12 Easy Posture Exercises to Improve Computer Posture

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If you work on a computer a lot for your job or just use computers, phones, and other devices a lot, you may spend long periods of time in the same seated position, and likely in a hunched or “flexed” position. Sometimes, you can get so engulfed in solving a problem that, before you know it, you’ve spent two hours hunched over your keyboard and staring at your screens.

Spending long periods of time like this keeps your shoulders forward, chest muscles flexed, and your upper back muscles stretched in a way that is unnatural for humans. This habit can wreak havoc on your posture and create slouched, rounded shoulders, but posture exercises can help. Here are a few easy posture exercises to improve computer posture:

12 Easy Posture Exercises For Beginners

Not taking enough breaks throughout the day to get up and move around is one of the mistakes to avoid when working from home and when working at a desk for long hours. A quick set of posture exercises can be a great way to take a break.

Keep in mind, these will not fix all of your posture issues. But these programmer posture exercises can help alleviate some of the damage caused by long hours at the desk, whether you are a programmer or not:

Chin tucks
Shoulder rolls
Shoulder shrugs
Wrist stretches
Lying down and deep breathing
Wall Angels
Wall Clocks
Y Raises (“Superman Raises)
Plank
High-knee march
Upper trapezius neck stretch
Scalene stretch

1. Chin Tucks

Some of the easiest posture exercises that can help loosen up neck tension and combat rounded shoulders are chin tucks. These are also great for helping to prevent “tech neck,” the tightness and pain in the neck and shoulders and the forward tilt with back hump and slouched posture that can be caused by prolonged screen use, particularly hunching over or “shrimping” while looking at computer screens or looking down at phone screens.

This is a great posture exercise to do throughout the day and to end the day. You can even use it to coordinate screen breaks periodically throughout the day to give your eyes a break from screens, too. Here are some instructions for simple chin tucks and a more advanced variation you can do with a resistance band:

Simple Chin Tucks

Here are some quick steps for how to perform a simple standard chin tuck:

Sit tall or stand tall.
Relax your shoulders and look straight ahead.
Gently move your head straight back without tilting your chin up or down or straining your neck (i.e., make a double chin without forcing hard movement, rounding your midback, or moving your upper body).
Hold for 3-5 seconds.
Relax and return to the starting position.
Repeat. 10 repetitions is usually a good, manageable number to aim for.

The quick video below shows you how to do a simple chin tuck:

Banded Chin Tucks

If standard chin tucks aren’t quite giving you the stretch you want anymore or you want to get into deep neck muscles, you can make the exercise a little more challenging by adding a resistance band. Here are some quick steps for how to perform a banded chin tuck:

Sit or stand tall.
Relax your shoulders and look straight ahead.
Loop the resistance band around the back of your head.
Pull the ends forward to add gentle tension.
Move your head back into a chin tuck.
Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Relax and return to the starting position.
Repeat.

The video below will show you how to perform a banded chin tuck:

2. Shoulder Rolls

Working on a computer a lot can lead to tension in your neck and shoulders. And if you’re guilty of hunching over and taking on a shrimp-like posture, you may start to develop rounded shoulders and “tech neck.”

Maintaining good computer posture while working and taking breaks to get up and move around are good ideas. Shoulder rolls are a posture exercise that can help release tension, loosen up tight muscles, improve joint flexibility, and combat rounded shoulders. Plus, they’re simple, easy to do, and can be quick, so they’re also easy to fit into breaks throughout the day if you’re short on time.

Here’s how to do shoulder rolls to help improve your posture:

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart or sit with feet flat on the floor.
Start with your arms relaxed at your sides.
Slowly lift your shoulders to bring them up towards your ears.
Slowly roll your shoulders in a circular motion towards your back, while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Continue to slowly and smoothly roll your shoulders down, towards the front of your body, and back up to a normal, relaxed position.
Your aim is to slowly, gently, and smoothly make a complete rotation with your shoulders.
Repeat a set of 5, 10, or however many you want to do in a row in a backward direction.
Then, reverse the motion and start with rolling your shoulders forward for a set.

You can also do a variation of this where you roll one shoulder at a time. Another variation is to roll one shoulder at a time with a slight twist to engage and stretch a little more of your upper body and sides.

Check out this short video below for a quick demonstration on how to do shoulder rolls properly.

3. Shoulder Shrugs

Shoulder shrugs are another easy posture exercise that can help relieve neck tension, improve computer posture, and combat rounded shoulders and hunched posture. This posture exercise helps to stretch and loosen tension in the upper back and trapezius muscles. When done with a resistance band or while holding dumbbells or a barbell, it can also help strengthen these muscles.

Here’s how to do shoulder shrugs properly:

Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Keep your spine straight, shoulders back and down, and your core engaged.
If using light dumbbells or a resistance band, hold one in each hand with your palms facing inward toward your body and your arms hanging at your sides.
Look forward and keep your head neutral without straining or craning your neck forward as you move.
Without rolling or rotating your shoulders, lift your shoulders up towards your ears as high as you can in a slow shrug.
Pause at the top of the motion and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stretch the trapezius muscles.
Hold for 2-5 seconds, and then release.
Slowly and in a controlled motion, lower your shoulders back to the starting position.
Complete sets in however many repetitions you want. 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions can be a good place to start.

You can also pair shoulder shrugs with breathing exercises by taking a deep breath as you lift your shoulders up and hold, and then exhale as you release and bring your shoulders down. The goal of this exercise is a straight up-and-down motion with your shoulders while maintaining good posture, especially when holding weights. Rolling or poor posture with this exercise can increase the risk of injury. Take a look at this short video to see a quick guide on how to do shoulder shrugs properly:

4. Wrist Stretches

Working at a computer, especially with poor computer posture, can also put strain on your wrists. There are a lot of different wrist stretches available to help improve flexibility, stretch muscles, and release tension in your wrists. Plus, they’re quick and easy to do. No equipment is needed, and not a lot of time is required to do them either.

You just want to make sure you are keeping movements and stretches gentle. It’s normal to feel a mild pulling sensation or some mild tension, but you should stop immediately if you feel any sharp or intense pain. A few of the most common wrist stretches are:

Wrist circles
Wrist flexion stretch
Wrist extension stretch
Prayer stretch wrist extension

Wrist Circles

Here are some instructions for how to do wrist circles using a surface, holding your arm out in front of you, and a variation for hand-to-hand wrist circles:

Wrist Circles With Arms Out in Front of You

This wrist circle exercise can be done one arm at a time or with both arms at the same time, whichever is more comfortable for you.

Lift your arm and raise your hand to about chest height in front of you. Your elbow can be bent, or you can extend your arm straight out in front of you to stretch more of your wrist flexors and extensors.
Keeping your fingers extended, draw circles with your hand to roll your wrist.
Clockwise or counterclockwise, circle your hand a few times in one direction.
Then, switch and circle your hand a few times in the other direction.
Relax that arm, switch sides, and repeat with your other hand.

Check out the video below for a quick tutorial on doing wrist circles with an arm extended out in front of you.

Wrist Circles Using a Flat Surface

If you have any challenges with holding your arms out in front of you, or you’re doing some quick reps while sitting at your desk and your chair has armrests, you can use a flat surface to support your arms while doing wrist circles. Here’s how that would go:

Rest your arms on a flat surface with your wrists and hands hanging off the edge, like a narrow table or a chair with armrests.
Make sure your forearms are stable, and your hands and wrists have a free range of motion.
Using your wrists, rotate your hands in a circle.
Do a set of 10 going clockwise.
Then switch direction and do a set of 10 going counterclockwise.
Repeat and do multiple sets if you want to.

Here is a short video of what wrist circles look like while using a flat surface to support your arm:

Hand-to-Hand Wrist Circles

Another variation of wrist circles is to do hand-to-hand wrist circles where you use both arms, interlock your hands, and roll your wrists consecutively. Here’s how to do hand-to-hand wrist circles whether you are standing, sitting, or kneeling:

Bring your hands up in front of you to about chest height, elbows bent and fingers pointing up.
Clasp your hands together, interlocking your fingers.
Roll your wrists one after the other to gently draw a circle or a figure eight with your interlocked hands.
Clockwise or counterclockwise, do some repetitions going one way.
Then, switch and repeat, making circles in the other direction.
Release, shake out your hands if needed, and relax your arms.

This short video shows you what hand-to-hand wrist circles look like:

Wrist Flexion Stretch

The wrist flexion stretch flexes the wrist and helps stretch out the wrist extensors. Here are some steps to follow to do a wrist flexor stretch:

Extend one arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing down.
Using your other hand, gently pull your fingers down to gently bend your hand down towards the floor.
Hold for 15-30 seconds, then release.
Or, do a wrist extension stretch, then release.
Repeat 2-4 times.
Relax your arm.
Switch arms and repeat for the other side.

Wrist Extension Stretch

The wrist extension stretch extends the wrist and stretches the wrist flexors. It follows almost the same steps as a wrist flexion, but instead of pulling your hand down towards the floor, you are pressing it up and towards your body. Here’s how to do a wrist extension stretch:

Extend one arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing upwards.
Using your other hand, gently pull your fingers up to gently bend your hand up towards the ceiling and slightly back towards your body.
Hold for 15-30 seconds, then release.
Or, do a wrist flexion stretch, then release.
Repeat 2-4 times.
Relax your arm.
Switch arms and repeat for the other side.

Although it’s geared towards athletes, the short video below will show you how to properly do both a wrist flexion stretch and a wrist extension stretch.

Prayer Stretch Wrist Extension

The prayer stretch is another common and easy wrist stretch to do. Here is how to do a prayer stretch:

Bring your hands together in front of your chest and place your palms together in a praying position.
Keeping your palms pressed together and close to your stomach, slowly lower your hands towards your waist until you feel a stretch in your forearms.
Stop and hold there for a few seconds, or hold for 15-30 seconds if you prefer a longer stretch.
Bring your hands back up to your chest.
Repeat 2-4 times.

The video below provides a quick tutorial on how to do a prayer stretch wrist extension:

Reverse Prayer Stretch Wrist Extension and Variations

This short video provides some prayer stretch variations, including spreading the fingers out, rotating to find the best stretch for the day, and how to do a reverse prayer stretch for your wrists:

5. Lying Down and Deep Breathing

This is likely one of the easiest programmer posture exercises and can likely double as some meditation time, if that is something you want to try. It involves lying down and breathing. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

This posture exercise is designed to stretch your diaphragm and help loosen the upper back, shoulders, and neck. To do this exercise, you will need a flat, comfortable surface. Then, follow these instructions for a deep breathing posture exercise:

Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and head relaxed.
Tuck your pelvis so your lower back is flat on the floor – you want as little space as possible between your lower back and the floor.
Keeping your throat and mouth open, breathe in as deeply as you can, filling your abdomen.
Exhale hard out of your mouth until you are completely out of breath (force the air out; you should hear yourself almost wheezing).
Repeat steps 1-4 two or three times.
For a more advanced version, place your hands on the floor above your head as far as you comfortably can.

The video below will walk you through a posture exercise that uses deep breathing and the floor to help improve posture and stretch your diaphragm:

6. Wall Angels

Wall Angels, or scapular Wall Slides, are a good way to strengthen your back and fix rounded shoulders. This exercise is meant to flatten your shoulders, extend your vertebrae, and work the muscles of your upper back.

Wall Angels are great options in general, and especially if you don’t want to get on the floor. Plus, you can do them anywhere you have a clear, sturdy span of wall. There are also a few variations you can try. To do this exercise, you need a flat wall to lean against. Then, follow these instructions for Wall Angels:

Wall Angels, Exercise 1:

Stand with your back flat against the wall.
Bend your knees to about 20 degrees.
Keep your lower back flat against the wall – avoid arching.
Rest the back of your head against the wall and keep your eyes forward and feet level to the ground.
Raise your arms to your side at a 90-degree angle to your body with your elbows bent and hands up. Your elbows and the back of your hands should be against the wall.
Breathe in and slide your hands and elbows up the wall until you feel some tension, breathe out, and lower your arms back to 90 degrees.
Repeat this motion four to five times.

Wall Angels, Exercise 2:

Position yourself as you did in steps 1-4 above.
Imagine a rod going through the center of your chest, and treat this as a turning point.
While keeping your lower back flat against the wall, tilt your chest, upper back, and arms to one side as if you were rotating on the rod in your chest while sliding against the wall.
Come back to center and tilt to the opposite side.
Repeat this motion four to five times per side.

The video below will demonstrate how to do standard Wall Angels:

7. Wall Clocks

Wall Clocks stretch and strengthen your middle and lower trapezius muscles and rhomboids, while supporting your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Like Wall Angels, this is a standing exercise, and all you need is a stretch of empty, sturdy wall. Here is how to perform a Wall Clock:

Stand facing a wall at an arm’s length away.
Place both hands on the wall. This is your “home” position.
Keep your back straight, spine steady, and shoulders away from your ears.
Alternating left and right hands, move one of your hands away from the “home” position to where the hours would be on a clock.
Go “around the clock” to hit different positions (up, down, to the side, and diagonal), while keeping your shoulder blades engaged.
Repeat clock patterns with control, either with a specific number of rounds, for a specific amount of time, or with a specific number of reps.

Wall Clocks With Resistance Bands

If you’d like a bit more stretch and strengthening, you can add a resistance band, either a loop band around your wrists/hands or by looping a resistance band around your hands and holding it with gentle band tension. Then, follow the above instructions while maintaining gentle band tension.

Check out the video below for a visual on how to do Wall Clocks with a resistance band, as well as some simple variations with stepping if you get bored with imaginary clocks:

8. Y Raises (“Superman Raises”)

Y Raises, or “Superman Raises”, strengthen your lower trapezius muscles. Your trapezius muscles pull your shoulders backward. Strengthening these muscles can help correct rounded shoulders. To do this exercise, you need a flat surface to lie on. Then, follow these instructions to perform Y Raises:

Lie down on the floor, flat on your stomach.
Place your arms above your head to create a ‘Y’ shape with your torso.
Point your thumbs up.
Breathe in, raise your arms off the floor, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Pause for a moment and release back down to the floor.
Repeat this ten times for three sets.
Try to work toward strengthening your muscles to perform sets of 20 at a time.

The video below will walk you through how to perform Y Raises correctly:

9. Plank

Planking is a popular exercise with a ton of variations, and for good reason. You don’t have to go crazy with it unless you want to; a simple forward plank provides plenty of benefits and can also improve your posture. Just make sure to keep a correct form and to work up to longer holds if needed. You can also do a modified plank against a wall or using a counter, if you need to.

Here are the instructions for a standard plank:

Position yourself like you are doing a pushup.
You can keep your arms in the elevated pushup position or rest your weight on your forearms.
Make sure your legs remain straight, and your lower back does not sink.
Keep your neck aligned with your spine and look down at the floor.
Hold for 30 seconds, or hold for what you can and work up to longer holds over time.

The “Planks for Beginners” video below will walk you through proper form for a good plank exercise:

10. High-Knee March

A high-knee march can be helpful in improving your posture while also strengthening your hip flexors and core. After sitting for a while, this standing exercise is also a good way to get your lower body moving a little bit throughout the day.

Find a flat surface where you can stand comfortably.
Stand straight and tall with your feet hip-width apart and relax your shoulders (roll them back and down while lifting your chest).
Bring your forearms up so your elbows are bent at 90 degrees and your hands are extended in front of you, palms down.
Bring your knees up one at a time to touch your palms in a slow march.
You can march for a set time or a set number of repetitions for each side.
Make sure your chest stays open and lifted, core engaged, shoulders relaxed, neck straight, and eyes forward.
For a more advanced version, you can increase repetitions, add a twist, or increase speed from a march to a jog.

The short video below will give you a rundown on getting started with proper form and posture for a good high-knee march:

11. Upper Trapezius Neck Stretch

An upper trapezius neck stretch, or upper trap stretch, is a great way to loosen tension in your neck and upper back, while helping to improve your posture. It can even help relieve tension-type headaches caused by stiffness in these muscles. Here’s how to do an upper trapezius neck stretch while sitting:

Sit in a chair.
Hold the chair or sit on the hand of the side you want to stretch to keep the arm extended down and the upper trapezius muscle of that side extended.
Raise the other arm, bring it over your head, and place your hand on the side of your head.
Gently pull your head over, bringing your ear towards your shoulder.
Hold that stretch for 30 seconds. Or hold it for 3-5 seconds if you’ll be doing repetitions.
Release and move back to center.
Repeat.

The short video below will show you how to perform a trapezius stretch:

12. Scalene Stretch

Hunching over computers or looking down at phones can weaken the neck muscles and make them feel stiff, particularly along the front and sides. These are deep neck flexors, and they are crucial for maintaining good posture while sitting and standing.

If your head feels heavy towards the end of the day and almost like you have difficulty holding it up, these can be signs of weak deep neck flexors. A deep anterior neck flexor stretch is a posture exercise that can help stretch and strengthen these essential muscles.

They’re also simple and easy to do, which makes it convenient to fit them in throughout the day, especially if you incorporate posture exercises as part of taking a quick break from screens to look away, get up, move around, and stretch. There are a lot of variations, including chin tucks, scalene stretches, and other neck stretches. Here’s how to do a scalene stretch:

Stand tall with your shoulders back and sternum up.
Place your hand towards the front of your neck on the side you want to stretch and gently drag your fingers down to the collarbone.
Place your other hand on top of the hand resting on the collarbone.
Turn your head slightly to look up and away from your hands.
Hold for 30 seconds.
Return to center.
Repeat 3 times on both sides.

The short video below will walk you through how to do a scalene stretch:

Poor Posture Can Affect More Than You Think

Poor posture has more effects than just aesthetics and neck or back pain. Research has shown that poor posture can also affect:

Mood
Stress
Digestion
Circulation
Weight
Breathing
Overall Health and Risk of Disease

You can dig into it more in this article about how bad posture affects your health and happiness. It can be difficult to keep an active lifestyle with a job that enables sitting for eight hours a day, and maybe going to the gym just isn’t your thing.

Luckily, there are some in-home posture exercises you can do in 10 or 15 minutes (or fewer!) that can go a long way in helping to improve your posture and maintain a good one. Plus, creating some time to take breaks and do some of these exercises can also help you avoid burnout when working from home.

Take a Stretch Break and Use an Exercise to Help Improve Your Posture

Taking breaks when you need them is a tip for working from home that can help improve your focus and productivity. And, if you include some of these posture exercises in some of your breaks, you can help improve your posture and flexibility, too. These are just a few posture exercises to get you started.

Perform these programmer posture exercises every day, or as many times a week as you can, and you will start to notice more flexibility in your shoulders and upper back. Once again, these exercises are only meant to help alleviate posture damage and are not a complete solution to better posture. Good luck!