Somewhere between the second cup of tea and the third hour of back-to-back calls, the shoulders creep up, the chin drifts towards the screen and the lower back starts to protest. Nothing dramatic. Just a slow build of tension that makes the last hour of the day feel twice as long.
You do not need a mat, gym clothes or an empty meeting room. What follows is a sequence of eight stretches you can do from your chair, in ordinary work clothes, without drawing much attention. None of them takes more than a minute, and most can be done with one hand still resting on the keyboard.
Think of it as maintenance rather than exercise — a way to interrupt the stillness before it settles in for the afternoon.
Set Up First, Stretch Second
Good posture is less about sitting ramrod straight and more about changing position often. Even so, a few adjustments make the stretches below considerably more effective:
- Feet flat on the floor, or on a footrest if your chair is set high.
- Hips pushed back into the seat so your lower back is supported.
- Screen roughly at eye level — a stack of books under a laptop works perfectly well.
- Elbows close to ninety degrees, wrists straight, shoulders down and away from the ears.
- Jaw unclenched. It is surprising how often it is working harder than the keyboard.
Take three slow breaths before you begin: in through the nose, out through the mouth, with the exhale longer than the inhale. Muscles release more readily when you are not rushing them.
Neck and Jaw: Three Gentle Releases
The neck takes the brunt of screen work. Keep every movement slow and small. A stretch should feel like a gentle pull, never a sharp tug.
1. Chin tucks
Sit tall and imagine a piece of string drawing the crown of your head upwards. Without tilting your head, glide your chin backwards, as though you are making a very slight double chin. Hold for two breaths, release, and repeat five times. This directly counters the forward-head position that builds up over a morning of reading email.
2. Ear to shoulder
Drop your right ear towards your right shoulder, keeping the left shoulder relaxed and your face pointing forward. You should feel a stretch along the left side of your neck. Hold for three slow breaths, then swap sides. For a little more, rest your right hand lightly on your head — no pulling, just the weight of your arm.
3. Slow half-circles
Let your chin drop towards your chest. Roll your head slowly to the right so your ear passes over your shoulder, return to centre, then roll to the left. Never take the head backwards; half-circles are plenty. Five passes in each direction, moving at about half the speed you think you need.
Shoulders and Upper Back: Four That Undo Screen Time
Shoulders store tension like a cupboard nobody clears out. These four moves open the chest and remind the upper back that it can still move freely.
4. Shrug and drop
Lift both shoulders towards your ears as you breathe in, hold for a moment, then let them fall heavily on the exhale. Repeat five times. Follow with slow shoulder rolls — five forwards, five backwards — keeping the movement smooth rather than jerky.
5. Seated chest opener
Clasp your hands behind your back, or simply interlace your fingers and rest them against your lower back if your shoulders are tight. Straighten your arms, lift your chest and draw your shoulder blades together. Hold for three breaths. This is the antidote to hours of hunched typing.
6. Seated cat-cow
Place both hands on your knees. On an inhale, arch your back gently and lift your chest, looking slightly upwards. On the exhale, round your spine and let your chin fall towards your chest. Move slowly through ten rounds, letting your breath set the pace.
7. Eagle arms
Bring your arms in front of you at chest height. Cross your right arm over your left, bend both elbows and try to bring your palms together, or simply rest the back of your right hand against your left palm. Lift the elbows slightly to feel a stretch between the shoulder blades. Hold for three breaths, then repeat with the left arm on top.
Reset the Lower Back
8. Seated twist
Sit towards the front of your chair with both feet flat. Place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and your right hand on the seat behind you. As you exhale, twist gently to the right, growing taller rather than forcing the movement. Hold for three breaths, unwind, then repeat on the other side. If a twist feels too strong, keep it small or skip it and spend the time on your upper back instead.
The Two-Minute Version
If you remember nothing else, remember this order:
- Three slow breaths.
- Five chin tucks.
- Ear to shoulder, both sides, three breaths each.
- Shrug and drop, five times.
- Seated cat-cow, ten rounds.
- Seated twist, both sides.
That is roughly two minutes. Set a repeating reminder for mid-morning and mid-afternoon, or attach the routine to something you already do — the kettle boiling, or the moment before a call begins.
The goal is not to become flexible. It is to finish the day without feeling folded in half.
When to Stop and When to Ask for Help
Stretching should ease tension, not create it. Stop and rest if you notice sharp pain, numbness, tingling or pins and needles in your arms or hands, dizziness, or a headache that worsens as you move. Those are signals to see a GP or physiotherapist rather than to push through. If you have a recent injury, a long-standing neck or back condition, or you are pregnant, ask a qualified professional which movements suit you before starting. The sequence here is general guidance, not a treatment plan.
Making It Stick
None of this helps if it lives only on a to-do list. Pick one stretch — the chin tuck is the easiest to hide in plain sight — and do it every time you finish a call for a week. Add a second the following week. Keep a glass of water at your desk so you stand up more often, and use the walk to the kitchen as a chance to roll your shoulders and let your arms swing.
If you can manage it, run through the full sequence once before lunch and once in the afternoon. Even a single round counts. Comfortable, regular movement spread across the working day will do far more for a tired neck and back than an ambitious routine that happens twice a month and leaves you sore for three days.
Photo: Pexels / Pixabay
