Does chair yoga help you lose weight?
Probably not much. Chair yoga and seated tai chi are light-intensity activity, about 2 to 2.8 METs (energy cost study, 2023), and a review of 30 yoga trials found no overall effect on body weight (Lauche et al., 2016).
Why the 28-day promises don’t add up
Ten minutes a day of light seated movement burns roughly 15 to 20 more calories than sitting still. Over 28 days that is about 400 to 500 calories, or roughly a tenth of a pound of body fat. That is our own estimate from the measured intensity, not a study result, but it shows why “28 days to a flat belly” ads can’t be true.
What chair yoga can do
- Help you feel looser and calmer, and move joints that get stiff from sitting.
- Give you a daily habit that’s easy to keep, even on low-energy days.
- Be a starting point when standing exercise is hard.
If weight is your goal
Talk with your doctor about what fits you. Food, walking more during the day and strength exercises such as sit-to-stand do more for weight than any chair routine. Keep chair yoga for what it’s good at.