Move · Videos · Pilates · 12 min

Pilates Break for Desk Posture

Pilates Break for Desk Posture — video by Lottie Murphy Play · 11:55

Video by Lottie Murphy on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A friendly floor Pilates break for people who sit all day: cat-cow, down dog, arm windows, pelvic curls, hamstring stretches, thread the needle, a plank rock, hip flexor lunges and seated arm opens.

  • 12 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • mat

Good forBetter posture

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Step by step 9

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Cat-cow on all fours: lift the chest and send the tailbone away, then round and let the low back curve. 0:31
  2. Down dog: tuck the toes and push back through the hands, pedalling one heel down at a time. 1:42
  3. Arm windows on your back: arms up, elbows out, palms turn up, reach overhead, then back up over the shoulders. 2:24
  4. Pelvic curls: arms rest in a W, squeeze the glutes and roll the spine up one bone at a time, then down. 3:43
  5. Hamstring stretch: hold behind the right thigh, straighten and bend the knee, then the left leg. 4:42
  6. Thread the needle: on all fours, reach one arm to the ceiling, then thread it under, reaching through the crown. 6:02
  7. Plank rock: in a plank, rock forward and back over the toes, then knees down and sit back on the heels. 7:35
  8. Hip flexor stretch: kneel with one foot forward, tuck the pelvis under and ease forward; then the other side. 8:25
  9. Seated arm opens: kneel or sit comfortably, arms out wide, turn one palm up and one down, then switch. 10:02

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Think about the whole body moving well, not just pulling the shoulders back
  • Roll the spine up and down one bone at a time in pelvic curls, waking the glutes
  • In thread the needle keep the chest open and reach forward through the crown of the head

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 4 takes load

  • Shoulders takes loaddownward dog, plank rock, arm windows
  • Wrists & hands takes loadall fours, downward dog, plank rock
  • Hips takes loadkneeling hip flexor lunge stretch
  • Knees takes loadall fours, kneeling hip flexor lunge
  • Upper back movescat-cow, thread the needle, pelvic curls
  • Lower back movescat-cow, pelvic curls
  • Ankles & feet movesdownward dog calf stretch, plank rock
  • Kneeling. Pressure on the kneecaps — a folded towel or cushion under the knees helps.
  • Weight on your hands. The wrists bend back under load. Fists, push-up handles or your forearms ease it.
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.

Easier option from the coach: Arms into a V if the windows feel tight; rest the head down in thread the needle

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Lottie Murphy; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety