Stretches for people who sit all day

Duration matters more than posture

Changing position frequently does more for your body than holding a good posture for a long time. However correct the posture, an hour without moving means the same muscles work continuously while the rest stiffen. Standing up every 30–60 minutes makes a bigger real difference than finding the perfect chair.

What you can do without leaving your desk

Movements you can do seated already help. The trick is to hold slowly for 20–30 seconds without bouncing.

• Neck: pull your head sideways with one hand, hold 20 seconds
• Shoulders: open the chest and draw the shoulder blades together
• Wrists: press the back of one hand downward with the other
• Back: seated, rotate your upper body slowly

The front of the hips tightens most

Sitting keeps the front of the hips folded, and over time they shorten. Left long enough, that pulls the lower back forward when you stand and can turn into back pain. Standing, stepping one leg back and pushing the hips forward a few times a day helps.

Eyes and neck move together

Long screen sessions tire the eyes, and when things are hard to see you push your head forward without noticing. That is why fixing neck posture alone rarely works. Adjusting screen brightness and text size, and looking at something distant for about 20 seconds every 20 minutes, helps the neck too.

When stretching is not the answer

Tingling or electric sensations, pain travelling down one arm or leg, or pain that is worse in the morning can be something other than tight muscles. People lose time trying to stretch through these. If symptoms persist for weeks, get them looked at.