If you spend long hours hunched over your desk, it can feel incredibly defeating to hear *over and over* again about the negative consequences of desk culture on your posture. After all, you’re not sitting at your desk for your health—you’re sitting at your desk to get things done and pay the rent. That’s why an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to moving your body is pretty stress-inducing.

But it’s not an either/or scenario when it comes to being sedentary or being active. Even a 5-minute yoga break to release physical tension can feel like a full-body reset, helping you feel better in your body—and even more productive—than if you powered through the day at your desk.

5-Minute Yoga for a Fast Full-Body Stretch

This short practice is ideal when you need a short break during the work day, but it can also serve as a grounding moment before you sit at your desk or when you’re winding down in the evening. You only need a yoga mat and a sturdy surface on which to practice. Come exactly as you are.

1. Full-Body Stretch

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Lie on your back with your arms and legs straight, as if you were in Savasana. Take some small movements, maybe wiggling your fingers and toes or moving your head side to side. Then let yourself relax for a moment. Inhale as you reach your hands overhead and your feet away from you, stretching your entire body from head to toe. Exhale and release.

2. Bridge Pose

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Bend your knees, plant your feet on the mat about hip-distance apart, and rest your arms at your sides. Inhale, press your hands and feet into the mat, and lift your hips in Bridge Pose. Exhale and lower your hips to the mat.

3. Windshield Wipers

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Separate your feet slightly wider than your hips. Bend your elbows and draw your arms into a cactus shape. Exhale and allow your knees to lower toward the left. Inhale and return your knees to center. Exhale and lower your knees toward the right. Repeat Windshield Wipers 2 more times on each side.

4. Wind-Relieving Pose

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Hug both knees toward your chest, grasping your shins or the backs of your thighs with your hands.

5. Seated Shoulder Rolls

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Come to a comfortable sitting position. Lift your shoulders toward your ears, then roll them back, down, and forward. Continue drawing circles with your shoulders in one direction for a few rounds, then switch directions.

6. Seated Cat-Cow

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Interlace your fingers behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Exhale as you draw your navel toward your spine, round your back, and lower your chin toward your chest in a Cat Pose variation. Inhale as you lift upright and arch your back, drawing your elbows back slightly in a Cow Pose variation. Repeat a few times.

7. Seated Spinal Twist

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Inhale and reach your arms overhead. Exhale and twist your chest toward the left. Place your right hand on your left knee and your left fingertips on the mat behind you. Take a few breaths here.

8. Hand Opening & Closing

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Still sitting, come back to center and bring your arms into a cactus shape. Open your hands as wide as you can, spreading your fingers apart. Then shut your hands into tight fists. Repeat opening and closing your hands as many times as feels good.

9. Reverse Tabletop

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Sit on the mat with your knees bent, your feet flat on the mat, and your hands on the mat behind your hips, fingertips pointing toward you or toward the back of the mat. Press into your hands and feet as you lift your hips off the mat. Draw your chin toward your chest and gaze forward. Take a few breaths here, then lower your hips to the mat.

10. Bound Angle Pose

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Draw the soles of your feet together. Inhale and lift your chest. Your feet can come closer to you or stay farther away. Exhale and fold forward, grasping your ankles or feet in Bound Angle Pose. You can stack your fists on top of each other and rest your forehead on them. Breathe here.

11. Half Plow Pose

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Lie on your back with your arms resting at your sides and your palms pressing into the mat. Bend your knees toward your chest and straighten your legs so your feet are reaching toward the ceiling. Keep your legs slightly bent if it’s more comfortable. Take a few breaths here, then shake out your arms and legs and lower your feet to the mat.

12. Savasana

(Photo: Laia Bové)

Lie on your back, resting your arms, legs, hands, and feet against the mat in Savasana. Or find a comfortable seated position. Take a few deep breaths before returning to the day.