Program · 7 days · 5 to 10 minutes a day

A 7-day desk reset for office workers

Short sessions for long screen days, most of them in a chair.

By the YogaPhilippines.com editorial teamUpdated 2 October 2026

The 7-day desk reset is one short session a day, 5 to 10 minutes, for people who sit at a screen. Each day works one area that long sitting tends to stiffen: the neck and shoulders, the wrists, the upper back and chest, the hips and the spine. Most of it can be done in a chair, in work clothes, and every move links to its own page.

Length: 7 days
Sessions: 1 a day
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
You need: A steady chair without wheels, a wall
Level: All levels

Sitting is not the problem; staying still for hours is. The aim of the reset is to give you a few moves for each part of the body that a desk day stiffens, so that by day 7 you have a short list you can use between calls. Do the session once a day, or split it into two or three one-minute breaks.

Most days work in an office or a home workspace. Use a steady chair without wheels, sit near the front edge with both feet on the floor, and keep every move slow. The desk break sequence on day 6 puts the week together into one eight-minute routine.

Download the printable plan (PDF)

Practice this program in the appToday's session at the top, each day timed pose by pose. Your ticks below carry over. Free, works offline.

How to follow it

Hold each stretch for three to five slow breaths, and move gently in and out. Skip any move that makes the neck, arms or hands tingle. For the screen itself, the posture guide covers raising the screen, bringing the keyboard close and getting up every hour.

Day 7 is for the evening at home, lying down, to end the week.

Track your progress

0 of 7 sessions done

Day 1 · Neck and shoulders 6 min
Day 2 · Wrists and forearms 5 min
Day 3 · Upper back and chest 8 min
Day 4 · Hips that sit all day 8 min
Day 5 · Twist and fold 6 min
Day 6 · The full desk break 8 min
Day 7 · Evening unwind 10 min

Ticks are saved in this browser only, on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Want a shorter goal? Try the 7 and 21 day yoga challenges, and your minutes and streaks show in practice insights.

Days 1 to 7

One area a day: neck and shoulders, wrists, upper back and chest, hips, the spine, the full desk break, and an evening unwind.

Session	Poses and routines	Time	Cue
Day 1 Neck and shoulders Play in the app	Neck stretches Shoulder stretches Mountain Pose	6 min	Chin tucks and slow turns. Never roll the head backwards.
Day 2 Wrists and forearms Play in the app	Wrist stretches Eagle Pose Cat-Cow	5 min	Eagle arms only, seated. Cat-cow with hands on the knees.
Day 3 Upper back and chest Play in the app	Upper back stretches Chest stretches Cat-Cow	8 min	A self hug for the upper back, then hands behind you for the chest.
Day 4 Hips that sit all day Play in the app	Hip flexor stretches Low Lunge Pigeon Pose	8 min	Do Pigeon as a seated figure four: ankle on the opposite knee.
Day 5 Twist and fold Play in the app	Seated Twist Mountain Pose Standing Forward Bend	6 min	Seated twist in the chair, then stand, reach up and fold with soft knees.
Day 6 The full desk break Play in the app	Desk-break sequence	8 min	The week in one routine. Keep the card on your desk.
Day 7 Evening unwind Play in the app	Child's Pose Supine Twist Legs Up the Wall Corpse Pose	10 min	At home, on the floor. Put the phone in another room.

For teams

The sessions are short and chair-based, so a team can do one together at the start of a meeting or after lunch. Print the one-page sheet for the pantry or the meeting room wall.

For a teacher-led session at your office, Joahnna Lee Yoga, a contributing teacher to this site, runs corporate yoga and sound sessions across Metro Manila, by inquiry only. Other teachers and studios with a published workplace offer are listed in corporate yoga providers in Manila.

Safety noteYoga is not medical care. Stop if anything feels sharp, pinching or numb, and see a doctor or physiotherapist about pain or an injury before you practise. With back pain that is severe, follows an injury, or comes with numbness or weakness in the legs, see a doctor before you practise. Keep weight off the head and neck, and see a doctor or physio if neck pain lasts or spreads into the arms. If you are pregnant or have recently given birth, check with your OB or midwife first. Read the health and safety note.
Sources: Mayo Clinic, Fitness program: 5 steps to get started; NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health), Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety; NHS, Neck pain; PLoS One (Cramer et al., 2013), via PubMed Central, Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series; NHS, Back pain; Cochrane, Yoga for chronic non-specific low back pain. Last reviewed 2 October 2026.

Questions

How often should office workers take a stretch break?

Many people find a short break every 30 to 60 minutes easier to keep than one long session. Stand up, walk to get water, or do one move from this plan. If pain keeps coming back at work, ask a doctor or physiotherapist and check your desk setup.

Can a whole team do the desk reset together?

Yes. The sessions are short and chair-based, so a team can do one at the start of a meeting. For a teacher-led session at the office, see the corporate yoga providers in Manila.

Do you need a mat for the desk reset?

No. Days 1 to 6 need only a steady chair and a bit of wall. Day 7 is on the floor at home, where a mat, a rug or a blanket all work.

Keep reading

Yoga for bad posture Gentle neck stretches for long days at a screen Upper back stretches for the space between the shoulder blades Wrist stretches for yoga and desk days Neck strengthening exercises for a tired, stiff neck

Updated October 2026