Best Chair Exercises For Belly Fat Loss and Abs

A lean, toned torso is a common fitness goal, and strong core muscles offer more than just a sculpted physique—they provide a solid foundation for upper body strength and stability.

Chair workouts are perfect for strengthening your core, especially if you have mobility limitations or prefer not to hit the gym. All you need is a chair for support, and these exercises can be done anywhere. Read on to discover some of the best chair exercises for targeting belly fat!

Can Chair Exercises Really Help With Losing Weight and Belly Fat?

The need to reduce belly fat doesn’t just come from a source of wanting to look good – evidence has proved how fat around the waist region can mean facing higher risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes [1]. However, reducing fat in just one part of the body is unlikely, so one must look to decrease overall body fat and lose weight while working on exercise that can strengthen your core muscles.

Aerobic exercises are those that help with raising your heart rate, and these are highly recommended for weight loss. These usually involve swimming, dancing, jogging etc, but if these are outside your mobility range or if you wish to indulge in exercises within your home or work space, then chair exercises are a great option. These are also a form of aerobic workout and when you combine them with a balanced, healthy diet, it can certainly contribute towards weight loss when practiced consistently [2].

It’s commonly believed that only high-intensity workouts can help with significant weight loss. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that active adults can try to incorporate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity [3]. You can burn 100 calories in half an hour through chair workouts, and this can be even higher if you were to add resistance bands or weights [4].

Tips to Keep in Mind For an Effective Chair Workout

Here are some useful things to keep in mind before you embark on your chair workout journey:

• Chair exercises don’t put much pressure on the joints, so it is an ideal workout for older individuals who wish to stay active.
• Make sure you pick a sturdy chair for the best support.
• Remember to engage your core while doing the exercises for maximum efficiency.
• To ensure that no injuries occur, always have the proper form and technique down.
• Your back must be straight unless stated otherwise by the exercise instructions. It helps greatly with posture and spine alignment.
• You will also be engaging other muscle groups beyond the core.

Chair workouts for seniors:

Best Chair Workouts for Seniors to Boost Mobility and Strength

Chair Yoga for Seniors: Best Poses and Exercises To Get You Started

5 Chair Exercises For Losing Belly Fat

Below are our top picks for chair and seated exercises that are certain to help you burn belly fat and strengthen those abdominal muscles.

1. Seated Leg Lifts

For an extra challenge, you can add ankle weights or extend the holding time.

Instructions:

1. Start Position: Sit upright in a chair without leaning on the backrest. Place your hands on the seat for stability and keep your legs straight, parallel to the ground.
2. Lift: Slowly raise both legs as high as possible without bending your knees, engaging your core. You can also just raise one leg at a time, followed by the other.
3. Hold: Pause at the top for a few seconds.
4. Lower: Slowly lower your legs, controlling the movement without letting them touch the ground.
5. Repeat: Perform 10-15 repetitions.

2. Seated Cycling Crunches

It’s important to avoid swinging your body for this exercise routine, which is a favorite for flat stomach enthusiasts. It is also great for the entire core, hip flexors, and especially the obliques.

1. Start Position: Sit upright with your back straight. Place your hands behind your head and lift your legs to a 90-degree bend.
2. Crunch: Twist your torso to bring your right elbow toward your left knee, while straightening your right leg. Curl your torso forward to enhance the engagement of your abdominal muscles.
3. Alternate: Return to center and switch sides, bringing your left elbow toward your right knee.
4. Repeat: Continue alternating for 10-15 reps per side.

For chair exercises that target the legs:

Giant Set Leg Workout

Lose Inner Thigh Fat Workout With a Chair

3. Chair Plank

Concentrate on maintaining a flat line with your body and not straining your neck while doing this exercise.

1. Start Position: Place your forearms on the seat of a sturdy chair, with your elbows directly below your shoulders. Step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
2. Engage Your Core: Tighten your core, squeeze your glutes, and ensure your body stays in a straight line without letting your hips sag.
3. Hold: Maintain the plank position for 30-60 seconds, focusing on keeping your form steady and your core engaged.
4. Finish: Slowly lower your body back to the starting position and rest.

4. Seated Torso Twists

In your seated position, you must primarily use your torso to twist for this exercise and not just the arms and neck.

1. Start Position: Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
2. Engage Your Core: Keep your back straight and engage your core muscles. Avoid leaning back or using your arms to twist.
3. Twist: Slowly rotate your torso to the right, keeping your hips square and your feet planted. Focus on using your abdominal muscles to initiate the movement.
4. Return to Center: Bring your torso back to the starting position, then twist to the left.
5. Repeat: Continue alternating sides for 10-15 reps per side.

5. Seated Scissor Legs

If you’d like to amp up the intensity for this exercise, you can add ankle weights or the legs up for a few seconds longer. This is a truly effective exercise to get rid of the excess belly fat and achieve your flat belly.

1. Start Position: Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your back straight and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the seat for support or on your thighs.
2. Lift Your Legs: Extend both legs straight out in front of you, keeping them parallel to the floor.
3. Scissor Movement: Cross your right leg over your left, then quickly switch, bringing your left leg over your right. Continue alternating in a “scissoring” motion.
4. Engage Your Core: Keep your core tight and maintain control as you perform the leg movements. Try to avoid leaning back or using momentum.
5. Repeat: Perform 10-15 repetitions per leg, or continue for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Chair Workout Routines for Your Core

Below are workout routines that have been curated for you to follow easily with primary focus of strengthening your core muscles and losing belly fat!

Simple Chair Ab Exercises

An easy-to-execute routine that focuses on the most basic movements for developing your core.

Chair Core Tri Set

This a low-impact routine but it includes three targeted sets that are bound to burn fat beyond just your waist region.

Easy Chair Core Exercises

A beginner-friendly routine that includes foundational exercises like side bends and alternate leg extensions

Chair Core Workout

This is for those who wish to take things up a notch – an effective 25-minute chair workout routine!

For chair workout challenges:

The Ultimate 28-Day Chair Workout For Seniors Challenge

10 Chair Exercises for Seniors and Free 5-Day Workout Plan

Conclusion

We hope that this article has been a useful guide for beginning your chair workout journey. These effective exercises are sure to help you lead an active lifestyle by helping you develop the core strength you dream of. For more resources on activating different muscle groups, check out the JustFit app‘s extensive library of video tutorials and more!