Beat the office-worker ache with these full-body stretches you can do right at your desk, so you’ll be energized when it’s time to get up and go. Do this routine twice a day.
Seated Twist
Stretches back, neck, shoulders, and sides
Sit up tall with your feet flat on the floor. Place your right hand on your left upper arm. Twist to the right and grasp the back of the chair with your left hand, bringing your chin over your right shoulder as you turn. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Then switch sides.
Hunch Buster
Stretches chest, shoulders, and upper back
Sit on the edge of your chair with your legs open and your pelvis tilted slightly forward. Lift your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, away from your ears. Extend your arms at 45-degree angles and reach behind you, palms facing forward, bending your wrists back. Hold for 20 seconds.
Figure-Four Stretch
Stretches glutes, low back, and the piriformis, a small muscle that links the base of your spine to your femur
Sit in a chair with your legs bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, so your calf is parallel to the floor and your right knee is pointing to the right. Keeping your back straight, lean forward from the hips until you feel a stretch deep in your right glute muscle. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Switch sides.
