It would be hard to design an environment more conducive to muscular tension than a desk and chair. But you can use these stretches to relieve tension and pain.

WHILE YOU ARE SITTING: At the first sign of tension in the shoulder or neck area, Raise your shoulders towards your ears until you feel slight tension in the neck and shoulders. Hold for three to five seconds, then relax your shoulders. Repeat three times.

When shoulders and upper back are tense, interlace your fingers behind your head, keep elbows out to the sides, your upper body in an aligned position. Pull shoulder blades together to created tension through the upper back, chest, and shoulder blades, Hold for eight to ten seconds.

For arms and shoulders, again interlace fingers above your head. With palms facing upward, push your arms slightly up and back. Hold for 15 seconds. Don't hold your breath. Repeat three times.

WHILE YOU ARE STANDING: For the lower back and hips, put your hands on your hips, feet pointed straight ahead, knees bent. Rotate hips to the right and look over your right shoulder. Hold stretch for 10 seconds. Stretch each side twice. Be relaxed, and breathe easily. After sitting for an extended period, stand with your knees slightly bent. Place palms on your lower back just above hips, fingers pointed downward. Gently push your palms forward to stretch the lower back. Hold at a comfortable pressure for 10 to 12 seconds. Repeat twice.

For upper parts of your legs, start with your feet pointed straight ahead and a little more than shoulder width apart. Bend your right knee slightly but keep your weight on your left leg. Move left hip downward toward right knee to stretch the left inner thigh. Hold 10 to 12 seconds. Repeat for right leg. Regardless of your busy day, take five minutes to perform these simple but effective stretches to help reduce some of your daily stress. Remember, your health and fitness should be a priority in your life. You owe that to yourself and to your love ones.