A yoga teacher recommends doing these five exercises to relieve upper-body tension at the end of the day

Achy, tight muscles are a common complaint for desk workers. The best way to combat this is by doing regular movement throughout the day, but if you need to relieve some tension after a day in the chair, this routine could help.

It comes from personal trainer and yoga instructor Emily Mouu and has five stretches designed to limber up joints and stretch out muscles.

Most of the moves target the upper body, focusing on areas like the shoulders, neck, and spine, but the threaded child’s pose should provide a satisfying hip stretch, too.

Watch Emily Mouu's stretching routine

Benefits of stretching

Doing these exercises could relieve muscle tension that has built up after a day spent hunched over your laptop.

"When you stretch, this identifies tension in the muscle and tendons, which sends a signal back to the muscle to relax," explains Helen O’Leary, physiotherapist and director of Complete Pilates.

Commit to regular stretching sessions and you could also improve your flexibility. O’Leary says that you could see improvements in as little as four weeks if you’re doing routines like this one consistently.

She explains that some people are naturally more flexible than others thanks to their genetics, but nearly everyone can boost their flexibility with dedicated stretching sessions.

"As you get older, maintaining your range of movement [with flexibility routines] will help you feel comfortable doing everyday activities like sitting on a chair or picking something up from the floor," she adds.

If you’re looking for more routines to relieve aches and pains, have a go at these beginner yoga stretches or limber up with our favorite hip stretches.

Need some support for your stretching routine? We've got you covered with the best yoga mats