Desk Exercises to Combat Stiffness: Expert Tips for Hip and Spine Mobility

An expert shares three simple desk exercises to help maintain mobility and combat the effects of sitting all day.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 9:15pm

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A minimalist illustration in the style of Keith Haring, depicting a person performing desk exercises with their arms and legs extended in fluid, glowing neon lines against a dark background, conceptually representing the importance of movement and mobility for desk-bound workers.Desk exercises to combat the stiffness and immobility caused by prolonged sitting can help office workers maintain their physical freedom and vitality.Philadelphia Today

Sitting still all day can wreak havoc on your hips and spine, but an expert has three desk exercises to help maintain mobility. Movement specialist Ash Grossmann shares three effective exercises - seated rotation and side bends, Bulgarian split squat pulses, and wide stance good morning reaches - that can be done in short five-minute intervals throughout the workday to combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

Why it matters

The age of desk jobs, sedentary hobbies, and more time spent on screens has left millions with stiff hips and tight spines, unable to complete basic physical tasks without discomfort. These simple desk exercises can help restore mobility and prevent these issues by keeping the body active and preventing "rusty" movements.

The details

Grossmann recommends doing 3-5 pulses of each exercise, focusing on gentle movements that don't cause discomfort. The seated rotation and side bend exercise moves the spine in three dimensions, the Bulgarian split squat pulses open up tight hip flexors, and the wide stance good morning reaches target the posterior chain and adductors. The key is to break up sitting time throughout the day with short movement breaks.

  • Grossmann recommends finding a few five-minute windows during your nine-to-five and evening to work through the exercises.

The players

Ash Grossmann

A human movement specialist and the founder of The Training Stimulus.

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What they’re saying

“When we're dealing with an adaptation from stillness, movement is the answer, so any movement is better than just being still. Most people just need more movement overall. Try to break up sitting time as much as you can, and think about moving your body as much as possible in as many ways as possible.”

— Ash Grossmann, Human Movement Specialist, Founder of The Training Stimulus

“We don't live on pieces of paper - the body moves in three dimensions. The three planes of motion are sagittal (up, down, forwards and backwards), frontal (side to side), and transverse (rotating left and right).”

— Ash Grossmann, Human Movement Specialist, Founder of The Training Stimulus

“With movement patterns, our body very much operates on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. If you stop using a certain movement, the body views it as surplus to requirements and allows the tissues involved to weaken. Our comfort zone narrows.”

— Ash Grossmann, Human Movement Specialist, Founder of The Training Stimulus

The takeaway

These simple desk exercises can help office workers maintain mobility and combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting, allowing them to move freely and physically live life to the full for decades to come.