10 chair yoga moves for easy weight loss

The yoga practice which involves doing modified yoga poses while sitting on a chair is called chair yoga.

These variations make yoga easy for people who cannot stand and even so for those feeling lazy to get up and work out.

We all have those kind of days and there's no denying that. Also, it’s good news for people who sit in the office for seven to nine hours a day. So, while you are stuck to that chair of yours, you can do variations of stretches, bends, twists and more.

Now, it sounds easy but does chair yoga have any benefits as well? Yes, it does. Chair yoga gives you all the health benefits that a normal yoga practice does. The benefits include muscle toning, reduced stress levels, better breathing habits, better sleep and an overall sense of well-being.

Also, you obviously would need a chair for practising chair yoga but the chair with wheels would not be ideal since it is unstable.

Yoga practitioner, Mohini Bhatia shows us some easy chair yoga moves for a quick weight loss.

Spinal twist: To begin, sit straight on the chair with your shoulders erect and spine straight. Now turn towards your right with your left arm placed on the right armrest of the chair and right arm at the back of the chair. Stay there for five seconds. Now come back to the starting position and do the above-mentioned movement on the left side. Repeat five times on each side.

Shoulder press: When we say shoulder press, what comes to mind is shoulder press with dumbbells. But this exercise can even be done without dumbbells. To perform this pose, sit straight on the chair and lock both your arms at the back of your head. Now inhale and press your arms against your ears so that your elbows touch each other. Stay there for five seconds. Now exhale and go back to the starting position. Repeat five times.

Forward bend: While doing forward bend, you have to emphasize on the stretching of your torso. To begin with, sit straight on the chair, inhale and raise both your arms over your head. Now exhale and bend down such that your chest touches your thighs. Stay in this position for five seconds. Repeat five times.

Downward dog: Get up from the chair and place it right in front of you at a distance that is equal to the length of your upper body. The back of the chair should be facing you. Now stand straight, inhale and bend down by resting your palms on the backrest of the chair. Stay in this position for five seconds. Repeat three to five times.

Dolphin pose variation: This asana is same as the above, apart from one difference. In this pose, your elbows, instead of your palms, will be resting on the backrest of the chair and your palms will be joined in a namaste pose.

Side stretch: Stand next to the chair at an approximate distance of 20 inches. Now bring your arms up and bend sideways towards the side of the chair. Rest the arm near the chair on the rim of the backrest and stay there for five seconds. Go to the other side and repeat the same. Do five sets.

Side stretch variation: Sit back on the chair with your spine straight and shoulders erect. Now keep your right foot on your left thigh and right hand behind your back. Now raise your left hand and bend towards your right as far as you can. Stay here for three to five seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do five sets.

Side twists: Stand up from the chair and move approximately 1.5 meters away while facing the chair. Now, bring your right leg in your front of your left foot and put your left palm on the seat of the chair. While you do this, stretch your hands and legs as much as you can. Repeat five times.

The equestrian pose: To perform this pose, stand straight at the same distance from the chair as you did in the above pose. Now put your right foot on the chair and bend your upper body over your right thigh with both your hands on the respective armrests of the chair. Stay in this position for five seconds. Repeat three to five times.

Eagle arm: To do this asana, sit straight on the chair with your left foot over the right thigh. Now bend forward and cross, wrap and twist your arms together. Be in this position for three to five seconds. Repeat five times.

Cobra pose: Stand straight facing the chair and bend by putting both your palms on the seat of the chair. Now move your legs backward as much as you can such that your body is in a nice straight line. Now look towards the sky and stretch. Come back to the original position and stretch again. Repeat five times.