Your chair is more than a place to park. It’s also a secret weapon for targeting your abs, hips and buns, and improving your balance. The following exercises can be done at home or work in just a few minutes. For best results, all you need is yourself, your trusty chair and the commitment to do it two to three times per week.
Let’s tone that midsection!
1. Froggies on the chair
Reps 10-15 times
Muscles targeted: Abs, inner thighs and quads.
Setup — Lean back so your shoulder blades press against the chair’s back. Tighten abs and rest hands on the front corners of the seat. Bend your knees with legs turned out at the hips so that your feet form a small V position and are elevated off the floor.
Action — Inhale. As you exhale, extend your legs straight out to hip height, pulling your inner thighs together. Next, inhale and bend the knees back to start position.
Modification — Lower legs towards the floor.
2. Standing Oblique Curl
Reps 10-15 on each side
Muscles targeted: Obliques (waist), glutes and legs
Setup — Stand beside the chair with your outside hand behind your head and your feet turned out from the hips.
Action — Inhale. As you exhale, extend the right leg to the side and side bend the torso towards the right leg. Inhale, draw the leg back to meet your supporting leg and return your torso back to an erect position. Repeat on the left side.
3. Standing Attitude
10 reps and 10 pulses
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings and abs for balance
Setup — Standing sideways, gently hold onto the chair for support. Turn the legs out at the hips feet in to a small V position.
Action — Transfer your weight onto the inside leg, bend the outside leg keeping the turn out in the hip. Lift the leg as far as you can go without hiking the hip whilst maintaining a bent leg position. Lower the leg and repeat for 10 reps adding little pulses for an extra butt burn.
4. Hip Flexor Stretch (Supported Crescent Pose in Yoga)
Muscles Targeted: Quads, hip flexors and abs for balance
Setup — Sit or stand sideways on the chair, bending your right leg and extending your left leg extended behind with hips facing square to the right side. For support, place your right hand on the chair and extend your left hand out in front of body at eye level.
Action — Hold the Stretch for 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat with opposite leg.
About the author:
Tracey Mallett (www.TraceyMallett.com) is an internationally-recognized certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist. She is the author of the forthcoming book Sexy in 6: Sculpt Your Body with the 6 Minute Quick Blast Workout. Tracey is the creator and star of the “3-In-1 Pregnancy System,” for pre- and post-natal mothers. Her newest videos are “Renew You” and “Super Body BootCamp.” A proud mother of two, Tracey, now lives in Los Angeles.
