These At-Your-Desk Stretches Are Totally #SFW

Try these simple drills to relieve a sore neck, achy feet, tight upper back, and all of your trouble spots. The best part: You can do most of them while sitting down! (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

Stretching has come a long way since the days of Jane Fonda VHS tapes. Mobility is one of the most buzzed-about terms in fitness, and experts are using new, cutting-edge techniques to combat the hours upon hours we spend hunched over laptops and craning our necks texting.

“If you’re in a bad physical position now, imagine what it’ll look like when you’re 60, 70, 80 years old,” says mobility expert Chris Espinal, head trainer at CrossFit Union Square. “You should have that range throughout your entire life, and we tend to lose it because of all of the bad postures we’re in every day.”

For practical purposes, the terms “mobility” and “flexibility” mean pretty much the same thing, Espinal tells Yahoo Health. “People think of flexibility as what your muscles can do,” he says. “Mobility is more geared toward your overall range of motion, and that’s probably where most people run into issues.”

Some of the most common mobility problems Espinal sees are problems lifting the arms overhead, and tight or shortened hamstrings (which are located at the back of the thighs). This can make it difficult to do things like get deep into a squat, or hold a barbell overhead.

Fortunately, only 10 to 20 minutes of daily mobility work — such as stretching and self-massage — is all it takes to relieve your tight spots, Espinal says. Here are seven of his favorite mobility exercises that you can do right at your desk. Focus on your problem areas first, he recommends, and make it a daily routine for the best results.

Related: 5 Exercises That Combat ‘Computer Body’ (Yes, It’s a Thing!)

1. Sitting Hip Stretch

Eric Brown, a coach at CrossFit Union Square, demonstrates a seated hip stretch. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: This exercise helps open up tight hips (a common side effect of sitting too much) so that it’s easier to get into a full-depth squat.
How to do it: While seated, rest your right ankle on top of your left knee. Press your left knee down gently to feel a stretch in your glutes (butt muscles). Hold for three to five seconds, relax for a couple of seconds, and repeat for two to three minutes on each side.

2. Seated Hamstring Massage

Do this self-massage regularly if you sit at a desk all day. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: If the last time you tried to touch your toes was in gym class, you probably have some tension in your glutes and hamstrings. This self-massage helps relieve that tension (and feels great).
How to do it: Grab a lacrosse ball or soft therapy ball. Sit on the ball, with the sphere placed on the crease of your right butt cheek (the insertion point of the hamstrings). Flex and extend your right leg, moving at a moderate pace, for about two minutes. Repeat on the other side.

3. Wrist Rotation

Relieve tight wrists with this drill. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: Chances are, your wrists are cramped into just a couple of positions most of the day: typing on your keyboard, and typing on your phone. As a result, you can have trouble bending your wrists backward. “We tend to see this a lot in Fundamentals classes,” Espinal says, referring to beginners’ CrossFit classes that teach basic movements. “As soon as you tell someone to put a barbell on their shoulders and they can’t, it’s usually because of lack of wrist mobility.” The fix is simple: If you bend your wrists forward all day, you need to stretch them in the opposite direction.
How to do it: Hold your arms out in front of you with your fingers bent, as if you’re holding a large imaginary grapefruit. Rotate your wrists about 15 times in each direction. Bonus: Place a rubber band around your fingers as you do this drill to help strengthen the small muscles in the hand.

4. Wrist Stretch

This stretch will help your wrists feel better during pushups and front squats. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: Similar to the move above, these stretches improve mobility in your wrist. This will give you a more intense stretch than the wrist rotation drill, though.
How to do it: Stand up and place your palms on a desk or table, the heels of your hands facing each other, fingers facing outward. Intensify the stretch by leaning some of your weight on your wrists. Hold for about 20 seconds. Rotate your hands so your middle fingers face each other and repeat. Finally, perform the move with your palm on the desk, fingers toward you, wrist facing away from you.

Related: 6 Stretches Everyone Should Do Before Getting Out of Bed

5. Active Hand Stretch

After furiously typing an important email, do this hand exercise to stretch and strengthen your fingers and forearms. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: All of that phone typing creates a lot of tension in your hands, which this stretch helps to release. The drill seems simple, but you’ll feel it after a minute, Espinal says.
How to do it: Hold your hands out straight in front of you, also keeping your wrists straight. Without moving your arms or wrists, pull your fingers back as much as you can. Then draw your fingers into fists and clench as hard as you can. Do about 20 reps.

6. Foot Self-Massage

Here’s how to give yourself a foot rub using a lacrosse ball. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: If you have a job that keeps you on your feet, or you use a standing desk, this self-massage will help work out achy arches. “Think of it as rolling out bread dough,” Espinal says. “When you roll it out, it becomes thinner and more elastic instead of having a chunk of bread together.” This drill is also great for runners and CrossFit athletes, he notes.
How to do it: Stand barefoot near a desk or wall (for balance). Shift your weight to your left foot and pace a lacrosse ball or soft therapy ball under the arch of the right foot. Roll the ball along every corner of the foot, however it feels good to you; shift your weight to control the pressure.

7. Neck and Upper Back Mobility Drill

Release tension in your neck and upper back with this drill. (GIF: Courtesy of CrossFit Union Square)

What it does: This exercise helps relieve a sore neck by stretching and moving the muscles along the neck and upper back in new ways. “Most of the time we’re stuck in one shape, and we tend to not get out of there,” Espinal says. “It’s important to get into places you haven’t been before.”
How to do it: Raise your arms out to the side with your right palm up and your left palm down; look to the right. Then flip it: turn your head to the left as you rotate your left palm up and turn your right palm down. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

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