Stretch out and restore with these simple poses.

As a former yoga instructor and a current desk-dweller, I feel the difference in my body after sitting down for eight to nine hours per day. If you’re like me and clock the hours in a seated position, you may feel tightness in your body, cranky hips and a sore lower back.

How to do desk yoga

Ditch the desk chair and do your self some good with these yoga poses that are super beneficial for those who sit all day.

The best yoga poses for desk workers are:

• Tree pose
• Forward fold
• Low lunge
• Half pigeon
• Supported bridge pose
• Reclined twist
• Legs up the wall

Tree Pose

Bring all your weight into one foot, and root down through the four corners of your foot on the floor. Place the sole of the other foot against the inside of the thigh, calf or ankle. Imagine pressing the sole of the foot into the standing leg and the leg into the foot. A standing balance pose is amazing after sitting all day, and finding a visual focal point is great after too much screen time.

Hold each side for a minute or more

Forward Fold (Bound)

As you completely let go of your upper body and allow gravity to do its work in this standing forward fold, your lower back gets a yummy stretch. Bonus points for binding arms behind your back, reaching the bind up and over to open through the chest (great for serial typists!).

Hold for 1 minute

Low Lunge

Create some cushion beneath your bottom knee so you can really feel the stretch in your front hip flexor. Slowly and carefully allow hips to lower down and forward to undo hours of sitting.

Hold each side for a minute or more.

Half Pigeon

Instead of “pancaking” into this pose, mindfully stay in the space where you feel tension in the inner and/or outer hip. Use your breath to work into tight spaces.

Hold each side for two minutes or more

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Supported Bridge Pose

Placing a block underneath the sacrum during bridge encourages your tired hip flexors to release. Bonus? It also feels pretty damn good.

Hold for a minute or more.

Reclined Twist

Really anchor down through the knee and shoulder to create opposing forces and get your digestion moving—very helpful if you’ve been hitting the office snacks.

Hold each side for 45 seconds.

Legs up the Wall

Try to completely let go of any effort in this pose. No clenching, tightening or strength involved! As your body begins to soften and let go, so will busy thoughts of the day.

Hold for five minutes or more.