Exercises / Thigh & knee
Box squat to a chair
- Strength
- Thigh & knee
- Stable chair
Squat back until the buttocks lightly touch a chair, then stand without dropping onto it.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Common strength dose: 2-3 sets of 8-12 slow repetitions, 2-3 days per week, adjusted to tolerance.
Start: Standing in front of a chair
Steps
- Stand with feet about hip-width apart in front of a sturdy chair.
- Send the hips back and bend the knees until the buttocks lightly touch the seat.
- Press through the feet to return to standing.
Cues
- Keep the whole foot grounded
- Touch the chair lightly
Common mistakes
- Falling onto the seat
- Knees collapsing inward
- Heels lifting
Used for
- Lower-limb strengthening
- Practising a controlled chair transfer
Take care (1)
- Use a higher chair or hand support if balance or knee symptoms limit control.
Evidence (1)
- Chair-stand performance is associated with lower-body strength; this observational validation study did not compare box squat training programmes.1
Harder
References (1)
- Jones CJ, Rikli RE, Beam WC. Res Q Exerc Sport. 1999;70(2):113-119. A 30-s chair-stand test as a measure of lower body strength in community-residing older adults