Follow our guide below for stretches you can do at your desk while studying or working.
Follow our guide below for stretches you can do at your desk while studying or working.

Desk Stretches for Home or Office

  • by John C Conroy

Whether you're studying or working at home, staying in one position while doing repetitive motions is typical during periods of prolonged sitting. We should all get out of that rut by scheduling regular breaks to stretch at our desks and study spaces. To help students, faculty and staff stay healthy, flexible and well in our study and work spaces, our partners at the Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) Physical Therapy department developed the stretches below that you can work into your own daily study and work routine.

  • Chin tuck – Draw your head back so ears line up with shoulders. Focus on elongating the back of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Student demonstrating chin tuck.
Hold the chin tuck 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
  • Trunk extension – While sitting in a chair, extend your thoracic spine backward over a towel roll or backrest. Repeat 10 times.
Student demonstrating trunk extension.
Repeat trunk extension 10 times.
  • Scapular retraction – Squeeze your shoulder blades together and downwards, then relax and repeat. Keep the rest of your arms and shoulders relaxed and make sure to focus the movement on your shoulder blades. Repeat 10 times.
Student demonstrating scapular retraction.
Repeat scapular retraction 10 times.
  • Pec stretch – Stand in the center of a doorway.  Bend elbows and place your forearms on the sides of the doorway above shoulder level, then take a small step forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat two times.
Student demonstrating pec stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat two times.
  • Seated piriformis stretch – While sitting in a chair, cross your leg with the ankle of one foot on the knee of the other. Next, pull the top knee upward towards your opposite shoulder for a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat twice on each side.
Student demonstrating seated piriformis stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat two times on each side.
  • Hip flexor stretch – Move to the side of the chair and extend your leg back. Gently rock your pelvis forward to feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat twice on each side.
Student demonstrating hip flexor stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat two times on each side.
  • Wrist flexor stretch – Use your left hand to bend the right wrist up as shown. Keep the left elbow straight the entire time. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat twice on each hand.
Student demonstrating wrist flexor stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat two times on each hand.
  • Wrist extensor stretch – Use your left hand to bend the right wrist down as shown. Keep the elbow straight on the left side the entire time. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat twice on each hand.
Student demonstrating wrist extensor stretch.
Hold for 30 seconds, switch sides and repeat two times on each hand.
 

Thank you to Julie and Teri from Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) Physical Therapy for providing the content that was used in creating this guide. And an extra special thanks to our two student model volunteers from UC Davis Stores, Patrick and Veronica for being so patient and being such great sports.