Chair Cardio Movements for Lower Body Injuries

I sprained my ankle in Chicago after graduating from the NTA program back in February. Ever since my entire right foot has not been the same. I re-injured it a month later that developed into a stress fracture; which leads me to the boot! And even though I am no longer in a boot, the doctors have found that I have a tarsal coalition that can lead to surgery or wearing orthotics for the rest of my life. So while I am weighing my options, I have been getting creative in my workouts so that I don’t make it worse. 

That’s why I have come up with over 35 non-weight and weight-bearing movements that you can do using a chair! These movements helped me immensely while I was in the boot so if you are recovering from an injury, disability, limited mobility, or just looking for variety, this is for you.

Even though things are starting to slowly open back up in some areas, I know a lot of you are still working out from home! And even if you may not follow the criteria mentioned above, if you are working from home, watching television, or just sitting, these movements are great to get that heart rate going! 

Exercise is an important way to accelerate healing; when done safely! The healing process requires adequate blood circulation and optimal flow of replenishing blood to the injury area. However, your exercise choices need to be safe and smart. With that said, you must be cleared by your doctor or PT before starting this or any new exercise routine. Always listen to your body and if anything puts your healing in jeopardy, stop! 

This is not a workout necessarily, but movements that you can implement or carry into your exercise recovery routine. If you are dealing with an injury, pay close attention to how you move through each exercise and go for quality not quantity. 

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Equipment Needed: 

• Sturdy chair (no wheels)

• Optional: dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands

Here are some of the movements that you can do using a chair:

single leg side squats

lateral leg raises

plank

push ups

incline push ups

kettlebell rows

leg raises with a twist

chair body lift with leg extensions

squats

around the head with kettlebell

arm stretches

resistance band movements

bicycle crunches

knee to elbow

single leg deadlift

sitting ab movements

toe taps

tricep extensions

single leg kickbacks

bent over lateral raise

jab cross

starfish

push press

side bends

russian twists

side bends

cycling crunches

seated dips

crunch kicks

side raise

Implement these movements into your exercise recovery routine or complete each movement for 60 seconds and take a 10 second break in between. 

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If you try these movements, let us know! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

4 Minute Plank Tabata Challenge

Tabata workouts are a great way to improve endurance or if you are short on time. It’s a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout that last about 4 minutes!  There are many varied tabata style workouts that you can do, all you have to do is follow this simple guideline:

20 sec: work out

10 sec: rest

Complete 8 rounds

So for the first 20 seconds, you workout as hard as you can and then rest for 10 seconds. This is for one set. In total, you will complete 8 rounds. You can do whatever workout you would like that targets large muscle groups: burpees, squats, lunges, planks, etc.

For this particular tabata, we will be targeting the most love/hate muscle group - abdominal; using planks as the workout!

Feel free to pin the workout for later or download the PDF here!

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PLANK

Place the forearms on the ground with the elbows aligned below the shoulders. Arms should be parallel to the body at about shoulder-width distance. If flat palms bother your wrists (like mine!), clasp your hands together. This plank variation can be performed with straight arms!

TWISTED PLANK WITH WEIGHT

Starting in plank position, have your hands or elbows beneath your shoulders. Pivot to one side, raising the arm vertically above you as you twist. Pause and return to the starting position. You will perform both movements on the right and left side. Weights are optional but highly recommended!

ELBOWS UP TO HANDS PLANK

Starting in plank position, have your hands or elbows beneath your shoulders. One arm at a time, push yourself into a push-up position, arms fully extended beneath you. Lower yourself, one arm at a time, back down to the elbow plank starting position. Repeat this movement, alternating which side your lower first with each rep.

SIDE PLANK

Lie on one side with the legs stacked on top of one another then prop the body up on one hand or elbow. You will perform this movement for both right and left side.

PLANK JACKS

Starting in plank position, have your hands or elbows beneath your shoulders. Keep your core engaged, jump your feet out and in (like jumping jacks). (my feet kept slipping and I felt like I was going to hit the wall..lol…but remember to keep that plank position *flat back* throughout the movement)

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If you try this workout, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram.