Watch: Three creative workouts which only use a chair for equipment
These three workouts only require a chair and cater to all fitness levels, from beginners to serious gym bunnies
In lockdown, people have had to get creative when it comes to working out. With few gyms, confined space and little workout equipment, many people found new ways to get their gym fix.
Whether it's doing bicep curls with bags stacked with books or doing sit-ups with your legs under the coffee table, lockdown taught us to use our household equipment in new and innovative ways.
Over the last six months, one of the most common pieces of furniture that has become an impromptu piece of workout kit is the chair. Used for tricep dips, incline press-ups, step-ups, sitting crunches and loads more, the chair became an invaluable piece of workout equipment you can find in every home.
Naturally, some of the world's most popular online PTs created a bevvy of workouts using the humble chair that can be replicated in the comfort of your own home. One recent poll designed to study coronavirus symptoms suggests that over one-third of us has gained weight due to inactivity during lockdown.
If you're still a little nervous about going back to the gym as a result of the global health crisis, go back to your chair and try one of these workouts from some fo the most popular PTs on the net.
Joe Wicks, otherwise known as the Body Coach, has gooten more popular than ever over lockdown due to his accessible workouts aimed at the whole family, both children and adults.
Here, he's put together a simple 10 minute workout you can do from your chair, designed to loosen up the muscles and get your body moving. It's perfect to do with kids before school, or to take a quick break at your desk while you're working from home.
Get the Fit&Well Newsletter
Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.
With a whopping 1.5 million subscribers, Lucy Wyndham-Read is known as the queen of online fitness. She's back with another 10-minute cardio circuit said to be "ideal if you've had an injury or if you're wheelchair-bound".
This cardio arm-toner is easy to follow along, with simple moves and clear instructions. It's designed to get the heart racing, elevating your metabolism and helping your weight loss goals. Again, the short runtime of this workout means it's perfect for an office break.
This is for advanced fitness fans. This "extreme" challenge requires some floor space too, using a chair and a yoga mat to help you strengthen your core and upper body. Incorporating some advanced, dynamic moves like cross-planks, sitting clap crunches as well as upper-body strengtheners like the push up, this is one for those people who were gym bunnies before the pandemic hit.
Liked this?
Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and is currently Fitness and Wellbeing Editor at TechRadar, covering all things exercise and nutrition on Fit&Well's tech-focused sister site. Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen runner, gym-goer, and infrequent yogi. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
-
A run coach says this 15-minute hip mobility routine can help you run faster—here's my verdict after trying it for two weeks
Running Could a simple hip mobility routine help me get a new personal best?
By Lucy Miller Published
-
"This is one of the greatest exercises I’ve ever done to help with tight hamstrings": A performance coach shares one of his favorite mobility moves
Workouts All you need is a corner wall and some space
By Maddy Biddulph Published