Tag Archive for: chair-based exercise

Should You Do Chair-Based Exercises?

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There are two more questions on the benefit of the chair-based exercises for getting stronger and getting ripped while doing it.

Will Chair-Based Exercise Increase Muscle Mass?

Examining the research on the benefits of chair-based exercise for increasing muscle mass seems clear. It will not—at least not to the degree the chair-based exercise ads suggest. People, specifically those over 60, will gain some strength that will help with balance and increase flexibility, but there’s no evidence it will increase muscle mass to any degree. I think that makes chair-based exercise beneficial for most people at some point in their lives.

And, by the way, how are those thighs feeling after doing one maximum set of squats every day by standing up and sitting down in a chair?

Should Men Over 50 Avoid Strenuous Exercise?

No. Whether it’s lifting weights or running a 5K, there’s no evidence that intense exercise is only for the young. What I think they were heading for was preventing age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia. Limited data shows that weight training can slow down muscle loss or reverse the loss somewhat, but it involves lifting weights, not chair exercises.

The intensity of your exercise program should always be dictated by discussions with your physician or physical therapist to plan your exercise path according to any cardiovascular disease, metabolic, or orthopedic issues you have. Chair exercises are definitely beneficial in helping you live your life, but looking lean and ripped is not going to happen. (That dream guy in the image is created with AI.)

The Problem

The companies that are promoting the apps related to chair exercises are doing a genuine disservice to potential customers. It’s a classic bait-and-switch. What they’re really promoting is intermittent fasting, focusing on the keto or Paleo diets, and tracking everything: food, exercise, sleep, and more. They offer chair exercise programs, but they begin easy. I’ve seen some of the videos later in the program, and the increase in intensity will make it difficult for people to keep up. That’s not going to happen in 15 minutes a day.

One more thing? The people in the videos are AI-enhanced. I thought something was off, but now, in very faint letters in a very small font, the use of AI-enhanced actors is admitted in the ads.

Chair-based exercise programs are legit and a great way to begin resistance training or to maintain your strength while you’re temporarily sidelined, such as after twisting an ankle. Consider it for 2026, but remember there are no quick fixes or ways around improving your health: you have to eat better, eat less, and move more.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

What Is Chair-Based Exercise?

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Time marches on and we’re counting down to the New Year; it’s time to start planning how you’re going to maintain health and fitness if you have it or improve it if you could do better. Recently, especially on click-bait websites, there are a couple of companies that are pitching chair-based exercises as a solution to increase muscle and lose weight. “Only 15 minutes per day” they say and seem to imply you can have a body that’s ripped and toned. It’s tempting.

Part of the pitch is that after 50, men should be doing more resistance exercise and leave the heavy exercise behind because “it’s a young man’s exercise and too strenuous.” The premise of chair-exercise raises questions about increasing muscle mass.

The first question is simple: Do chair-exercise programs benefit the people who utilize them? Yes. They appear to help people who are older than 60 with flexibility and balance issues. There are dozens of exercises, from the simple such as ankle flexion and extension, to something more rigorous like squats by standing up and sitting down in a chair.

There are two more questions related to chair exercises and the approach the ads take while promoting such programs; I’ll cover that on Saturday. In the meantime, find a solid chair (preferably with arms, but it’s not critical) and do as many squats—meaning standing up and sitting down—as you can, every day, in one set, from now until Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet