The 5-minute Desk Reset

Free from Loosn. Five gentle moves, about five minutes, no equipment. Do them at your desk, between calls, or before bed.

Before you start: this is general wellness information, not medical advice. Move slowly and stop if anything hurts, tingles or goes numb. If you have a neck or shoulder injury, are pregnant, or have a medical condition, check with your doctor or physiotherapist first. The videos below are published by hospitals and clinics on their own YouTube channels; we embed them with credit, we did not make them, and their variations may differ slightly from our written steps.

1. Chin tucks (about 60 seconds)

Sit tall, look straight ahead. Glide your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, without tilting your head down. Hold 3 seconds, release. Repeat 10 times.

Video: Chin Tucks, UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery

2. Shoulder rolls (about 45 seconds)

Lift your shoulders toward your ears, then roll them back and down in a big, slow circle. Ten rolls back, five forward. Breathe out on the way down.

Video: Shoulder Rolls, Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy

3. Upper-trapezius stretch (about 60 seconds per side)

Sit upright. Rest one hand on the seat or hold the chair edge to keep that shoulder down. Tilt your opposite ear toward your shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch along the side of your neck. Hold 30 seconds, breathing slowly, then switch sides. Never pull on your head.

Video: Upper Trapezius Stretch, NUH Physiotherapy, National University Hospital (Singapore). Also see Mayo Clinic: Neck stretches for the workplace.

4. Doorway chest opener (about 60 seconds)

Stand in a doorway with your forearms on the frame at about shoulder height or a little lower. Step one foot forward until you feel a stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders. Hold 30 to 45 seconds. Stop if you feel tingling or numbness in your arm.

Video: Doorway Pectoralis Stretch, CHOC Children's (Rady Children's Health)

5. Chair back-extension (about 60 seconds)

Sit back in a sturdy chair that cannot tip or slide. Lace your fingers behind your head and gently lean your upper back over the top of the chair, lifting your chest toward the ceiling. Do 6 slow reps. Keep the movement in your mid-back, ribs down, neck long.

Video demonstration: Seated upper thoracic extension (Physitrack exercise library)

Make it a habit

Set a phone reminder for 3 pm. Five minutes now beats a long ache at 9 pm. And when you want the thumbs-in-your-traps part done for you, that is what Loosn is for: heat, six kneading heads, fifteen minutes on the sofa.

Your welcome code: WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order (it can't be combined with the launch offer, which ends 9 Nov).