6 Exercises That You Can Do With a Chair to Get Rid of Love Handles

Are you trying to get rid of those pesky love handles? Learn about 6 great exercises you can do right from the comfort of your office chair!
6 Exercises That You Can Do With a Chair to Get Rid of Love Handles

Last update: 09 October, 2022

Love handles, or the accumulation of fat around the waist, are often difficult to get rid of when losing weight.

Although you can reduce them by following a healthy and balanced diet, it’s necessary to carry out a series of exercises to achieve better results.

The problem is that not everyone has enough time to go to the gym, and some find it difficult to do their own exercise routine at home.

However, many people don’t realize that you can use something as simple as a chair to complete a workout with huge advantages.

This allows you to use your own body weight as a resistance force. Moreover, there’s a low risk of injuring your muscles or joints when using a chair compared to other methods.

Below, we’re going to share 6 of the best exercises you can do with a chair to get rid of love handles.

Effective exercises to get rid of love handles

1. Chair step-ups

This wonderful exercise not only strengthens the legs and glutes but also tones the abdominal area.

How to do it

  • Put one foot on the chair while raising your body, and stretch the other leg back.
  • Contract your abdomen and gluteus maximus, and then do this exercise with the opposite leg.
  • Use smooth movements and complete 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

2. Tricep dips

This exercise is another great one because, besides helping you to get rid of love handles, it also strengthens the back, shoulders, and arms.

How to do it

  • Position both hands shoulder-width apart on the chair and leave your feet on the floor.
  • Lift your body and straighten your arms as you inhale and exhale.
  • Remember to keep your abdomen tight, and complete 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

3.’Split ‘: stride with raised leg in chair

Man doing lunges in a chair

This movement requires a little more stamina and concentration, so it may seem tedious at first .

It improves your flexibility and works the quadriceps.

 How to do it

  • Bend one of your legs and rest it on the floor, and bend the other so that it’s leaning on the chair.
  • Raise yourself up and lower yourself down in this position and complete 15 to 20 repetitions.
  • Optionally, a variation of this exercise can be made by moving the leg resting on the chair back and forth.

4. Abdominal workouts on a chair

To focus on your belly you can also do a variation of a crunch on a chair. It’s necessary to resist your own body weight and keep your balance with this exercise.

How to do them

  • Sit on the edge of the chair with your legs stretched out, keeping your toes from touching the floor.
  • Tilt your back slightly back and raise both knees at the same time.
  • Try to bring them to the abdomen, keeping the posture as straight as possible.
  • Inhale when you  stretch your legs and exhale as you bend them.
  • Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

Read also:

Four Exercises for Perfect Abs

5. Cross-knee movement on a chair

This activity is designed to shape and tone the waist, abdominals, and glutes.

While it doesn’t help to eliminate localized fat, it’s an excellent complement to other toning exercises.

This exercise will help to strengthen the back muscles and bones.

How to do it

  • Support yourself by placing both your forearms on the chair and move your feet back and support them by placing your toes on the ground.
  • Raise your right knee to the inside of your left arm, as if you were to touching your  elbow, but don’t lift your abdomen when doing this.
  • Hold this position for a couple of seconds and return to the starting position.
  • Repeat this activity with the other leg and alternate between both legs until completing 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

6. Side contractions on a chair

This exercise is a good complement to the previous one because it helps strengthen the waist and glutes.

How to do it

  • Stand by the side of the chair, so that you can lean on the backrest with your right arm.
  • Then raise your left hand over your head and support yourself with it, as you’ll have to bend your right leg so that your right food is facing upwards.
  • Lower your left hand and gradually raise your right foot to bring the heel closer to your left hand.
  • Return to the starting position and repeat the same movement 10 or 15 times on each leg.

Ready for the challenge? As you have just noticed, it’s very easy to exercise with a chair, which you surely have at home.

Spend a few minutes each day doing any of these exercises and see the benefits with your own eyes. You’ll get rid of love handles in no time!


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


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  • Strasser, B., Spreitzer, A., & Haber, P. (2007). Fat loss depends on energy deficit only, independently of the method for weight loss. Annals of nutrition & metabolism, 51(5), 428–432. https://doi.org/10.1159/000111162
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This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.