7 ways to exercise with a kitchen chair

With only the help of a straight-backed kitchen chair, you can get a great workout while you wait for the  roast to come out of the oven. Do these moves every time you cook supper and you'll be more limber, and stronger in no time. You may even feel calmer afterward — and less likely to overeat at dinner!

• Sit in the chair and extend your arms to either side at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Slowly, over the space of five seconds, raise your arms until your hands meet over your head.
• Hold this position for five seconds, and then spend five more seconds returning your arms to the original position. Repeat five more times.

• Sit in a chair, with your feet flat on the floor. Lace the fingers of your hands together and place them across the front of your right knee.
• Lean as far toward your right knee as you can, breathing out as you do, and then return to an upright position.
• Spend three seconds leaning forward and three seconds returning. Repeat four times, then switch sides.

• Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly, over the space of five seconds, lift your right leg until it extends straight forward. Hold for five seconds; slowly lower it back down.
• Repeat nine more times, then switch legs.

While sitting, cross your right leg over your left knee. Over a period of four seconds, move your right foot clockwise to draw a large circle. Repeat nine times, then switch feet.

• Stand behind the chair and place your hands on the top of the chair back. Squat slightly, lowering your hips about 10 centimetres (four inches), making sure your knees don't extend beyond your toes.
• Spend two seconds lowering yourself and two seconds standing erect again. Repeat seven more times.

• Turn sideways to the chair back and place your left hand on the chair back. Keeping your back straight, slowly raise your right knee as high as it will go, then slowly lower it again.
• Still holding the chair back with your left hand, perform the exercise with your left leg. Do the exercise five times with each leg.

• Stand behind the chair with your feet 10 centimetres (four inches) apart, your left hand on the chair back and your right hand on your hip.
• Raise onto your toes over two seconds, and then lower back down over two seconds. Repeat nine more times.