3 Easy Stretching Exercises You Can Do While Sitting (No Excuses)

3 Easy Stretching Exercises You Can Do While Sitting (No Excuses)

If you’re stuck in a chair for hours a day, your body is paying the price. Tight hips, stiff shoulders, and a cranky lower back are the usual suspects. But here’s the good news—you don’t need a gym, a yoga mat, or even to stand up to fight back.

Here are 3 simple but effective stretches you can do right from your chair to loosen up and restore some mobility.

 

1. Seated Spinal Twist

Targets: spine, obliques, shoulders

How to do it:

  • Sit upright without leaning on the backrest.

  • Place your right hand on the back of your chair and your left hand on your right thigh.

  • Inhale, lengthen your spine.

  • Exhale, gently twist your torso to the right. Hold for 15–30 seconds.

  • Switch sides.

Why it matters:
Long sitting compresses your spine and locks up your torso. This twist helps decompress and reintroduce rotational movement—something your spine desperately needs.

 

2. Seated Hip Stretch (Figure 4)

Targets: hips, glutes, lower back

How to do it:

  • Sit with both feet flat on the floor.

  • Cross your right ankle over your left knee to form a "4" shape.

  • Keep your back straight and gently press your right knee downward.

  • Lean forward slightly from the hips to deepen the stretch.

  • Hold for 20–30 seconds. Switch sides.

Why it matters:
Sitting shortens your hip flexors and locks up your glutes. This stretch opens up tight hips and can relieve lower back pressure.

 

3. Seated Shoulder & Neck Release

Targets: neck, traps, upper back

How to do it:

  • Sit tall with your shoulders relaxed.

  • Drop your right ear toward your right shoulder.

  • Use your right hand to gently pull your head a little deeper into the stretch.

  • Extend your left arm downward for more intensity.

  • Hold for 20 seconds. Switch sides.

 

Why it matters:
Desk posture = forward head, hunched shoulders. This stretch helps reverse that by releasing neck and trap tension, which often builds without you even noticing.

 

Quick Tips for Results

  • Do these 2–3 times per day if you're sitting more than 6 hours.

  • Don’t rush. Stretching is about control and breath, not speed.

  • Combine with regular breaks, even just 1–2 minutes of standing or walking.

 

Your chair might be wrecking your posture, but it can also be part of the solution—if you use it right. Start with these stretches, make it a habit, and you’ll feel the difference by the end of the week.

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