It might seem rather obvious that to counter the negative effects of sitting for too long you have to stand, but this might be harder than it seems. After all, we’re so used to being seated for most of our lives, especially at work.

What you could do instead, is to make more trips to the kitchen to get water by using a cup instead of a bottle, head to the toilet to relieve yourself and take the opportunity to do some of the stretches below.

Also, you could consider setting up a standing work desk and procuring a standing mat to make the experience less strenuous and more appealing.

Instead of doing it standing upright like the woman pictured, maintain the pose while lying down. With your gaze facing the ceiling and body in a supine position, pull your left knee towards your chest. To get a deeper stretch, pull your knees closer with your hands. Repeat for the left.

In the supine position (i.e. lying down flat facing the sky), lift your knees together and lay it on the right. Your body should be in a twisted position as pictured. With your left arm stretched out, tilt your head to face your left hand to get a deeper stretch that also involves the upper back. Also, you can use your right hand to push the knees down for a more intense stretch. Here, you should feel the stretch along the left of your back. Repeat on the other side.

Go on to all fours with your shoulders right above wrists and hips above the knees. Start by pushing your stomach downwards to curl your back with your gaze facing up towards the ceiling. Then, do the inverse by pushing your back outwards and pulling your abs in. Your gaze should be towards your knees. Hold each position for a few seconds before transitioning.

In a kneeling position with your feet flat to the ground, place your butt on your ankles and lay your torso flat on the ground with your hands outstretched, as pictured. Hold for at least 30 seconds before sitting back upright and repeat the pose for a couple of times.

While lying down, place your feet firmly on the ground. Your knees will naturally be bent. With your hands facing the ground beside your hips as support, imagine a string pulling your hips to the sky as you lift it. Similar to the picture above, your knees, hips, belly and chest should be in a straight line. Lower your hips back to the ground and repeat.

Bridge exercise helps to strengthen the lower back muscles.

In a seated position, extend the left leg forward and straighten it. Place your right foot by your left thigh to create a figure 4 shape. Extend your arms towards your left foot and lower your body to feel the hamstring stretch. Repeat on the right side.

It might seem rather odd to do leg and glute (buttocks) stretches when you’re suffering from backaches. But because the muscles are interconnected, stretching these muscles can alleviate the tension and strain you’re facing on your lower back.

Standing upright, shift your left foot forward and right foot back as pictured. Your front leg should be bent while your back leg is kept straight with its toes being the only contact point to the ground. Maintaining this position, you should feel the stretch on your right calves (the one at the back). Repeat for the left. If you can’t keep your balance while doing the stretch, you can place your hands on a wall or a sturdy chair for added support.

In a seated position with your legs stretched out in front of you, place your left foot over your right leg by the right knee. Twist your body to the left and use your right arm to push against left knee to achieve a deeper stretch. Your pose should look like the woman pictured. Repeat on the other side.

Text: Ho Guo Xiong / Her World

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