for your body.
• Modify poses as needed so you’re comfortable. Move at your own pace throughout a yoga class, taking breaks to breathe or sip water whenever you need to.
• Schedule your chair yoga workouts ahead of time. Select a time as if you were scheduling a lunch with a friend so you’ll be sure to show up.
• Start with just a few minutes of chair yoga at a time and gradually build up to longer workouts.
• Give yourself some grace if you miss a chair yoga session and get back on track when you can. Aim for progress, not perfection!
• Get a workout buddy. “Create consistency and accountability by joining a friend, family member, or neighbor,” Burmeister says. “Make it social and fun!”

Bold’s online exercise platform can help you stay on track. Save chair yoga classes to build out your program and meet your goals. Get moving in your first class today!