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Anyone can benefit from working out with a chair.

Chairs have gotten a bad rap lately. There's too much sitting, not enough moving and much of the blame comes back to the humble seat and your tush in it. That's all valid, but I'm here to prove you can get a total-body strength workout in while sitting in a chair and doing only chair exercises.

Chair workouts rock for so many people. If you're recovering from an injury or surgery, need extra support during pregnancy, or have balance challenges, a chair is your ticket to an awesome sweat. Advanced exercisers who want to master more difficult progressions can do so with, you guessed it, a chair. "Chair exercises allow you to build strength in your upper body, lower body, and core—without having to invest in any additional equipment," says Ariel Belgrave, CPT.

Plus, if you have limited mobility, you can build muscle without putting additional stress on the joints using only a chair. Cool, right?

Meet the expert: Ariel Belgrave, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and creator of L.E.A.N., to help her clients build healthy habits, lose weight, and get energized.

Not just any old chair will do, though. Ideally you want a sturdy chair that can hold your body weight. The seat should be 12 to 24 inches from the ground. Avoid any chairs with wheels.

And, the floor under the chair matters too. "Be sure to check the floor for slippage because you don’t want the chair to move around while working out," says Belgrave. "If there’s any movement, slide a yoga mat under the chair."

Time: 30 | Equipment: chair, dumbbells | Good for: total body

Instructions: Select seven moves. For each move, complete as many reps as possible in 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds before proceeding to the next move. Once you've completed all 7 exercises, rest for 20 seconds, then repeat the entire circuit again for a total of 4 rounds.

Pro tip: Do this movement slowly to feel your core muscles working hard to resist gravity.

Pro tip: Every time you kick your legs, pull your abs deeper toward your spine.

Pro Tip: The quicker you perform this move, the more your heart rate will go up.

Pro tip: Your right foot should be stepped out far enough that you can do this without letting your right knee go past your right toes.)

Pro tip: The quicker you perform this move, the more your heart rate will go up!

Pro tip: Extend arms in front of you for balance.

Pro tip: You can keep your legs bent and feet flat on the floor, or extend your legs so your weight is on your heels.