Chair yoga
Chair yoga has been studied in 7 papers since 2016: 5 trials in people, 2 reviews; 1 in the past year. The newest paper, Nov 1, 2025: “Physical and Mental Benefits of Chair Yoga for Older Adults: A Case Series”.
7 papers study it11 findingsUpdated
“The fixed-effects model indicated no statistically significant increase in balance across groups (English HEP β =.28, p =.411; English CY β =.22, p =.881; Spanish HEP β = 0.32, p =.94) but the Spanish CY group approached statistical significance (Spanish CY β = 1.23, p =.055).”
None of its findings points the other way.
- 3 independent labs in 3 countries
- Funders: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and 5 more
- Human trial5
Studies in people
4 studies gave chair yoga to people and measured what changed.
up: Improves functional fitness
up: Improves daily life activitiesCohen’s d = 3.06
no change: Has no effect on upper limb flexibility
Trial85 peoplewoman77.52 ± 6.15 years12 weeks
Older female adults with knee osteoarthritis who are more than 65 years of age
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), Apr 3, 2023
down: Decreases WOMAC paininteraction P = 0.020
no change: Has no effect on frailtybetween-group difference -0.01
Randomized trial112 peopleBotholder adults, mean 75.3 years (SD 7.5)8 weeks
Older adults; larger decline with higher baseline frailty index (interaction P = 0.020)
Experimental gerontology, Feb 20, 2020
up: Improves physical function
no change: Has no effect on physical function compared with chair-based exercise
Randomized trialolder adults
Older adults; older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis
Holistic nursing practice, Jan 1, 2019
down: Decreases pain interferenceβ = −1.16, p = .012
no change: Has no effect on balance
no change: Has no effect on osteoarthritis symptoms
Randomized trial131 people75% were femalemean age 75.3 ± 7.5 years, range 65 to 94 years8 weeks with 1-month and 3-month follow-ups
English- and Spanish-speaking community-dwelling older adults with lower-extremity osteoarthritis
Journal of gerontological social work, Jan 1, 2016
What did studies of Chair yoga find?
10Studies of Chair yoga measured 10 outcomes; the most studied are pain interference (1 study), upper limb flexibility (1) and daily life activities (1).
Pain interference
downin humans1
1 study
Pain interference
downin humans1
Chair yoga decreases pain interference in humans (English-speaking) (β = −1.16, p = .012).
“The fixed-effects model indicated a significantly greater decrease in pain interference for both the English and Spanish CY groups over time (English CY β = −1.16, p =.012; Spanish CY β = −1.02, p =.042”
Human trialEnglish-speaking8 weeks with 1-month and 3-month follow-upsn = 60
Journal of gerontological social work
Chair yoga decreases pain interference in humans (lower-extremity osteoarthritis).
“English and Spanish CY groups (but neither HEP language group) showed significant decreases in pain interference.”
Human triallower-extremity osteoarthritis8 weeks
Journal of gerontological social work
Upper limb flexibility
no changein humans1
1 study
Upper limb flexibility
no changein humans1
Chair yoga showed no clear effect on upper limb flexibility in humans (knee osteoarthritis).
“However, no significant between-group differences were observed for upper-limb flexibility at post-test (p = 0.965).”
Human trialknee osteoarthritis12 weeksfemalesn = 85
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
Daily life activities
upin humans1
1 study
Daily life activities
upin humans1
Chair yoga improves daily life activities in humans (knee osteoarthritis) (Cohen’s d = 3.06).
“Moreover, the chair yoga activity program considerably increased the participants’ daily life activity scores, with the Cohen’s d effect size of the intervention being 3.06.”
Human trialknee osteoarthritis12 weeksfemalesn = 85
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
Functional fitness
upin humans1
1 study
Functional fitness
upin humans1
Chair yoga improves functional fitness in humans (knee osteoarthritis).
“Hand grip strength, lower- and upper-limb muscle strength, static balance, agility and dynamic balance, lower-limb flexibility, and daily life activities significantly improved in the intervention group when compared with the comparison group at post-test (all p < 0.001”
Human trialknee osteoarthritis12 weeksfemalesn = 85
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
Frailty
no changein humans1
1 study
Frailty
no changein humans1
Chair yoga showed no clear effect on frailty in humans (between-group difference -0.01).
“There was no significantly greater decline in FI for the CY group compared to the HEP group (between-group difference - 0.01; P = 0.509)”
Human trial8 weeks
Experimental gerontology
WOMAC pain
downin humans1
1 study
WOMAC pain
downin humans1
Chair yoga decreases WOMAC pain in humans (larger decline with higher baseline frailty index (interaction P = 0.020)) (interaction P = 0.020).
“indicating that participants with higher level of baseline FI had greater declines in WOMAC pain and pain interference”
Human triallarger decline with higher baseline frailty index (interaction P = 0.020)8 weeks
Experimental gerontology
Physical function compared with chair-based exercise
no changein humans1
1 study
Physical function compared with chair-based exercise
no changein humans1
Chair yoga showed no clear effect on physical function compared with chair-based exercise in humans (compared with chair-based exercise in older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis).
“although no significant differences between the 2 interventions were identified”
Human trialcompared with chair-based exercise in older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis
Holistic nursing practice
Physical function
upin humans1
1 study
Physical function
upin humans1
Chair yoga improves physical function in humans (older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis).
“Both interventions improved physical function and mobility over time”
Human trialolder adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis
Holistic nursing practice
Osteoarthritis symptoms
no changein humans1
1 study
Osteoarthritis symptoms
no changein humans1
Chair yoga showed no clear effect on osteoarthritis symptoms in humans.
“While controlling for the starting point, the fixed-effects model indicated no statistically significant trend differences among the four groups except for English HEP, which showed less improvement over time (English HEP β = −1.85, p =.015, English CY β = −1.91, p =.947, Spanish HEP β = −1.92, p =.531, Spanish CY β = −2.96, p =.303”
Human trial8 weeks with 1-month and 3-month follow-upsn = 131
Journal of gerontological social work
Balance
no changein humans1
1 study
Balance
no changein humans1
Chair yoga showed no clear effect on balance in humans.
“The fixed-effects model indicated no statistically significant increase in balance across groups (English HEP β =.28, p =.411; English CY β =.22, p =.881; Spanish HEP β = 0.32, p =.94) but the Spanish CY group approached statistical significance (Spanish CY β = 1.23, p =.055).”
Human trial8 weeks with 1-month and 3-month follow-upsn = 131
Journal of gerontological social work