Chair CardioFully seated5 minutes

Seated March Warm-Up

A five-minute seated march that wakes up your hips and gets blood moving before anything harder.

Gentle startLast reviewed 24 September 2026

Start guided session

5 steps · about 5 minutes. You can pause at any time, and every step shows a gentler alternative.

Step instructions shown as you goThree paces to choose from

Legs & hipsA firm chair with armrests

Why this routine helps

Three reasons this session is worth your ten minutes, and what you should notice changing over the first few weeks.

Read our full safety guidelines if this is your first week of exercise, or if anything here feels unclear.

Step by step

Open any step to read the full instruction and how to make it easier. The timing is a guide — going slower is always allowed.

Settle into your chairAbout 30 seconds
Sit toward the front edge with both feet flat and your back away from the chair back. Rest your hands on your thighs.
Modify this move
Slide a firm cushion behind you if the chair feels too deep.
March one leg at a timeAbout 60 seconds
Lift your right knee toward the ceiling, lower it, then lift your left. Keep the movement slow and even.
Modify this move
Lift only a few centimetres, or slide your heel forward instead of lifting.
Add your armsAbout 60 seconds
As your right knee lifts, swing your left arm forward. Keep your elbows soft and your shoulders relaxed.
Modify this move
Keep your hands resting and just march your legs if your shoulders tire.
Speed up gentlyAbout 60 seconds
March at a comfortable brisk pace, still landing each foot softly. You should be able to talk in short sentences.
Modify this move
Hold the pace you have. Faster is not better here.
Slow down and breatheAbout 60 seconds
Return to slow marching, then stop with both feet flat. Take three easy breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Modify this move
Stay seated and simply breathe if you feel light-headed.

Keep going

Chair Cardio
Chair Cardio Groove
Ten minutes of rhythmic seated movement set to your own music — the most fun way to raise your heart rate.
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Chair Cardio
Seated Step and Touch
A steady ten-minute seated cardio routine that works your legs in every direction.
10 minSeatedBuilding up
Open routine
Chair Cardio
Seated Arm Pump Cardio
Upper-body cardio for days when your legs want a rest but your heart still wants to move.
5 minSeatedGentle start
Open routine

Reviewed by Dana Whitfield, PT, DPT — licensed physical therapist specialising in older-adult rehabilitation.