4 Chair Exercises That Shrink Your Waistline Faster Than Gym Workouts After 60

By Alexa Mellardo

August 27, 2026

If you notice your waistline expanding, it’s time to take control. It’s never a great feeling to be in a fitting room and discover you’ve gone up a couple sizes in your favorite jeans. The reason why it’s so important to take action? Excess abdominal fat—particularly visceral fat—is linked to a higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

There’s no time like the present to start doing these four simple chair exercises. They can help shrink body fat faster than gym classes after 60.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Sitting down does not mean the core stops working. If you sit tall, brace the abdominals, control your movement, and avoid relying on the back of the chair, the core has to stabilize the spine throughout every repetition,” explains Ngo Okafor, Founder, CEO, and Celebrity Trainer at Iconoclast Fitness. “The key is intention. Slow the movement down, maintain tension, and control every rep. You do not need complicated exercises to build strength—you need to perform simple exercises extremely well.”

Below are four chair exercises Okafor recommends adding to your workout regimen.

Alternating Seated Knee Lifts

1. Begin by sitting tall toward the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands on the edge for support.
3. Lift one knee toward your chest, holding for a moment.
4. Lower it, bracing your abs and maintaining a tall spine.
5. Switch sides and continue to alternate knee lifts.

Seated Cross-Body Knee Drives

1. Begin seated with your hands behind your head and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Brace your core.
3. Bring your left knee up while rotating your right elbow toward it.
4. Return to the start position.
5. Switch sides and continue to alternate.

Seated Torso Rotations

1. Begin sitting tall on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Activate your core.
2. Place your hands behind your head or cross them in front of your chest.
3. Slowly twist your torso to the left, keeping your hips facing forward.
4. Return to the center, then twist to the right.

Seated March

1. Begin seated with your feet placed hip-width apart on the floor.
2. Lift your left knee up to hip height.
3. Lower.
4. Then, lift your right knee up to hip level.
5. Lower.
6. Maintain solid posture as you continue to “march” from the seated position.