Four targeted exercises every desk worker needs to ease pain and improve mobility

If your working day centres on a laptop screen, you have likely dealt with neck stiffness, back pain, rounded shoulders, or tight hips at some point.

Cult Fit co-founder Rishabh Telang says that adding a handful of targeted movements to your daily routine can go a long way towards reversing the damage caused by prolonged sitting and restoring overall mobility.

In an Instagram post dated 20 April, Telang wrote: "Looking down on the laptop or smartphones all day can be the reason for your neck and shoulder pain and while we can't really avoid working on the computer all day, because our work demands it, we can definitely use targeted exercise to fix that pain."

He went on to outline four exercises designed to ease tension, strengthen key muscles, and offset the physical toll of extended screen time.

1. Thoracic rotation stretch

Begin on all fours, with one hand flat on the floor for support and the other resting behind or alongside the body. Slowly rotate the upper body, opening the chest and lifting the free arm upward, then return in a controlled movement. This stretch improves thoracic spine mobility, opens the chest, and targets stiffness built up from desk work.

2. Thread the needle stretch

Starting in a tabletop position, slide one arm underneath the opposite arm so that the shoulder and upper back gently rotate towards the floor. Then reverse the movement by opening the chest and extending the same arm upward towards the ceiling.

The exercise releases tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back whilst improving thoracic spine rotation — areas particularly prone to stiffness after hours at a laptop.

3. Open book stretch

Lie on your side with the top knee resting on a pillow or cushion to keep the hips stable and properly aligned. Keeping the lower body still, slowly rotate the upper body and extend the top arm towards the opposite side, as though opening the pages of a book.

The movement improves thoracic spine mobility, stretches tight chest muscles, and relieves stiffness across the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

4. Y-T-W-I extensions

This bodyweight postural exercise is performed lying face down on the floor and involves moving through a sequence of arm positions. Begin with arms extended overhead in a "Y" shape, then progress into a wide "T," followed by a bent-elbow "W," before returning to the starting position in a controlled manner.

The movement targets the upper back, shoulders, and postural muscles, strengthening the rhomboids, lower trapezius, and rotator cuff.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.