11 Chair Yoga Poses You Can Do at Work

Feel those tight shoulders? That achy back?

Modern office life, with its long hours spent seated at a work desk or hunched over a laptop, can take a toll on our physical health. The constant typing, clicking, and endless hours of sitting lead to back pain, tense shoulders, stiff hips, and even fatigue.

Yoga has your back (literally). It offers a fantastic solution to help relieve these stresses, even while you’re at work!

This blog provides 11 simple yoga poses that you can do right from your office chair or near your desk. These poses are great for anyone looking to ease tension, boost focus, and enhance well-being throughout the workday.

11 sitting yoga poses for office workers

Each of these yoga poses is designed to be done at your desk or standing nearby, making them ideal for quick breaks throughout your workday.

Seated Cat-Cow Stretch

This classic yoga pose involves moving the spine in a gentle wave to relieve back and shoulder tension.

1. Sit in a straight position with feet flat on the floor.
2. Place hands on your knees.
3. Inhale and arch your back, lifting your chest and looking up.
4. Exhale and round your back, tucking in the chin.

Repeat for 5-10 breaths to awaken your spine.

Benefits: This sitting yoga asana gently mobilizes the spine, reducing stiffness and relieving back tension. It also helps improve circulation, which can become restricted from prolonged sitting.

Seated Forward Bend

This chair yoga provides a gentle hamstring stretch while relieving lower back stress.

1. Sit at the edge of your chair with feet flat.
2. Inhale, lengthen your spine, and exhale as you fold forward.
3. Rest your hands on your shins or on the floor if possible.

Hold for 5-10 breaths, then slowly return to an upright position.

Benefits: This chair yoga pose stretches the hamstrings and lower back, releasing tightness that often builds up from sitting. It acts as yoga for anxiety, helps calm the mind and improve flexibility in the hips and legs.

Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)

Perfect for loosening up tight shoulders, this seated yoga pose can be done right at your desk.

1. Sit with feet flat on the ground.
2. Extend both arms forward and cross the right arm over the left.
3. Bend elbows and press palms together (or as close as you can).
4. Lift your elbows and feel the stretch in your upper back.

Hold for 5 breaths, then switch sides.

Benefits: Eagle Arms is perfect for releasing tension in the shoulders and upper back, common pain points for office workers. It also enhances shoulder flexibility and mobility.

Also read: 12 Yoga Poses for Weight Loss for Busy People

Seated Spinal Twist

Marichyasana is a quick and effective stretching yoga pose that stretches the spine and relieves tension in the back.

1. Sit tall and place your left hand on the back of your chair.
2. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale and twist to the left.
3. Look over your left shoulder if comfortable.

Hold for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Benefits: The Seated Spinal Twist stretches and detoxifies the spine. Twisting helps mitigate the effects of extended sitting by increasing spinal flexibility and reducing back pain.

Desk Downward Dog

Adho Mukha Svanasana Bharmanasana Vinyasa is a modified standing yoga pose that brings energy and relaxation to the body.

1. Stand and place your hands on the edge of your desk.
2. Walk your feet back until your torso is parallel to the floor.
3. Allow your chest to drop down to create a stretch in the shoulders and spine.

Hold for 5-10 breaths.

Benefits: This modified standing yoga pose stretches the spine, shoulders, and hamstrings, providing full-body relaxation. It also boosts blood flow, which can reduce fatigue and improve mental clarity.

Also read: How to Handle a Mental Breakdown at Work

Standing Forward Bend

This classic standing yoga posture stretches the hamstrings and releases tension in the lower back.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Inhale to lengthen the spine, then exhale as you fold forward.
3. Reach towards the floor or let your hands rest on your legs.

Hold for 5-10 breaths and slowly roll back up.

Benefits: The Standing Forward Bend offers a deep stretch for the hamstrings, lower back, and neck, easing tension and encouraging better circulation. It also has a calming effect, reducing stress.

Seated Side Bend

A sitting yoga asana perfect for opening up the sides of the body and expanding your lungs for better breathing.

1. Sit up straight with feet flat on the ground.
2. Extend your right arm up, reaching over to the left as you inhale.
3. Hold, then return to center and repeat on the other side.

Hold each side for 5 breaths.

Benefits: This sitting yoga pose lengthens the spine and opens up the side body, which enhances lung capacity and encourages deeper breathing. It also relieves lower back discomfort.

8. Ankle-to-Knee Stretch

This seated yoga pose for work desk focuses on hip flexibility and relieves tension in the lower back.

1. Sit tall and place your right ankle over your left knee.
2. Flex your right foot and gently press down on your right knee.
3. Lean slightly forward to increase the stretch.

Hold for 5 breaths and switch sides.

Benefits: The Ankle-to-Knee Stretch opens the hips, which tend to get stiff from sitting, and gently stretches the lower back, helping relieve sciatica and tension around the hips.

Dealing with mental breakdown at work can be intense. Read about how to talk to your boss about mental health at work without feeling overwhelmed.

Chair Pigeon Pose

Ideal for anyone who spends extended periods seated, this seated yoga pose sequence helps open up the hips.

1. Sitting with your back straight, place your right ankle on your left knee.
2. Flex your foot and gently press down on your knee.
3. Lean forward from the hips to intensify the stretch.

Hold for 5 breaths, then switch legs.

Benefits: The Chair Pigeon Pose stretches the hip flexors and glutes, reducing tightness in the hips and lower back. This pose is especially helpful for those who experience hip discomfort.

Seated Mountain Pose

Tadasana grounds the body and helps improve posture and focus.

1. Sit up straight, feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend both arms overhead and reach up, feeling the stretch through your torso.
3. Engage your core and take 5 deep breaths.

Benefits: This grounding sitting yoga pose strengthens the core and improves posture, helping counteract the slouch that often develops from sitting. It enhances focus and concentration as well.

Seated Neck Stretch

A simple but effective stretching yoga pose that targets neck tension.

1. Sit comfortably with feet flat.
2. Gently drop your right ear to your right shoulder.
3. Extend the left arm down for a deeper stretch.

Hold for 5 breaths, then switch sides.

Benefits: This yoga sitting position is excellent for alleviating neck stiffness and shoulder tension. It’s easy to incorporate into quick breaks to keep neck muscles relaxed and pain-free.

Yoga anytime, anywhere with Level SuperMind

Office workers often face unique challenges like constant deadlines, prolonged sitting, and high stress. Level SuperMind is designed with these needs in mind, offering targeted yoga routines and mindfulness practices.

Release the tension in your back with Office Yoga on the Level SuperMind app. With this, you can practice easy sitting yoga poses under 10 minutes for ultimate relaxation.

Diverse yoga techniques: Offers Suryanamaskar, balance, flexibility, sleep-focused yoga, and more—ideal for users targeting energy, calm, or mental focus.

Quick sessions for busy schedules: Includes efficient, 10-minute yoga routines that fit seamlessly into short breaks, helping users stay consistent without impacting work.

Instant stress relief: Provides office-friendly seated yoga and standing yoga poses that target muscle strain from prolonged sitting, helping users feel refreshed.

Improved sleep and relaxation: Features yoga routines specifically for better sleep, enhancing rest and ensuring users stay energized and focused.

User-centered experience: Accessible for all levels with simple instructions, allowing users to choose routines that fit their unique goals and schedules.

Also read: How Many Surya Namaskar in a Day to Lose Weight?

FAQs

Is yoga good for office workers?

Yes, yoga is highly beneficial for office workers. It helps alleviate common issues like back pain, shoulder tension, and fatigue caused by prolonged sitting.

How to practice yoga at work?

Office yoga can be done with chair yoga poses or standing yoga poses next to your desk. Many poses are accessible and can be completed in short breaks, making it easy to integrate yoga into your workday.

What is a desk yoga session?

A desk yoga session includes sitting asanas and standing yoga poses designed to be done in a small space, usually involving stretches for the spine, shoulders, and hips.

Which app is built for yoga for 5 min at office?

Level SuperMind is an ideal app for quick, office-friendly yoga sessions. With its variety of short, effective yoga practices, Level Supermind helps users relieve stress, stretch, and refocus—all within the time constraints of a busy workday.

Is yoga better before or after work?

Yoga can be beneficial both before and after work. Morning yoga helps energize you, while after-work sessions relieve stress. Midday stretches using sitting yoga poses or seated yoga poses sequence are also effective for stress relief.

Final thoughts

Incorporating simple yoga poses at the office is a fantastic way to enhance your well-being and productivity. These easy sitting asanas and standing yoga poses can be done anywhere, from your chair to a standing position by your desk. A little bit of yoga can go a long way toward preventing workplace tension and boosting your energy. Give these 11 poses a try and feel the difference!

Read next: Beginner's Guide: 10 Best Yoga Poses and Exercises