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Back pain, eye strain, sluggishness, shoulder aches, restlessness.

If you sit in front of a computer for long periods of time, whether it’s for work or leisure, you’ve probably experienced one of these symptoms.

But there are ways to relieve some of this discomfort — and even combat some of the health risks that may come with prolonged sitting. That includes walking breaks, ergonomic solutions and quick, simple stretches.

Here’s a roundup of tips that have been previously featured on Life Kit.

If you feel tired and sluggish … go for a five-minute walk (every half hour)

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We know that a sedentary lifestyle isn’t great for human health. Studies have shown it can lead to fatigue, weight gain and back and joint pain — and it’s been linked to chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease and cancer. Yet adults in the United States spend an average of 9.5 hours sitting per day, involved in activities tied to computers, laptops and phones.

But there may be a way to mitigate its harms. In 2023, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center set out to find the least amount of movement you need to counteract the dangers of prolonged sitting. And they found that walking for five minutes every 30 minutes was the most effective strategy.

In 2023, our colleagues at NPR’s Body Electric tested out this five-minute walking exercise on our NPR listeners. Over 20,000 participants joined the challenge — and reported higher productivity and lower fatigue.

Want to give this walking challenge a try? Get instructions from Body Electric — and use this worksheet to keep track of your walking breaks.

If your back aches from slouching over your desk … rotate your spine 

Anyone who works at a desk knows how easy it can be to slip into a slouch. If we’re not careful, that mid-back rounding can creep into all of our sitting time and create pain by putting stress on the middle section of our spine.

This movement above seeks to relieve that stress and encourage flexibility by mimicking the natural movements of the spine — side bending, bending backward and rotating, says Vinh Pham, a physical therapist. The idea is to get the body comfortable with these motions so that when you encounter them in real life, they’re not painful.