Today I wanted to spend some time going through all the stretches I do each day to make sure my body (more importantly, my back) doesn’t start to lock up on me.

My post about making sure you move was popular, and I only briefly touched on ONE of the stretches I do. If you sit at your desk all day, chances are the first thing you’ll notice is your back giving you troubles.

Disclaimer: I’m no physio or sports expert. These are just the stretches that have worked for me and helped me feel more comfortable when sitting at a desk all day. If you have pain in your lower back that is bothersome, see a Physiotherapist before doing any stretches like the one below.

OK, disclaimers aside – lets jump right in!

First up is the child’s pose, which gently stretches the lower back and puts some movement into the mix. If you do this and are really tight it’s worth staying in the position for a bit longer than a few seconds before returning.

Next is a rotation of the back – this helps with mobility. If you’re just sat at your desk all day you’re not really rotating very much (and when you do, I bet you spin in a chair).

Glute bridges help to strengthen the butt and lower back and are great if you have general weakness in that area. If you’ve not done any exercise for a while I’d recommend starting with these before diving into something like deadlifts.

Finally the bird dog (or Supermans) help tighten your inner abdominal wall which work alongside your back muscles to keep your back pain free.

I follow the recommendations above for how many reps, or how long to hold the stretch for, but if you feel better holding for longer you certainly can do.

Also, I wouldn’t stop at just the four stretches above. If you work from home (or remotely) then it’s especially important to move. Go for a walk in your break, sweep the drive (if you have one) or take a trip to the gym or swimming pool.