15 Effective Seated Stretches for Flexibility & Comfort

Sitting for hours can lead to tight muscles, aches, and discomfort. You might notice you’re getting stiff and sore after long days of work or school. When you finally get up from your desk, you may even feel like you’ve lost some mobility. That’s because prolonged sitting slows circulation and can decrease your flexibility. Seated stretches can help to combat these issues by warming up your muscles and improving blood flow so you feel better and more mobile. This article will show how integrating seated stretches into your daily routine can enhance flexibility and comfort.

To help you reach your goals, Pliability’s mobility app offers a simple and convenient way to learn and perform seated stretches. The app includes video demonstrations of the targeted stretches so you can follow along and stretch easily.

What is Seated Stretching and Its Importance

Sitting for long periods can reduce your range of motion and impair your body's ability to move freely. While many assume that taking breaks to stand or walk will help, seated stretching may be more beneficial. 

‍Stretching while seated stimulates blood flow to loosen tight muscles and relieve discomfort. Instead of jumping back into work after a break, do some seated stretches to help your body transition back to the task. 

The Benefits of Seated Stretches for Seniors and Other Desk Dwellers

Seated stretches are particularly beneficial for seniors with mobility issues or joint pain because they can be done without standing or changing position. The benefits of stretching in general, are numerous, but here’s a quick rundown on the major perks:

Enhanced Range of Motion

Seated stretching can gradually improve the range of motion in joints, especially in areas prone to stiffness, like the hips, knees, and shoulders. This increased flexibility allows seniors to move with greater ease in everyday activities.

Reduced Joint and Muscle Stiffness

Muscles and joints can become tighter as we age, leading to discomfort and limited mobility. Regular stretching can help reduce stiffness and encourage muscle relaxation, easing tension in problems like the lower back, neck, and legs.

Improved Circulation

Gentle stretches stimulate blood flow, which supports heart health and helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles. Enhanced circulation can also reduce inflammation, which is particularly beneficial for those with arthritis.

Improved Balance and Posture

Stretching can help lengthen stabilizing muscles around the core, hips, and back, promoting better posture and balance. This can help seniors stay upright and reduce the risk of falls, a common concern as we age.

Mental Relaxation and Stress Relief

Stretching can be calming and helps release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. Taking a few moments to stretch encourages mindfulness and relieves stress, which can improve overall well-being.

Related Reading

‍

• Why Is Employee Wellness Important
• How to Engage Employees in Wellness Programs
• Stretching Before Work
• Team Wellness at Work
• Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs
• Virtual Wellness Activities for Employees
• Benefits of a Workplace Wellness Program
• Benefits of Stretching at Work
• Staff Wellness Activities
• Employee Wellbeing Strategies

15 Effective Seated Stretches for Flexibility & Comfort

1. Neck and Chest Stretch: A Breath of Fresh Air for Your Neck and Upper Back   

Sitting can lead to poor posture and tight neck and upper back muscles. This stretch alleviates these discomforts while also gently stretching the chest.  

Muscles Worked: This stretches your neck's scapulae and trapezius muscles, as well as your pectorals and erector spinae. It also gently works your obliques.  

How to do it?
‍

• Begin seated, feet flat on the floor, sitting up straight. 
• Bring your hands to rest at the base of your skull, fingers intertwined, thumbs running by your ears and down your neck. (This is the classic “relaxed, laid back” pose, with your head resting in your hands.) 
• Ease your head back into your hands, turning your face toward the ceiling. 
• Inhale deeply. As you exhale, ease your left elbow to point more toward the ground and your right elbow toward the ceiling. 
• This will stretch your neck in a supported way. 
  ‍

‍Note: This should be an easy movement, so if it’s a slight movement and your elbows only move an inch or 2, that’s fine. It should feel like a good stretch, not painful. Take 2 deep breaths and ease yourself back to neutral, spine upright. Repeat on other side, right elbow toward the ground, left elbow toward the ceiling. Do this 3 times on each side, alternating sides as you go. 

2. Seated Gentle Backbend

Our upper and midback (the thoracic and cervical spine) begin to curve forward even more as we age, thanks to our chins jutting out or down, as mentioned above, and also because of how often we perform this motion throughout our lives. 

It can become our regular posture instead of our “lazy” posture. This contributes to the hunch that we often associate with getting older, and it can cause tension in our back muscles. This gentle backbend can counteract that tension.    

Muscles worked: This stretch uses spinal extensors, anterior neck muscles, and pectorals.   

How to do it?
‍

• Starting seated, feet flat on the floor, bring your hands to your lower back, with your fingers facing down and thumbs wrapped around your hips toward your front body. 
• Press your hands firmly into your hips/lower back and inhale. 
• As you exhale, gently arch your spine, leading with your head. 
  ‍

Note: You don’t want your head to drop back too much. However, you want to lead with your cervical spine, so tilting your chin up and facing the ceiling is a gentle start. The backbend should happen throughout the upper and middle. Hold for five full, deep breaths. Gently and slowly return to the neutral starting position, and repeat 3 to 5 times.   

3. Reach Back   

This stretch helps with the range of motion in your shoulders and stretching your shoulders and chest. When we sit hunched forward or stand leaned over, it can feel good, as though we’re resting in a slouch. 

Pulling those muscles in creates tension in our chests. It can also cause pain in our upper and midbacks, as we avoid working those muscles. The movement below opens the chest, works the postural muscles, and improves shoulder extension.    

Muscles worked: This stretch gives your anterior deltoids a lovely stretch, as do your pectorals.    

How to do it?
‍

• Sit with your spine straight, your feet planted firmly on the ground. 
• Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, reach behind you and interlace your hands. 
  ‍

‍Note: Grab opposite wrists or elbows if you cannot interlace your hands. Inhale deeply again, and feel your spine grow longer as you sit taller. Roll your shoulders up and back, moving your shoulder blades down your back. As you exhale, gently straighten your arms if your hands are clasped. (If your hands are not clasped, gently pull in opposite directions.) This will open up your upper back. After three deep breaths, release your clasp and return to neutral. Repeat this 3 times. 

Take it to the next level‍

If the above feels good and does not feel like anything is being strained, you can increase the stretch and involve the entire spine. This can help relieve pain in other parts of your back and increase spinal mobility. 

Start with the above stretch, getting into position with your hands clasped behind your back or grasping opposite wrists or elbows. Inhale and feel your ribs lift and your spine grow longer. Keeping that feeling in your spine, gently lean forward at the waist as though bringing your ribs to your thighs. Only go as far as it feels good. If you can go all the way down to your thighs, that’s fine, but do not collapse onto your legs. You still want to use your postural muscles to hold you here and stretch your chest, shoulders, and back.   

4. Seated Cat-Cow   

The lower back is where a lot of people feel pain. As we age, spinal degeneration and osteoarthritis become much more common. It is also common for some of us to stand with a “flat pelvis” when we have poor posture, which can cause quite a bit of lower back pain. Doing Cat-Cow helps stretch the lower back muscles, work some core muscles, and keep the spine healthy.  

Muscles worked: This works and stretches (since it is a combination of 2 poses) your erector spinae, serratus anterior, iliac rib muscle, and abdominal external oblique and rectus abdominous.  

How to do it?
‍

• With feet planted firmly on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle, place your hands on your knees, fingers pointing toward each other, the heel of your hands on the outside of your legs. 
• Inhale, and as you exhale, press into your hands and arch your back using your entire spine. 
• This means your face will be toward the sky, and you should feel a bit like you’re pressing your butt out behind me. 
• As you inhale again, roll your shoulders forward and pull your belly button toward your spine. Drop your chin toward your chest and push your hands toward your knees.
• During your next exhale, reverse the motion, pulling your chest through your arms and arching your spine again, pressing down into your legs instead of toward your knees. Repeat this slowly, on your breath, 3 to 5 times.   

5. Gentle Twist   

Twisting your spine gently has many benefits, including stimulating digestion and circulation and toning your abdominals. It’s also one of the best types of stretches for lower back pain. Doing a gentle twist a few times a day also helps improve spinal flexibility and can help stave off future lower back pain.  

Muscles worked: Your serratus anterior, erector spinae, and rhombids are used in this stretch, as are many neck muscles (such as sternocleidomastoid and splenius capitis). 

‍How to do it?  
‍

• Start with your feet firmly planted on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. 
• Edge just a little forward on the seat. You don’t want to feel like the chair may tip forward or that you’re unstable in the seat, but you do want a little more room behind you. 
• As you inhale, press down into your seat, sit up straight, your spine lengthening, and lift your arms overhead. 
• As you exhale, turn gently to your right, placing your left hand on the outside of your right knee and your right hand wherever it feels comfortable. This could be on the chair seat or back but do not use that hand to “crank” your twist deeper. You want to feel the twist equally through all of your spine, and using your arm strength to twist yourself harder can cause injury and one part of your spine twisting harder than the rest. 
• Stay in the twist, and as you inhale, feel yourself sit up taller. 
• As you exhale, twist just a little deeper. 
• Take 3 to 5 deep breaths before gently releasing the twist and doing it on the other side. Alternate so you stretch at least twice on each side.   

6. Shoulder Shrug   

Hunching often happens without even realizing it and can lead to tension in the shoulder muscles. This stretch is a simple way to pump blood to the shoulders.   
‍

• Sit tall in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. To ensure good posture, you may like to move your position on the chair forward.   
• Shrug your shoulders up as though you are trying to touch your ears with them.   
• Squeeze as hard as you can and hold for a few seconds before rolling them back down, reaching your fingertips to the floor.   
• Repeat for 5-10 reps.   

7. Chest Stretch   

This one is great for improving our all-important posture.    
  

• Edge yourself forward so you can sit upright without your back against the chair.   
• Pull your shoulders back and down and extend your arms out to either side of your body.   
• Gently push your chest forward until you feel the stretch across your chest.   
• Hold the position for 10 seconds before repeating 5-10 times.   

8. Ankle Stretch   

Most commonly prone to injury, our ankles need strength to support us in our everyday movements.   
 

• Sit straight, holding each side of the chair for stability.   
• Straighten your left leg before you and point your toes away while holding your right foot flat on the floor.   
• Point your toes back towards you and repeat 5-10 reps before swapping to the other foot.   

9. Opposing Reaches   

If you’re in an office and looking for subtle stretches, this one might raise a few eyebrows, but why not use it to get others to join you?   
‍

• Sit sideways in your chair.   
• Reach one arm above your head while the other reaches for the floor.   
• Hold the position while taking three deep breaths before returning your arms and repeating for 5-10 reps.   
• Don’t forget to switch to the opposite side for the same number of reps.   

10. Seated Torso Twist   

This is a great exercise because it stretches many muscles prone to tightness between the thoracic and lumbar spine. It also includes rotation, a functional movement many seniors start doing less of over time. 

If you turn your head while stretching, you can experience a little vestibular stimulation, which can help improve balance and reduce symptoms of dizziness with positional changes.   

‍How to do it?
‍

• Sit upright with feet flat on the floor. 
• Place your right hand on the back of the chair and your left hand on your right knee. 
• Slowly twist to the right, feeling a gentle stretch in the back and core. 
• Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch sides. 
• This is a great stretch, but seniors with significant back pain or who have had any spinal procedures may want to check with their physician or physical therapist before trying.   

11. Seated Hamstring Stretch   

Adults of all ages struggle with hamstring tightness, but seniors who sit for most of the day are at especially high risk. 

Keeping your hamstrings flexible is important because it can help reduce knee/hip/back pain and help maintain proper walking patterns. There are many ways to stretch the hamstrings; fortunately, you can even stretch ’em out effectively while sitting.  

How to do it?
‍

• Extend one leg straight out in front, with your heel on the floor and toes pointing upward.
• Keep your back straight and hinge forward at the hips. 
• Feel the stretch along the back of your extended leg. 
• Hold for 15-20 seconds, then switch legs. 
  ‍

This is an easy and effective way to stretch your hamstrings, but you can also modify by stretching your leg out on an ottoman in front of you. 

‍Helpful tip: the more you hinge forward, the more stretch you’ll feel in your hamstrings.   

12. Upper Trap Stretch   

The upper trap is a big muscle that runs from the shoulder blade to the neck on each side. Many of us hold tension up here. Stretching this muscle can help relieve neck and shoulder pain and improve neck range of motion (something many seniors struggle with).  

How to do it?
‍

• Sit upright with both feet flat on the ground. 
• Tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear closer to the shoulder. 
• Hold for 15-20 seconds, then switch sides. 
  ‍

You want to be gentle with this exercise, so don’t force your neck to go farther than it can comfortably go. 

‍Helpful tip: if you don’t feel much stretch, try placing your hand behind your back or holding onto the chair seat to help keep your shoulder blade locked down.   

13. Seated Side Bend   

Here’s another great back stretch which can be helpful for seniors dealing with lumbar aching or generalized stiffness. This exercise targets the quadratus lumborum, a large muscle that runs on the side or our low back, which is prone to becoming tight and causing problems.   

How to do it?
‍

• Place your right hand on the seat of the chair for stability. 
• Lift your left arm overhead and gently lean to the right. 
• Hold for 15-30 seconds and switch sides, feeling a stretch along your torso and side.   

14. Seated Knee-to-Chest Stretch   

This is the seated version of the classic lying down stretch and it can be helpful for reducing pain and tightness in the back of the hips and low back. Just be careful, because some seniors may feel a little pinching in the front of their hip while performing this one – if this is the case, try repositioning your knee out to the side a little.  

How to do it?
‍

• Sit on the edge of the chair with your feet flat on the floor. 
• Pull one knee up toward your chest, holding it with both hands. 
• Hold for 15-20 seconds, then switch to the other leg. 
• You’ll probably want to skip this stretch if you've had a hip replacement.   

15. Posterior Shoulder Stretch   

This is another great stretch for seniors with tight or achy shoulders. It targets the posterior delt, the big muscle on the back side of the shoulders, which is a common culprit in shoulder and rotator cuff pain.  

How to do it?
‍

• Sit upright in your chair, feet planted flat on the floor. 
• Bring your right arm across your chest, keeping your elbow straight. 
• Grab below your right elbow with your left hand and gently pull across your chest (you should feel a stretch in the back of your right shoulder). 
• Hold for 15-20 seconds and then switch to the other side. 
• Repeat 3-4 times for each side. 
  ‍

You may have to adjust the angle of your shoulder to ensure you feel the stretch without pinching the front of your shoulder. As always, readjust or discontinue if you have any pain during this stretch. 

‍Helpful tip: focus on keeping your shoulder blades down and you’ll feel a better stretch.

Related Reading

‍

• Workplace Stretching
• Wellness Incentive Programs
• Workplace Wellness Program Ideas
• Stretching Exercises for Warehouse Workers
• Company Wellness Programs
• Successful Corporate Wellness Programs
• Employee Wellness Software
• Employee Wellness Program Ideas
• Corporate Wellness Initiatives
• Employee Wellbeing App
• Corporate Mobility Services
• Corporate Wellness Services

‍

Safety Tips & Contraindications  for Seated Stretching

Warm Up First: Get Your Muscles Ready for Seated Stretches

Even with gentle stretches, warming up muscles before starting is important. Begin with light seated movements like marching in place or gentle arm circles to loosen muscles and avoid strain.  

Use Proper Alignment: Your Body Will Thank You

Sit with your back straight and feet flat on the floor to reduce strain on the lower back and promote safe stretching. Try to maintain your best upright posture while performing all exercises.   

Avoid Over-Stretching: No Pain, More Gain!

Stretch only to the point of mild tension, not pain. Over-stretching can lead to muscle strain or aggravate existing injuries. Remember, you shouldn’t feel any sharp pain while stretching – if it hurts, it’s probably doing more harm than good.  

Stay Hydrated: Water Is Your Friend

Muscles and joints work best when hydrated, so keep water nearby to prevent muscle cramps and improve flexibility.  

Support If Needed: Find Your Comfort Zone  

Use supportive items like a stable chair with armrests for added stability, especially if you’re prone to balance issues or find certain movements difficult. Any of these seated exercises can also be performed from a wheelchair.  

Listen to Your Body: Be Your Advocate  

Stop immediately if you feel any sharp pain, dizziness, or discomfort. Feeling gentle tension is normal, but pain is a signal to ease up or stop. This is an important one; you shouldn’t feel pain while stretching. 

Consult With a Professional: Check Before You Stretch   

Before beginning a stretching routine, especially if you have medical conditions like:
‍

• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• High blood pressure
  ‍

Consult a healthcare provider or physical therapist to identify safe and beneficial stretches. When in doubt, ask your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine.  

Contraindications for Stretching: Know the Risks  

While seated stretching is generally safe for most seniors, there are some conditions where certain stretches may need to be modified or avoided:  
‍

• Severe Osteoporosis: Individuals with severe osteoporosis should avoid stretches that involve bending or twisting, as these could stress fragile bones.  
• Acute Injuries: If you have a recent injury, especially to muscles, ligaments, or joints, consult a healthcare provider before stretching to avoid aggravating the injury.   
• Unstable Joint Conditions: Conditions like severe arthritis or joint instability might require modified stretches to avoid discomfort or further damage.   
• Circulatory Issues: Those with severe hypertension, heart conditions, or circulation problems should consult with their doctor, as stretching could affect blood pressure and heart rate.  
  ‍
  

If any stretching movement causes pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath, it should be stopped immediately, and medical guidance should be sought.  

Improve Your Flexibility with Our Mobility App Today | Get 7 Days for Free on Any Platform

Pliability offers a fresh take on yoga tailored for performance-oriented individuals and athletes. The app features a vast library of high-quality videos designed to:
‍

• Improve flexibility
• Aid recovery
• Reduce pain
• Enhance range of motion
  ‍

Pliability provides daily-updated custom mobility programs for those interested in optimizing their health and fitness. It also includes a unique body-scanning feature to pinpoint mobility issues. If you’re feeling limited by pain or your ability to move, Pliability aims to complement your fitness routine and help you move better. 

Sign up today for 7 days absolutely free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or our website to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion with our mobility app.

Related Reading

‍

• Desk Exercises At Work
• Corporate Wellness Companies
• Best Stretches For Office Workers
• Best Corporate Wellness Software
• Office Chair Stretches
• Companies With Employee Wellness Programs
• Calm Alternative
• Sprout Alternatives
• Stretches For Warehouse Workers

‍