Counter the Negatives of Sitting with Challenging Chair Exercises 

Who likes Chair Fusion classes? 

Chair Fusion is a group exercise class for men and women who want to improve their posture, balance, core control and overall strength, but must do so from a chair. Members enjoy this class that has upbeat music and they leave feeling energized.

What is a Chair Fusion class? 

It is believed that the first chair with four legs invented by the ancient Egyptians was man’s first foray into intermittent times of rest during the day. Today we can see how chairs, although helpful, moved people toward a sedentary lifestyle that is associated with many preventable diseases.  

Our bodies are designed to move and work, not sit and slumber. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that one in four adults sits for more than eight hours every day. That means more than 25 percent of humans sit more than one third of the time. Add in the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep and at least 25 percent of us are sedentary for more than two thirds of every day. 

Sitting too much as you age can lead to a change in your posture. When you sit, the pelvis tilts backward and your bottom tilts under. Your hips may not support the top half of your frame. In addition, sitting also fails to exercise your glutes and core, which support your spine. 

Can chairs have any benefits? Yes, they can. Although chair sitting can be unhealthy, like most things, it can be countered with physical fitness. There are people unable to easily do land-based exercise due to disability, post-operative surgery status or even just being homebound without access to a gym. Chair-based exercise was an answer and the fitness world embraced the opportunity for new exercises. NASA even developed DeskFit, a program for engineers and staff who primarily had desk jobs. DeskFit consists of 20 essential moves one can do during the workday without leaving the desk or home.  

Chair Fusion combines several different fitness programs and allows the body to do all the work while seated, using body movements as the workload. It adds new exercise tools and movements to elevate the outcome of standard chair aerobics. Instructor-guided Chair Fusion classes can help you prevent and reverse the negative effects of sitting. You can gain improvements in posture, standing mobility, balance, muscle strength, blood flow, aerobic stamina and lubricated joints.  

Just because you are not on your feet, don’t make the mistake of thinking this class is easy. Overall conditioning happens using the many exercise tools at your side while working. Some of these tools include hand weights, body bars, bender balls, Pilates rings, carpet or floor gliders and strength bands. 

Our certified group exercise instructor may ask you to perform isometric work in your upper body while your legs and feet are working quickly with many reps in a more aerobic activity. In a Chair Fusion class, you may borrow HIIT (high intensity interval training) work that raises your heart rate in a timed session followed with a more restful type of work before you repeat the cycle. Yoga poses may be adapted for a chair, while your feet lift weights from the floor to engage the core and lengthen the spine. 

This type of cross training is especially beneficial for our older members. It requires sequential neurological commands to different parts of the body to perform non-conforming physical tasks, which helps to improve neural command speeds.  

Chair Fusion over the years has demonstrated many positive outcomes for participants. It is no longer viewed as less beneficial than land-based physical fitness exercise programs. Members should wear comfortable exercise clothes that move and breathe. Shoes that grip are always recommended. Modifications are available for people who need them at any point during the 50-minute class that includes a warmup, intensive class session and a cooldown.  

When and where does the Chair Fusion class meet? 

Chair Fusion meets in the aerobics studio. Chairs are provided. Look for day, time and location details in our interactive class schedule available on this website.  

Why do Chair Fusion? 

Chair Fusion is a great exercise option for people at a variety of physical levels. Members benefit from improved neural command response, flexibility and posture. Beyond the class, they see benefits in their ability to perform functional life tasks and independence to live at home.