Seated yoga is not just for older adults. Here is what experts say it can and cannot do, and how it fits a desk day.
Chair yoga sounds like a compromise, but the experts TIME spoke to describe it as a real practice with real benefits. It is simply yoga adapted so that you sit, or use a chair for support, instead of getting down on a mat.
What it is
Teacher Lakshmi Voelker began adapting poses to a chair in 1982 for a student with arthritis, and the approach has spread since. Classes vary. Some stay fully seated, some alternate between sitting and standing while holding the back of the chair, and some use the seat for support in poses such as downward dog. It suits people with limited strength or balance, but the experts say anyone can benefit.
What the research suggests
- Studies of seated chair yoga link it to better functional fitness and to less pain getting in the way of daily life. Most of that research has been done with older adults.
- Several studies, cited in the article, associate it with reduced stress.
- It can ease tight, achy joints and get the blood moving, and participants in one case series described it as enjoyable.
Why sitting helps
With the chair holding you up, there is less need to balance, so you can pay attention to the stretch itself. A seated figure-four hip stretch is one example. The support also makes it easier to focus on slow, deliberate breathing. More experienced yoga students can use a chair to notice alignment details, such as whether their hips tilt in Warrior 2.
Where it falls short
It challenges muscles and balance less than traditional yoga, so people in peak shape are unlikely to see as much physical benefit, and it will not build elite strength or agility. The experts quoted include yoga teachers and educators in New York, Boston and Las Vegas, and Justin Smith of Wichita State University, who co-authored a case series on the practice.
A desk-day version
If you work at a computer, the article points out that you do not need a full class. Short breaks with neck rolls or a seated spinal twist add movement without a mat or a change of clothes. As with any new exercise, if you have a medical condition or an injury, check with your doctor or a qualified instructor before you start.
Source: TIME
