10 Quick Stretches For Anyone Who Sits In A Chair Most Of The Day

Your stiff muscles after stretching: "Aaaaah." And doing all 10 takes less than seven minutes.

1. An almost-total-body Forward Fold Stretch because your spine and legs are getting really cramped from the nonstop sitting.

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Target Muscle(s): Spinal Muscles (Upper Back and Lower Back), Piriformis, Hamstrings, and Calves

How To Do It:

1) Stand upright

2) Exhale as you bend at the hips, keeping your knees as straight as possible

3) Make sure to keep your hips aligned with your ankles, don't tilt forward

4) Reach your fingertips to the floor, but if you can't reach, grab behind your ankles/calves or cross your arms (clasp each elbow) and let your upper body hang

5) Keep your head and neck loose as you hang there for about 30 seconds

2. A blessed Levator Scapulae Stretch for your stiff neck and tense shoulders thanks to your admittedly less-than-stellar posture.

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Target Muscle(s): Levator Scapulae (a muscle that runs down the side of the neck into the shoulder)

How To Do It:

1) Stand with arms length of a wall, facing it

2) Place your left hand on the wall as high as you can reach, with your elbow above shoulder height

3) Turn your head to your right shoulder, then tilt your chin down

4) Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side

3. This straightforward Glute Bridge Stretch that can really help you with that achey lower back.

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Target Muscle(s): Lower Back, Gluteus Maximus, Adductors, Hamstrings, Calves, Core, and Abdominals

How To Do It:

1) Lay flat on your back with your legs hip-distance apart

2) Place your arms along your side with your palms flat on the floor

3) Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor

4) Push to raise your hips and lower back off the ground, keeping your shoulders on the floor

5) Keep your body in a consistent gentle incline from your shoulders to hips

6) Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then release

4. A dynamic Arm Circle Stretch to help loosen your shoulders and increase the circulation in your arms after resting them on your desk all day.

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Target Muscle(s): Rotator Cuff, Trapezius, Deltoid, Bicep, and Tricep

How To Do It:

1) Place your right hand over your core to stabilize your body

2) Swing your left arm in large circles, either forward or backward

3) Continue for 10 reps, then repeat on the other side

5. The casual Seated Pigeon Stretch for a subtle way to stretch your hips, butt, and thighs when you're uncomfortable in your (potentially make-shift) office chair.

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Target Muscle(s): Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Minimus, Lateral Rotators, Hip Flexors, and Quadricep

How To Do It:

1) Sit upright with both feet planted on the floor, directly under your knees

2) Lift your right foot (with your hands, if needed) and set it on your left knee or thigh

3) (Optional) Hug your right knee against your chest

4) Rest your right leg at a 90-degree angle

5) Keep your weight evenly distributed between your sit bones (so don't lean more on your right side because your leg is lifted)

6) Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side

6. A simple but effective Cross Body Shoulder Stretch because your shoulders are screaming after being in keyboard-position for hours on end.

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Target Muscle(s): Deltoid, Rotator Cuff, Supraspinatus, Rhomboid

How To Do It:

1) Place your left arm straight across your chest

2) Bend your right arm up, placing your right forearm over your left elbow (or anywhere between your elbow and shoulder)

3) Use your right arm to support your left arm, holding it straight and close to your body

4) Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side

7. The satisfying Seated Spinal Twist Stretch for when you have that "I need to crack my back or else" feeling.

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Target Muscle(s): Spinal Muscles (Upper Back and Lower Back), Intercostal Muscles (Chest), Obliques, Abdominals, IT Band, Piriformis, and Gluteal Muscles

How To Do It:

1) Sit tall and upright on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you

2) Bend your left knee and cross it over your right leg

3) (Optional) Bend your right knee, bringing your right ankle near your left glute, like half of a criss-cross position

4) Place your right arm behind your left knee, and use it as leverage as you twist to your left

5) Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side

8. A mind-blowing (but not back-blowing-out) Sphinx Stretch that will make your lower back thank you for a backbend that doesn't throw out your back.

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Target Muscle(s): Abdominals, Obliques, Hip Flexors, and Back (Transversospinales)

How To Do It:

1) Lay flat on your stomach, and place your hands by your shoulders

2) Gently push up and lift your chest, so your back arches and your arms are approximately at ninety degree-angles

3) Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, then release

9. This desk-friendly Eagle Arm Stretch so you can loosen up your shoulders and remember what if feels like to move.

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Target Muscle(s): Trapezius and Rotator Cuffs

How To Do It:

1) Straighten your back so that your chest is tall

2) Bend both of your arms at a 90-degree angle, then cross them, placing one elbow in the crease of the other

3) Hook your wrists, so that your palms face each other

4) Slowly lift your elbows up while keeping your arms locked

5) Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side

10. A feel-good Reverse Shoulder Stretch that will open up your chest and shoulders while also helping your upper back, and make you let out a sigh of relief.

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Target Muscle(s): Deltoids, Pecs, and Biceps

How To Do It:

1) Stand with your feet hip-distance apart

2) Clasp your hands behind your back

3) Fully extend your arms, and keep your elbows facing each other

4) Slowly lift your hands to stretch

5) Hold for 30 seconds, then release

Can't get enough? Here's where these sigh-inducing stretches came from:

— Do This Right Now If You're Stressed (Stretches 1, 5, and 9)

— 10 Easy Stretches for Neck And Shoulder Tension (Stretches 2, 6, and 10)

— Stretches For Lower Back Pain (Stretches 3 and 8)

— 6 Stretches To Get The Most Of Your Workout (Stretch 4)

— Easy Stretches For Tight Hip Relief (Stretch 7)

You, doing all of these stretches between work:

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