One thing that I have always found fascinating in yoga is the fact that it has practice options for everyone, irrespective of their physical state and health. So even if you are recovering from an injury or you are not flexible enough to practice yoga poses, you have options like chair yoga that you can explore. The only investment you need is the best yoga chair and a willingness to learn.
We have also written about best meditation chair, yoga ball chair and best meditation bench that you can refer.
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Top picks for the best yoga chair – available options
Here are our top picks for the best yoga chair:
Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair
This yoga balance ball chair helps in engaging your body and mind through micro-movements which happen because of sitting on it. It has been designed to improve overall well being and to provide a flexible seating option.
Being one of the best known brands in the space, this yoga chair promotes proper alignment of the body and helps in relieving back pain which comes due to sitting on a office chair for long duration.
The chair has good weight bearing capacity and it can be used by people with a wide range of heights.
PharMeDoc Balance Ball Chair with Back Support
This balance ball chair is a very good way to sit and it helps in activating your core without really doing abs exercises. It also helps in improving your posture and is perfect for short office workouts that you can fit in your typical workday.
The chair reduces back pain and improves your way of sitting and has lockable wheels that enhance safety.
Traditional Backless Metal Folding Chair
SISYAMA Fitness Yoga Headstand Chair Inversion Bench
WonderView Yoga Inversion Chair
Do you really need a yoga chair?
This is a question that every new practitioner grapples with.
It is a fact that you can try and practice chair yoga with any existing chair or bench in your home.
The only thing you need is that it has to be strong enough and stable enough to carry your weight while you are practicing these positions.
The only limiting factor here is the fact that these traditional chairs are not really designed for different yoga poses.
Although they will provide some support to your body, they will also limit the number of poses that you can practice.
In addition due to the design limitation, these chairs will not really provide adequate support that is required to have sufficient stability for yogasanas.
For someone who is just starting out and is practicing only the most novice poses, a traditional chair or bench can do the trick.
But if you are an experienced practitioner and are looking to try more advanced yogasanas, you should ideally be using yoga chairs which are specifically designed for this type of practice.
There are multiple variants of these chairs which are available in the market today. They can be used to practice extremely diverse poses.
Different types of yoga chairs
The chairs which are specifically designed for practicing Chair yoga are extremely versatile. All the options available in the market today can be used either at home or in the office, for a short yoga session.
Here are the different types of chairs that you can consider:
Traditional chair
You can start your yoga journey with any traditional wooden or metal chair as a beginner. It would be preferable if they provide more flexibility for you to practice different yoga poses.
However, using any of the traditional chairs or benches comes with the major disadvantage of design flaws which can create issues like safety and instability.
In addition you also need to make sure that the chairs fit into your physical requirements.
Backless chair
There are several companies which have specially designed backless chairs in the market. These chairs are usually preferred more than the traditional chairs because they have more versatility.
They offer you flexibility to practice more yoga poses without worrying about stability or safety.
There are a lot of inexpensive options which are available for you to consider.
Yoga balance ball chair
Although a balance ball chair is not what you think of when you are looking for the best yoga chair. But they have become extremely popular in a very short period of time.
These ball chairs are an alternative to the standard office chairs that people use daily when they are sitting behind their desks.
You can strengthen your core muscles and improve your posture by using a them.
These chairs can also double as a yoga chair whenever you want to practice different yoga poses.
What are the benefits of doing chair yoga?
All the traditional yoga is practiced on a yoga mat but chair yoga is a very good alternative for the elderly for people who don’t have sufficient flexibility to kick start their yoga practice.
Some of the more traditional yoga poses are usually not possible when you are using a chair but it’s a good place to start if you are looking to reap some health benefits without taxing your body too much.
The major benefits that you can get are as following:
- All the benefits that you can get out of yoga can also be achieved through this type of yoga. It helps in improved strength flexibility and an improvement in your body posture. It also helps in reducing anxiety and your stress levels.
- Doing different poses engages the core muscles and helps to protect people from back injuries. This is especially helpful for people like elderly who are more susceptible to injuries like this.
- This branch of yoga helps beginners and older people to practice yoga poses with the stability and safety of a chair.
So if you are considering to kick start your yoga journey, it would be really worthwhile to do some research on the best yoga chair that you can buy.
As a beginner you can definitely look at the traditional chairs available in your home. But if you are planning to practice chair yoga over an extended period of time and aim to become an advanced practitioner, it would make sense to invest in a the right chair at the outset.
Factors to consider while picking a chair
While you are looking to buy the the best chair for yourself the factors that need to be kept in mind are:
Type of chair
Whether you are looking for a backless yoga chair or a ball chair is completely your call. Our suggestion would be to go for a yoga ball chair if you are only looking for short yoga sessions in the office.
However if you are an elderly person or someone recovering from an injury and chair yoga is a part of your restorative sessions, it would be better to invest on a specialized backless chair.
Stability
The chair should be stable enough when you are practicing different yoga poses so that you can practice yoga asanas without worrying about falling down.
Height
The chair should have sufficient height according to your body dimensions so that you don’t have to hunch or crouch while you are trying to practice yoga poses.
Material
The backless chairs come in either metal or wood as a material and you can choose either one depending on your personal choice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that investing in the best yoga chair can be a very good investment for starters and older adults since it can help you with practice of different yoga poses without putting too much strain on your body.
Frequently asked questions
What is chair yoga?
Chair yoga is a unique offshoot of traditional yoga practice that has been designed for older adults for their restorative yoga sessions and in case of people who are recovering from injuries.
This is extremely helpful for individuals who either are not flexible enough to do different yoga poses or lack the strength to hold these poses.
With this yoga, everyone can practice yoga asanas that provide stretching of painful muscles and help in improving blood circulation while reducing anxiety and stress at the same time. It also helps in an improvement in balance and muscle strength of these individuals.
What is the use of a yoga chair?
A good chair offers you support and stability while practicing different yoga poses.
This not only reduces strain on your body but also gives you confidence to practice poses without worrying about injuring yourself.
One of the most important things in your practice of yoga is to ensure that your body is maintaining the right posture while you are practicing different asanas.
The best chair helps you in keeping your posture correctly aligned and provides support to your body at the required places.
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