Yoga for Desk Workers and a Slouched Posture

Are your days spent at a desk, curled over your phone, or melting into the sofa in the evenings? Your body is likely in the same shapes often: a rounded spine, dropped head and shoulders shrugging forward.

Over time, this can lead to stiffness in the neck and upper back, tight hips, and a general feeling of being a little… folded in on yourself. Yoga offers a way to meet this with kindness, not by “fixing” posture, but by inviting balance, movement, and space back into the body.

Below are a few of my favourite simple yoga practices you can try at home to support your spine, hips, and nervous system… especially if modern life asks a lot from your body.

This practice is one of the most effective ways to bring gentle mobility back into your spine. It explores both rounding and arching, helping to counteract long periods of sitting.

How to:

1. Come onto your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips
2. Inhale to Cow Pose: drop the belly, lift the chest, and gently look high
3. Exhale to Cat Pose: press the floor away, round through the spine, and tuck chin to chest
4. Continue slowly, flowing with your breath for 5–10 rounds

Rolling Cobra helps counteract slouching by gently opening the chest and front body, while strengthening the muscles that support good posture. This is less about how high you lift, and more about creating space across your chest. Start small and build - flowing gently through your spine.

How to:

1. Lie on your belly with hands under your shoulders, elbows close to your ribs
2. Press lightly into the hands as you inhale, lifting the chest forward and up
3. Keep the neck long - imagine your heart sliding forward and shoulders relaxing away from your ears
4. Exhale to lower back down with control
5. Repeat 3-6 times (as many as you’re enjoying)

This is a lovely option if getting to the floor isn’t ideal, or if you’re taking movement breaks during the day.

How to:

1. Sit comfortably on a chair or cushion
2. Interlace hands behind head
3. Inhale to Cow: elbows open wide, tilt the pelvis forward, lift the chest, broaden the collarbones
4. Exhale to Cat: tuck the tailbone, round the spine, and draw elbows to touch
5. Move slowly for 5–10 rounds

This helps keep the hips mobile while nourishing the spine - a great practice for if you’re seated all day.

This posture gently strengthens the entire back body, helping counterbalance rounded shoulders and improve posture.

How to:

1. Lie on your belly with arms reaching back
2. Interlace the fingers behind you (or hold a strap/towel if needed)
3. Inhale to lift the chest, arms and legs away from the floor
4. Opening the chest, engaging the glutes and drawing shoulder blades to kiss
5. Hold for 3–5 slow breaths, then release and wiggle your hips to send some love to your spine

This pose is perfect at the end of the day and can be done entirely at home with pillows.

How to:

1. Place a pillow or cushion lengthways behind you, supporting the middle back
2. Add another pillow under the head if needed
3. Bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees fall open
4. Rest your arms wherever feels comfortable
5. Stay for 3–10 minutes, breathing slowly into the belly

This pose invites rest, openness, and a gentle release - no effort required.

A Gentle Reminder

You don’t have “bad posture”, your body is just adapting to the shapes it spends the most time in. Yoga gives us a beautiful way to respond gently with awareness and kindness.

If you’d like to explore these movements in a supportive, welcoming space, our Southampton timetable is full of classes to meet you exactly where you are. Whether you are in need of movement, to soften or simply just take a pause, we’d love to welcome you.