The Lazy Person’s Guide to Staying Flexible
The best one-minute movements to keep you mobile and pain-free with minimal effort.
We all know the feeling: you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours, hips tighter than your jeans after a particularly good Sunday roast, shoulders hunched like Gollum over your desk. You know you should probably move, but who’s got time or energy for a full yoga session?
Enter these one-minute wonders. They’re quick, no-fuss, and designed to sneak into your day without disrupting your flow.
Because the deal is, my friend, if we don’t do something about your tight hips, your complete lack of spinal mobility, your neck issues, the stiffness in your hamstrings, or that horrible feeling of having to sit on the floor and wondering how you’ll ever get up again…
…you’ll reach your 70’s with a complete inability to move as you do now, and maybe even a ‘crumbling spine’, (something the doctors have lovingly diagnosed my 90-year-old grandma with; a woman who helped build the coolest (as far as I’m concerned) fish-and-chip empire in Hull and beyond in the 70s and 80s, but who was also never really introduced to movement as a thing do stay strong and healthy. Obviously. It was the 70s. Online yoga was but a dream).
When I’m in my 70’s I want to be keeping up with life. And I know you want this, too.
So let’s let that be the drive, not to be ‘good at yoga’, but to be prepping for our old-people bodies.
With that in mind, here’s how to move to undo the kinks and get feeling good again in just seven minutes (or one, if that’s all you’ve got). Do them in order, and you’ve a mini practice you can take with you anywhere.
If you want to follow along with me, scroll to the end for a 12-minute video practice—it’s one of my favourites: Yoga For Your Spine.
1. Neck stretch and roll
How: sit or stand, spine tall. Gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear towards your shoulder, and hold for 15 seconds. Slowly roll your head forward to the other side, holding for 15 seconds. Next, bring your chin to your chest, holding for 15 seconds, and lift your chin to the sky, holding again for 15 seconds.
Why: because tech-neck is real, and we’re all living it. This will gently coax those tight neck muscles into sweet, sweet release.
2. Seated spinal twist
How: park yourself in a chair, feet planted. Press into your outer right knee with your left hand and hold your chair back with your right hand. Inhale to grow tall, and exhale to twist and look over your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.
Why: a happy spine = a happy you. Plus, twists can help with digestion—so if you’ve had one too many hobnobs, this is your move.
3. Standing cat-cow
How: hands on thighs, feet planted. Inhale, arch your back, press your chest forward, and look up (cow). Exhale, round your spine and bring your forehead toward your pelvis (cat). Repeat for a minute, adding wiggles if you feel like it.
Why: it’s like giving your spine a hug. Works wonders for stiffness and helps you pretend you weren’t just hunched over your desk for two hours.
4. Standing forward fold
How: stand tall, then hinge forward at your hips and let your upper body hang towards the floor. Knees bent is fine—this isn’t a hamstring competition. Grab your elbows, sway a little, and, something most people miss here: let your head hang heavy.
Why: it’s like pressing the reset button for your back, your neck, and hamstrings. Plus, the blood rushing to your head might just jolt you awake enough to tackle that next thing.
5. Hip-opener squat
How: place your feet wider than your hips, with your toes out. Squat like you’re about to pick up a toddler. Rest your elbows on your knees if you can, and gently press them open, or if this is a challenge, keep your hands on the floor for support. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Move around if it feels good. This should feel really good for your hips—back up if it doesn’t.
Why: your hips work hard, this gives them a stretch and a mobility boost. Bonus: it’s a sneaky lower-body strengthener, too.
6. Downward dog
How: start on hands and knees, with wrists slightly forward of shoulders and knees under hips. Tuck your toes and lift your hips towards the ceiling, creating an inverted V shape. Keep your knees bent and focus on pressing through the hands to lift the hips to the sky. Hold for a minute.
Why: full-body stretch magic. Hamstrings, shoulders, spine—it’s like an all-in-one deal for tired bodies. Plus, you’re encouraging circulation. It’s a win-win.
7. Downward dog to plank flow
How: from downward dog, inhale and shift forward into a plank in slow-motion. Keep your core strong, and one line between your heels and your head (make sure your hips aren’t lifted too much). Exhale, press back to downward dog at the same super slow speed. Repeat for one minute.
Why: because your body loves movement. This wakes everything up; shoulders, hips, ankles, wrists, and spine. It improves shoulder and core strength while increasing flexibility in the hamstrings and calves.
Practice with me
You don’t have to do all seven moves. Pick one, do it, and call it a win. Or string them together for a quick seven-minute reset. Even better? Hit play on this 12-minute video I’ve included below to follow along with me.
Because sometimes, we all need a little nudge to stop scrolling and start moving.
Yoga For Your Spine (12 mins)
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What are your favourite moves to remedy too-much sitting?
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