Lower back and shoulders

Chair Pose: Hands Pressing Raised Block

Pressing a block adds shoulder and thoracic engagement, increasing the overall stability challenge while building integrated upper and lower body strength.

How to do it

1. 1

   Hold a block between your palms in front of you

   Flat sides of the block against each hand, arms straight.

2. 2

   Raise your arms and press the block inwards

   Press firmly enough that you feel your shoulders and upper back switch on. This press is what makes the version harder than simply reaching overhead.

3. 3

   Bend your knees and sit your hips back

   Keep the pressure on the block steady as you lower. The two demands are meant to happen at the same time.

4. 4

   Keep the arms where they are without tipping back

   Front ribs stay down so the raised arms do not pull you into a backward lean.

5. 5

   Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then release the block

   Lower the arms or bend the knees less if either the press or the depth becomes too much.

What to watch for

The press is meant to switch on your upper back, not to hitch your shoulders up towards your ears. If your neck starts to take it, bring the arms lower and keep pressing at that height instead.

Ways to adjust it

• Shallow
• Arms down

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Chair Pose: Classic

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.

• Chair Pose: Block Between Thighs
• Chair Pose: Classic
• Chair Pose: Dynamic Sit-to-Stand
• Chair Pose: Shallow

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.