5 gentle stretches to undo a day at your desk

If you spend your day at a desk, your body keeps the score: tight shoulders, a stiff lower back, and a neck that forgot how to turn. The good news is that ten quiet minutes can undo most of it. Here are five gentle stretches we teach beginners at the studio.

1. Seated neck release

Sit tall, drop your right ear toward your right shoulder, and breathe for five slow breaths. Switch sides. Let gravity do the work — never pull.

2. Cat–cow

On all fours, alternate arching and rounding your spine with your breath. This is the single best reset for a desk-bound back.

3. Thread the needle

From all fours, slide one arm under the other and rest your shoulder on the mat. A deep, honest stretch for the upper back.

4. Low lunge

Step one foot forward, sink your hips, and open the front of the opposite thigh — where sitting quietly tightens you the most.

5. Supine twist

Lie down, drop both knees to one side, and turn your head the other way. Five breaths per side and your spine will thank you.

Do these most evenings and you’ll feel the difference in a week. Want a teacher to guide you? Your first class is free.