10 Minute Total Body Chair Workout

By Jari Love & Charlene Bazarian

Do you sometimes feel as though you’re practically chained to your chair?  With so much of our lives tied to our PCs, from work to Zoom meetings to social media, we’re sitting a lot!  You’ve likely heard the expression that, “sitting is the new smoking,” and how sitting for too long impacts your overall physical and mental wellbeing and can increase your risk of a number of serious chronic health issues. 

Well, pull up a chair as we asked Jari Love, certified personal trainer, author, and creator of the incredibly popular and scientifically tested Get Ripped! workout series, to create a ten-minute full body workout that you can work into the busiest of schedules and do from the comfort of your own chair!

Intense Chair Workout

*Before beginning, for safety, be sure to use a sturdy chair on a flat surface. Avoid using a chair with wheels as they are unstable.

Chair Step-ups (advanced):

• Place a chair firmly against the wall.  Place your right foot in the middle of the chair and your thigh should be at a 90 degree angle. 
• Step up on the chair with your right foot on top and bring your left foot up beside the right foot in the middle of the chair. 
• Step down with your right foot and then step down with your left foot, feet together. 
• Do 8 repetitions with the right leg leading and then 8 with the left leg leading. 

Sit Up Sit-Down Squats:

• With your chair against the wall, sit back on the chair and have both knees at 90 degrees. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides. 
• Come to a standing position and keeping your core tight and your body weight transferred onto the back of the heels.  Be sure not to lean forward as you are coming up to a standing position. 
• Come back down and keep your hips back as you sit and remember to keep the knees at 90 degrees when sitting. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Right Lunge:

• With your chair placed against a wall, place your left leg on top of the middle of the chair, with a slightly bent knee. 
• Tighten your core, place your hands on your hips, and bring your left knee down as low as you can, making sure that the right knee stays behind your toes as you come down. 
• Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and come back up without locking your knees.  It is important to be able to keep movement slow and controlled as this helps with muscle recruitment and balance. 
• Do 8-10 reps for 1-2 sets.

Front Left lunge:

• While your chair is still against the wall, put your right leg on top of the middle of the chair, knee slightly bent. 
• Tighten your core, put your hands on your hips, bring your left knee down as low as you can, making sure that the right knee stays behind your toes as you come down. 
• Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and come back up without locking your knees.  It’s important to be able to keep movement slow and controlled as this helps with muscle recruitment and balance. 
• Do 8-10 reps for 1-2 sets.

Standing Right Leg Abduction:

• While standing behind your chair, place both hands in the middle of the back of the chair, then place your right leg out to the side with your foot facing forward.
• Center your weight as if you are balancing on one leg.   Bring the right leg up as high as you can and bring it back down beside the left foot. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Standing Left Leg Abduction:

• While standing behind your chair, place both hands in the middle of the back of the chair, then place your left leg out to the side with your foot facing forward. 
• Bring the leg up as high as you can and bring it back down beside the right foot. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Tricep Dips:

• Placing your chair against a wall, sit on the edge of the chair, with your legs at 90 degrees, then place and grip your hands close together on the chair seat.
• Bring your bottom down. staying close to the seat of the chair and flexing your elbows to 90 degrees as you come down, then straighten your elbows as you come up. Do this movement slowly and controlled, keeping your glutes and body close to the chair. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Mountain Climbers:

• With your chair against the wall, place hands in a plank-like position at the end of the chair and extend both legs back, while keeping the back flat and core engaged. 
• Pop or accelerate your knee into the chest and body facing the chair. Repeat by putting your foot back, then bring your left knee into the chest and repeat.
• 1-2 sets of 30 seconds.

Right Knee Up on the Chair:

• Place your chair against the wall and put your right foot on the top and middle of the chair so that the knee is at 90 degrees. 
• Core tight, shoulders back, hands on hips, bring your left knee up while your right foot stays on top of the chair, bringing the left knee to 90 degrees, while placing your weight on the right leg as you stand. 
• Bring that bent left leg down to the floor and bring your right leg down beside the left leg. 
• Do 10 times per leg for 1-2 sets.

Left knee Up on the Chair:

• Chair against the wall.  Place your left foot on top in the middle of the chair so that the knee is at 90 degrees. 
• Core tight, shoulders back, hands on hips, bring your right knee up while left foot stays on top of the chair and bring the right knee to 90 degrees, while placing your weight on the left leg as you stand. 
• Bring that bent right leg down to the floor, then put your left leg down beside the right leg. 
• Repeat with the right leg.  Do 10 times per leg for 1-2 sets.

Seated Rows:

• With your chair against the wall, sit at the end of the chair, hinging at the hip with your back neutral.
• Hold a pair of hand weights, appropriate for your fitness level, in your hands with your palms facing each other.  With your hands and weights by the sides of your knees, keep your core tight and elevate the elbows towards the ceiling while retracting shoulder blades.
• Squeeze at the top and bring the weights down to the starting position and repeat.  Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Bicep Curls:

• Sitting at the end of your chair, hold dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing up. 
• Bring the weights to the shoulders and squeeze at the top, then slowly bring the weights back down to the hips and repeat. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Shoulder Press:

• With your chair against the wall, sit all the way back in the chair, holding a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing out. 
• Have your elbows at 90 degrees, then extend your arms up towards the ceiling and lower the weights back down to the ears or 90 degrees. 
• Do 12-15 reps for 1-2 sets.

Push-ups:

• With your chair securely placed against the wall, put your feet in the middle of the chair. Place your hands on the floor, with your arms fully extended.  Hands should be shoulder width apart and your elbows directly under the shoulders. 
• Keep your core tight and back straight, then lower your upper body down to 90 degrees and use your arms to push your body back up to the starting position so that your arms are at full extension. 
• Do 8-10 reps for 1 set.

Are you ready to get in a great overall workout in 10 minutes?   Well then, take your seat!

About the authors:

• Jari Love is a certified trainer, fitness club owner, author, and creator of the successful scientifically tested Get RIPPED!® Series that garnered her international attention as a top trainer and fitness personality.  Jari is a frequent fitness contributor to newspapers and magazines worldwide and has appeared on numerous TV shows to discuss health, nutrition and weight loss. While Jari makes her home in Calgary, Canada, she tours to teach, train and certify other fitness professionals in the Get RIPPED!® Series.  Most recently, Jari has been filming and preparing for the launch of her brand new Get RIPPED!® Live + On Demand which will feature all new live stream and recorded workouts.  You can learn more about Jari Love at www.jarilove.com.  You can follow her on Facebook at @JariLoveFitness and at @rippedjari on Instagram.
• Charlene Bazarian is a health and lifestyle writer as well as a fitness and weight loss success story after losing 96 pounds. She mixes her no-nonsense style of fitness advice with humor on her blog at Fbjfit.com.  You can follow her on Facebook at FBJ Fit and @FBJFit on Instagram.