Three Fun Chair Yoga Poses To Work The Whole Body

Today we have three fun chair yoga poses where we will work the whole body. We can add these three poses and engage the body and the mind with limited mobility on the chair – but don’t think that these poses are not beneficial for all levels! You can take whatever level works for you today. It can be great to add these poses to our exercise routine- or just add in a pose or two throughout the day to keep up our energy and check in with our breath and how we are feeling.

As always, it is recommended to consult with your healthcare provider before starting this or any exercise program. Always stop this or any exercise if you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness. Never force or strain and always do what is right for you today.

Also, if you are interested in taking stock of some of the important areas in your life – you may be interested in this simple Personal Reflections page. You can print it out and take a few moments to jot down some notes, reflections, and ideas for each. Then, you can use those reflections to create a goal list, a to do list, or just help get your mind organized and calm!

This post contains affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may earn a small commission should you choose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. This is at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I truly believe are helpful. See our Privacy Policy and Disclosures

For all these exercises, begin seated in a chair with a long spine. Feet planted firmly on the ground with the ankles in line with the knees as best as you can. Core is engaged (lengthen from the base of the spine to the top of the head) and the shoulders are relaxed down away from the ears. Bring some awareness to your core. You may choose to sit all the way back in your chair or sit forward a few inches. The following repetitions are simply a suggestion- you can increase or decrease desired!

1. Chest Expansion

Here, we have a gentle heart opener, as well as we get some shoulder mobility. If you are seated all the way back in your chair and are unable to bring the arms back behind the body – you can gently roll the shoulders back and feel the shoulder blades coming together as you inhale. (Please note that in the images I made a mistake ant the first picture is the right side and the second is the left side!)

Begin seated with a long spine with the feet planted firmly on the ground

Relax your arms down by your sides with the palms facing the body

Inhale as you extend your arms back behind the body to open the chest – keep the shoulders down away from the ears

You may choose to stay here for 2-3 breaths, or exhale as you release the arms back to the sides of the body

Repeat 2- 3 times or as desired as you focus on your breath

2. Hand To Big Toe Pose Variation

This pose will work the upper body, lower body, core- and the mind. Be sure to take a look at the options below if you find this challenging.

Begin seated with a long spine with the feet planted firmly on the ground

Relax your arms down by your sides with the palms facing the body

Inhale as you straighten one knee and raise the arm on the same side up to shoulder height

Exhale as you bring both the arm and leg out to the side

You may choose to gently turn and gaze over the fingertips

You may choose to stay here for a few breaths

Inhale to return the arm and leg to the center

Exhale to release the arm down and foot back to the ground

Repeat on the other side

Repeat 2-3 times as desired

Options

You may choose to raise the arm and leg separately 

You may also choose to eliminate bringing the arm and leg out to the side and hold that posture for a breath or two

Only bring the leg and arm out to the side as far as is comfortable

3. Knee To Nose Variation

This pose can be a gentle low back stretch, we can add in some ankle movement, and we get some mobility in the hip. Also, we do get in some core engagement as we work to lengthen the spine as we hold the knee close to the body.

Begin seated with a long spine with the feet planted firmly on the ground

Inhale as you raise one knee up and clasp your hands gently around the knee

Exhale as you relax the shoulders away from the ears – relax the muscles in the jaw and the forehead

Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired 

You may choose to add in some gentle ankle rotations here if desired

On an exhale gently release the foot to the ground and relax the arms down

Repeat on the other side

Repeat 1-2 times or as desired

I hope that you enjoyed these three fun chair yoga poses. Let me know in the comments below!

Want More?

You can print out a simple Goal Affirmation Coloring Page

If you are interested in adding in some mindfulness practices to your day, you may be interested in these Mindfulness Cards

If you are interested in some fun chair yoga videos, you may want to take a look here:

Chair Yoga For The Lower Body : Mobility And Stretch

Chair Yoga For Beginners : Full Body Slow Flow

Chair Yoga Exercises To Get The Body Moving

Visit the Resources Page for printable poses

Take a look through the blog for more chair yoga poses for beginners!

Or take a look at The Peaceful Chair Etsy Shop for health and wellness related printable pages and more fun stuff for all stages of life

You may also be interested in my Habit Tracker Notebooks or Daily Journal Notebook.

I invite you to sign up for the Monthly Email Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest posts and videos!

Namaste!