A Pilates instructor says this is the five-minute routine you need for your back

Is your back feeling sore and stiff from an eight-hour day sat hunched over a desk? You’re not alone. Adding in small bouts of daily movement can help relieve those tight, tense postural muscles and Pilates instructor, Katy Bath, says this is the five-minute routine you need for your back.

Studies have shown that Pilates is a great form of exercise to improve your posture, as it can enhance alignment in spine and strengthen the postural muscles that support it. This includes the core which the Hospital for Special Surgey says can help keep the back stable and supple. These five exercises won’t just give your core some TLC, but they’ll also enhance your mobility to aid better movement.

For this routine, grab yourself an exercise mat or a towel, so that you have something soft beneath you. What we really like about this routine is that not can it be done practically anywhere, thanks to needing no equipment, but how easy it is to slot into even the busiest of schedules. Move through the exercises below, one after the other, making sure that you don’t rush the movements, as you want to focus your attention on the muscles being used. Here are your exercises:

• Bird dog – 10 reps each side
• Back extensions – 10 reps
• Spine rolls – 10 reps
• Child’s pose – 30 seconds
• Pike pedals – 10 reps

If Pilates is a style of training you enjoy, or want to try more of, why not check out some of our other workouts? Like this 8-move full body workout from Pilates and Bare Instructor, Lotty Campbell Bird, which not only strengthens your entire body but is brilliant for your posture too. Alternatively, if you want to give your midsection muscles a little TLC, she’s also shared a beginner-friendly core workout too.