Total time: 5 minutes. No equipment needed.

1. Seated Cat-Cow

• How: Sit on the edge of your chair with feet flat. Inhale as you arch your back and look toward the ceiling (Cow). Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin and looking at your navel (Cat).

• Why: It mobilises the entire spine. After hours of "slumping," this alternates between extension and flexion, hydrating the spinal discs and relieving that "stiff" feeling in the lower back.

2. Shoulder Rolls (Up, Back, and Down)

• How: Inhale and shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. Roll them back firmly, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then drop them down as far as they will go. Slow your breathing down as you do this to calm the central nervous system.

• Why: It counteracts "Internal Rotation." Typing causes our shoulders to roll forward. This exercise releases tension in the trapezius muscles, which we often carry around at the office.

3. Seated Thoracic Rotation

• How: Sit tall with your feet flat. Place your right hand on the outside of your left knee. Use your left hand to reach for the back of your chair. Gently rotate your torso to look over your left shoulder. Repeat on the other side.

• Why: The mid-back (thoracic spine) is designed for rotation, but it can "stiffen" when we are sedentary for long periods. Improved thoracic mobility reduces the strain on your neck and lower back, which often overcompensates for a stiff mid-back.

4. Sit-to-Stand (The "Desk Squat")

• How: Without using your hands for support, stand up from your chair, squeeze your glutes for 3-5s then slowly lower yourself back down until your glutes just touch the seat before standing up again. Repeat 10 times.

• Why: It "wakes up" the posterior chain. This movement improves circulation to the lower body and can make you feel more alert from moving.

5. The 2-Minute Perimeter Walk

• How: Walk around the office or house for two minutes. Bonus points if you walk briskly or take the stairs.

• Why: It resets your posture and vision. Walking moves your hips through a full range of motion and allows your eyes to focus on distant objects, reducing "digital eye strain" while boosting your metabolic rate and focus for the next hour of work.