Chair yoga: a 5-minute gentle home workout

Part one – sat at your chair

To start, sit in your chair with your feet hip-width apart and your knees in line with your hips. Place your hands on your knees and practise some deep-breathing. This will help to activate your abdominal muscles.

Position 1 - Thoracic rotations

Place your hands on either side of your head and then twist your upper body to face the side. Hold for a few moments and then twist to face the other side.

Position 2 - Cat and cow

Contract inwards from your tummy letting your chin drop down towards your chest. Hold and then sit up straight – eye line lifted and back slightly arched.

Position 3 - Rag doll

Move your feet apart, opening your legs as wide as possible.

Slowly fold down through your spine until your head is suspended between your legs. As you do this, bring your arms into position. Then swing gently from one side to the other feeling the stretch in your lower back.

When you're done, come back to the centre, roll up and relax your arms.

Position 4 - Side flexes

Slide your hand down the inside of your calf, lean to one side and bring your other arm up and over your head. Feel the stretch and then come back to the centre.

Position 5 - Circular arms

Now circle your arms lifting them forward, up and round.

Position 6 - Pigeon pose

Bring your feet back together, lift one foot up, and with your knee out towards the side, rest it on your opposite thigh and feel the stretch. If you want to, lean forward to deepen the stretch.

Part two – standing next to your chair

For this next part, you'll need to stand by the side of your chair. Move any obstacles out of the way and adjust the position of your chair if you need to.

Position 7 - Tree pose

Draw your foot up along the inside of your calf and then open and close your leg.

Make sure that you're rotating your leg from your hip joint and not twisting your whole body. Use the chair for support if you need to.

Position 8 - Squats

Stand so that your fingertips are just in reach of your chair. Squat planting the pressure through your heels and pushing back up through your glutes.

Final position - Back stretch

Using the back of your chair for support, lean forward and stretch out your back.

As you stretch, transfer the weight through your left arm and then through your right to get a deeper stretch. Drop down to the floor and then slowly roll up through your spine.

Other short home workouts

Looking for a quick yoga routine? Try our Morning yoga – this relaxing video routine only takes 12 minutes to do, and will help get your day off to a flying start.