Stiff back after sitting at your desk all day? It’s easy to slip into a slouch when tapping away at your laptop – particularly now many of us are now working from makeshift offices and using kitchen tables as desks. Yet taking just a few minutes to do these simple stretches could make all the difference, says London-based Pilates teacher Natalie Clough. Here she shares some exercises for better posture.

4 Exercises For Better Posture

Hands above the head – ​shave x 5

Pull the thumbs apart and bring the hands to the head. Keeping the elbows back, lift the hands up again. This opens the chest and strengths the back muscles that help to give us good posture. It also relieves back, neck and shoulder tension.

Hands behind the head – ​twist x 5 each side

Put one hand on top of the other and push the head into the hands and the hands back onto the head. Keep the elbows wide and, sitting on both sit bones, twist to one side and then the other. Usually we sit, stand, walk and maybe bend over but never remember to twist. Mobility in the spine is important and this easy one can be done on a call or as a quick typing break.

Mermaid – stretching to the side

Lift one arm up to the ceiling against the ear, the other down to the floor and press into the chair. Keep both sit bones down and reach over to the side. Think about the lift in the waist and spine which helps get us out of compressing the lower back.

Glute stretch – leg on body

Place one ankle over the opposite knee, lean forward and stick the bum back behind, keeping the hips even. This stretches the glutes and sometimes the hips if they are tight. It’s essential for long periods of sitting.

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