Active in the office

Active in the office is a set of short exercises to do at your desk — in the clothes you work in, with no mat, no changing and no leaving the room. Most run a few minutes, so they fit between meetings, or into the time that would otherwise go on scrolling.

The sessions target what hours of sitting damage: a tight neck and shoulders, a stiff upper back, shortened hip flexors, loaded wrists, and eyes fixed at one distance all day. Some are done seated, some standing beside the desk, a few using the wall or the desk itself for support.

This will not replace a full workout and does not try to. What it does change is how you feel at six in the evening — several short movement breaks spread through the day do more here than one long session afterwards, because the problem is stillness rather than a lack of effort.

If you work at a computer full time, treat these as the minimum you can always find time for, and add something regular alongside: a training plan, or a yoga practice a few times a week.