If you often spend time sitting at a desk, back pain can creep up on you. One day you’ll feel an ache, perhaps some pressure in the lower back or between the shoulder blades and the rest is history. Sedentary lifestyles and jobs that require us to sit for long periods of time can cause the spine and surrounding muscles to react, causing discomfort, stiffness and pain over time.
Our bodies weren’t designed to sit for hours on end so getting up and moving around regularly is widely encouraged by experts. If you can stretch or do a few yoga poses, even better. Yoga helps reduce back pain by increasing flexibility, strengthening postural muscles, and improving spinal alignment. It also enhances awareness of body mechanics, which can lead to better daily movement habits.
Mindful movement like stretching is also great for relieving stress and when paired with other practices like breathing exercises, it can help to reset the nervous system and sustain feelings of calm or interrupt negative thought patterns. Yoga blends these two practices perfectly, but if the idea of yoga is off putting because you don’t feel you’re flexible enough, don’t worry. There are plenty of styles that make it accessible for everyone.
“Gentle styles like Hatha, Iyengar and restorative yoga are ideal for those with back pain. These practices prioritise alignment, use props, and move slowly, making them safer and more accessible. Yin Yoga can also help release deep tension in connective tissue”, explains, Annie Landa, a yoga instructor for the Alo Moves app.
“Regular yoga practice can absolutely help prevent further pain and even reverse chronic tension. It strengthens the muscles that support the spine, improves circulation, and trains the body to move more mindfully in everyday life.”
If you’ve never tried yoga before, or if you’re already struggling with tight muscles and sore joints, just holding a simple pose like child’s pose once a day can make a difference. You might feel like the morning is the best time to do this, or it might feel more beneficial during a break from your desk or before bed.
“I always say, listen to your body first and avoid pushing into pain. Moreover, use props like blocks or bolsters to support movement, and modify postures as needed. It’s wise to consult a doctor or physical therapist before starting a new practice if pain is acute or chronic,” explains Landa.
“Start small. Even just 10–15 minutes a day can make a difference. And some are always better than none. Focus on how you feel, not how the pose looks, and give yourself permission to explore your body without judgment. Consistency and patience are key,” she adds.
Landa explains that yoga isn’t about holding impressive poses, it isn’t even about touching your toes. It’s about learning to be present in your body. “When practiced with awareness and care, yoga can be a powerful tool not just for physical pain, but for emotional and mental clarity too.”
Read on for Annie Landa’s favourite yoga poses for improved spine and muscle health and for soothing back pain. These moves can be especially helpful after travelling, sleeping in a bed you’re not used to or after a long day sitting at a desk and Landa recommends starting in child’s pose and then doing these four moves every day for reduced aches and pains and greater mobility and flexibility.
1. Cat-cow stretch
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What is it: The cat-cow stretch is a well-known yoga move that encompasses two poses. The body flexes between the two poses to gently create movement in the spine. Cat-cow or Marjaryasana-Bitilasana is a great warm-up pose for more challenging exercises but by itself it offers a brilliant way to wake up the body.
How to do it: Start in tabletop position. Inhale, drop the belly, lift the gaze (this is cow); exhale, round the spine and tuck the chin (this is cat). Flow slowly between the two.
How it helps: This move mobilises the entire spine, improves circulation between vertebrae and brings awareness to posture and alignment. I use it often during my practice.
2. Sphinx Pose
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What is it: The sphinx pose or Salamba Bhujangasana is a very gentle backbend. It recruits muscles we don’t often use in the back but is a soft enough bend that anyone should be able to do it. The idea is to support your upper body with your forearms without overextending.
How to do it: Lie on your belly, bring forearms to the mat with elbows under shoulders, press into the forearms to gently lift the chest. Keep hips grounded and keep the feet relaxed.
How it helps: This move strengthens the lower back and promotes lumbar spine extension in a safe, supported way. It’s great for countering long hours of sitting and bringing a little awareness into the back muscles.
3. Supine Twist
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What is it: Supta Matsyendrasana or the supine twist is a move that feels great at any time of day. It’s a grounding pose that helps to relax the body and achieve greater flexibility over time. It’s also relatively easy to do as long as you have somewhere you can stretch out on a mat on the floor.
How to do it: Lie on your back, hug one knee into your chest and gently guide it across the body into a twist. Extend the opposite arm and gaze in the other direction.
How it helps: A twist like this relieves tension in the spine and stretches the back muscles, especially around the lower and mid back. Chronic lower back pain can be especially uncomfortable after extended periods of stillness so this move helps to wake the body up in all the right places and offers satisfying relief.
4. Bridge Pose
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What is it: Setu Bandhasana or bridge pose is the most challenging of the four exercises in this routine but it’s still a simple move that you can work up to. Bridge pose lifts the entire back off the floor using the shoulders and feet to ground the body. It’s a satisfying stretch that targets the lower back and opens the shoulders.
How to do it: Lie on your back, bend the knees and place feet flat, hip-width apart. You can interlace your hands under the back of your head, over the top of your head or take a variation with your arms by your sides with your palms pressed into the ground. Press into the feet and lift the hips up, slowly rolling up vertebrae by vertebrae. Take your time with this and do what feels natural, don’t overextend.
How it helps: The bridge pose is a classic that strengthens the glutes and lower back. It also opens the chest, shoulders and supports spinal stability so it’s a wonderful all-rounder for back strength and flexibility.
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