Exercises for desk-job back pain and stiff hips

Why sitting makes your back ache

Sustained sitting shortens the hip flexors, switches off the glutes and loads the lower back to compensate. The pain shows up in the back, but the weakness is usually in the hips and upper back.

Five movements to do daily

Ten minutes, no equipment, best done mid-afternoon at your desk or before bed.

• Hip flexor stretch, half-kneeling — 45 seconds per side
• Glute bridge — 2 sets of 15, squeeze hard at the top
• Cat-cow — 10 slow cycles
• Thoracic rotation, side-lying — 8 per side
• Dead bug — 8 per side, ribs down, back flat

The gym lifts that fix it long term

Daily mobility gives relief; loaded strength gives a spine that tolerates a workday. Prioritise Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, farmer's carries, face pulls and rows. Carries in particular teach your trunk to hold a neutral position under load, which is exactly what sitting erodes.

Fix the workday too

Stand for one call an hour, put the monitor at eye level, and walk for ten minutes after lunch. No program survives nine uninterrupted hours in a chair.

FAQs

Should I train if my back is already sore?

Light movement usually helps a stiff, achy back. Sharp pain, pain radiating down a leg, or numbness needs a doctor before the gym.

Can a coach at RYZE build this into my plan?

Yes. Tell your coach at the orientation that you sit all day — most of our Gachibowli and Financial District members do, and the plans are built for it.