Looking for a workout routine you can do while sitting in a chair? Whether you have bad knees, are recovering from a lower-body injury or just want a routine you can do at your desk during that conference call, I’ve got you covered!
Each of these moves focuses on engaging the core and moving slowly and precisely. As a certified Pilates instructor, I encourage all of my private weight loss clients (regardless of their goals) to add Pilates exercises into their workouts. Working the deepest ab muscles not only helps tighten and tone the midsection, but also works to stabilize the low back and improve balance overall.
You can do this seated routine on the couch or in a chair. The arm exercises require one set of dumbbells. I’m using 3-pound weights, but you can go up to 5 or even 8 pounds. I recommend starting lower and then working your way up, or simply stay at the lower weight and increase the repetitions as you build strength.
Go through each exercise for one round and then repeat two more times for a 15-minute workout.
Yes, you can work your abs while standing. Here’s how
Toe taps for the abs
Sit on the edge of a chair, knees open as wide as your hips. Engage your abs to lift your feet off the floor; point your toes toward the ground. Slowly lean back and pull your naval in towards your spine. Hover your feet above the ground, and slowly tap one foot down to the ground and then bring it up back up to center. Lower the other foot down toward the ground and tap it with your toes and bring it back up to center. Repeat 10 times per side. Hold onto the chair for additional support and help with balance.
Knee pulls for the abs
Imagine you are doing bicycle abs on the ground, except you’ll be seated in a chair. Sitting on the edge of the chair, bring one knee in toward your chest and hold onto the thigh with your hands as you extend the opposite leg forward toward the ground. Then switch and extend the knee as you bring the opposite knee in toward your chest, hugging onto the thigh. The lower you reach the extended leg, the more challenging this exercise is. So if it’s too intense, simply extend the leg higher up, around hip height. Repeat 10 times per side.
Related
How to do a bicep curl the right way
Alternative grip bicep curls
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, turn the arms so that the palms are facing the sides rather than forwards. This will work the biceps a bit differently than a regular bicep curl. Then hug the elbows in toward your waist and curl the weights up toward your shoulders. Lower the weights down by your sides and repeat 10 times.
Side extension for the arms
Sitting on the edge of the chair with a straight spine, hold one dumbbell in each hand. Reach the arms down along your sides and plant your feet on the ground hip-width apart. Pull the abs in. Then, extend the arms out to the sides and up as high as the shoulders, keeping the arms straight. Relax the neck. Lower the arms down to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Overhead press for the arms
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, start with the arms in a goal-post position. The upper arms will be parallel to the floor, at shoulder height. Press the weights up and slightly in front of your head so that you can see the weights above you with your peripheral vision. Be careful not to reach the weights behind your head as that will strain your neck. Lower down to the starting position and repeat 10 times.
Related
Skip the crunches and do this ab exercise instead
Bicycle abs with weight reach
This move combines the weighted arm exercises with a core move. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bring the knees up towards your chest. Balance here by sitting on the edge of the chair and pulling your naval in towards your spine like you’re zipping into a tight pair of pants. Hold the weights together at your chest. Extend one leg and reach the weights with straight arms across the body towards the knee that’s still hugged in, opposite the extended leg. Bring your weights and both knees back to center. Then extend the opposite leg and reach the arms across the body to the outside of the bent knee. Repeat this 10 times.
Try these other workout routines:
Don't feel like running? Here's a HIIT walking workout
7 ab exercises that will tone your core from every angle
This resistance band routine will work your entire body in 15 minutes
Stephanie Mansour
Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor andweight-loss coachfor women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-losschallenge and follow her for daily inspiration onInstagram and in hernew app.
One way to avoid re-injuring the joint or aggravating your knee injury is to concentrate on upper-body exercises. Bicep curls, lifting dumbbells with your arms, and pumping an arm bike all boost upper-body strength.
One way to avoid re-injuring the joint or aggravating your knee injury is to concentrate on upper-body exercises. Bicep curls, lifting dumbbells with your arms, and pumping an arm bike all boost upper-body strength.
While seated, extend your leg so that it rests on the other chair. Slowly raise the leg no more than twelve inches, keeping it straight during the motion. Hold for ten seconds, then return to starting position. Repeat ten times for each leg.
A C-shaped piece of cartilage called the meniscus cushions the knee joint. Aging can cause the meniscus to weaken and tear. When you have knee pain, working out can be stressful. Exercises that you should not do if you have bad knees include leg extensions, squats, lunges, and possibly running.
Rowing machines are a great way to strengthen your arms and back. Swimming laps with a buoy between your legs is also great for upper body and core strength. Quadriceps. Recumbent bikes target the quads and do not put pressure on your knees.
Dropping to your knees, and bending them about 90 degrees so that your feet are behind you, is a standard adjustment, Bayha says. You can still focus on engaging your core and glutes, but you don't need to worry about your knees in the process.
Safe options include sit-ups and straight-legged lifts while you lay on your back. You should avoid any type of plank exercise, or other exercises that require the use of your injured arm.
Hold onto the back of a sturdy, heavy chair or the edge of a counter. Stand with your knees about shoulder-width apart and your feet pointing forward. Slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair, then slowly straighten again. Repeat 10 times, then rest.
In my experience, the most aggravating activity for patients with knee problems are endless squats and lunges, which put high forces repeatedly through the knee. Squats and lunges are often prescribed to patients with the idea that a stronger muscle mass around the knee will reduce pain.
Exercise should not make your existing knee pain worse overall. However, practicing new exercises can sometimes cause short term muscle pain as the body gets used to moving in new ways. This kind of pain should ease quickly and your pain should be no worse the morning after you've exercised.
Excessive walking can lead to overuse injuries such as runner's knee, IT band syndrome, and osteoarthritis which can cause pain, discomfort, and even long-term damage to the knee joint. But the important word here is excessive. And if you get knee pain when walking, it's most likely NOT due to walking too much.
From the first post-operative week you can start right into upper body weightlifting, and core training. Lesser-used gym machines like the arm bike can give you a great cardio workout using just your arms.
Quad sets, straight-leg raises, and heel slides are common exercises used after an ACL injury. As symptoms decrease and you are able to bear weight, side-lying leg lifts, glute sets, bridges, mini-squats, heel raises, and prone hamstring curls might be added.
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