Sitting is not a moral failing and it is not destroying your spine. It is, however, a lot of hours in one narrow position, and joints lose the range you stop asking for. The fix is not a posture lecture. It is visiting the end ranges of a few joints often enough that they stay available.
The four positions
Hip flexor stretch, 45 seconds per side. Half-kneeling, back knee down, tuck the pelvis under and stand tall through the front of the hip. You should feel it in the front of the back leg, not in your lower back.
Deep squat hold, 60 seconds. Feet flat if possible, heels on a book if not, hold a doorframe for balance. Breathe, shift side to side, let the ankles and hips sit at the bottom of their range.
Thoracic rotation, 8 slow reps per side. On your side, knees bent and stacked, open the top arm across and follow it with your eyes. Rotation comes from the ribcage, not the lower back.
Wall slides or shoulder reach, 10 reps. Back and arms against a wall, slide the hands overhead while keeping the ribs down. This is the range typing takes away first.
When to do it
Frequency beats duration. Six minutes most days does more than forty minutes on Sunday, because the point is repeated exposure, not a one-off session. Attach it to something you already do — the end of a work call, while the kettle boils, before your warm-up — so it does not need a decision.
Stretching versus strength
If a range feels unavailable rather than merely tight, loading it is usually more effective than holding it. Split squats build useable hip extension. Deadlifts build useable hamstring length. Overhead presses build useable shoulder flexion. Stretching gets you to a position; strength lets you keep it.
What breaks during the day
Two habits prevent most desk-day stiffness, and neither is about your chair: stand up every half hour or so, even for twenty seconds, and put the screen high enough that your neck is not permanently flexed. Expensive furniture helps less than simply changing position regularly.
Persistent pain, numbness or tingling is not a mobility problem to stretch away. Get it assessed.
General fitness information for healthy adults — not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.