Dr Amir Khan on 3 mobility exercises he does ‘every day’ to reduce stiffness and improve mobility after sitting down for hours

The upper back muscles might feel tight, and rounded shoulders are almost a given after a day of typing away. Simple mobility exercises can work wonders for stretching out tired muscles.

GP Dr Amir Khan is woman&home's resident GP and a frequent guest on ITV's This Morning and Lorraine. Neck and back problems are issues he regularly sees among his patients. Our heads weigh around 5kg, and when that weight isn’t held in the centre of our bodies, it can cause strain to our neck and upper back.

“Whether you’re a healthcare professional, work at a desk, spend hours driving, or simply find yourself looking down at your phone all day, you’re not alone. ‘Tech neck’ is becoming incredibly common,” he says.

The good news is, the doctor says hunching and aching muscles can be eased without the need for “fancy equipment or hours in the gym” and "just a couple of minutes" of simple cool-down stretches at the end of the day.

Chin tucks

Chin tucks are a personal favourite for the doctor. “Sit or stand nice and tall and just pull your head back until you get that double, or triple chin in my case,” he explains.

He suggests holding the tuck for five seconds before moving your chin forward again. “It just uses all of those muscles you haven’t been using and gets your head back into a neutral position. It’s really good. It supports all those deep muscles that support your head.”

Shoulder blade squeezes

Dr Khan says shoulder blade squeezes are the second exercise he does every day. They’re done by squeezing the shoulder blades together while also keeping the tops of the shoulders low.

“Together and down as though you’re trying to tuck them into your back pocket,” he says. Hold the position for five seconds, and repeat it 10 times.

“If you’re hunching over a desk the whole time, these muscles (across our backs) become lazy. The muscles at the front can tighten up. So you will want to wake them up and improve your posture and take some of the strain off your neck.”

Doorway chest stretch

The final move is a doorway chest stretch. “Stand in a doorway, place your forearms on the frame. Don’t drop your fingers and just gently lean forward and stretch that chest out,” explains Dr Khan. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds.

“When your chest muscles tighten, they pull your shoulders back, and your neck has to work much harder to hold your head up. Stretching these chest muscles is a nice reverse of that posture, and it feels really good.”

As always, prevention is better than cure. If you spend a lot of time at a desk, take regular breaks, try standing up to work and ensure your computer and chair are all at the correct height.

While Dr Khan’s chest, back, and neck exercises won’t fix more severe causes of neck pain, he says they will make you feel more relaxed after a long day. “If your pain is severe, follows an injury, or is associated with numbness, weakness, tingling, or problems with balance, it’s important to seek medical advice promptly,” he says.

Dr Khan says he does these three exercises to relieve tension in his body, and we don’t think they’ll take up more than five minutes of your day.