(anatomisty.com)

If you sit for any length of time, be sure to get up often. 

Even if it’s just to stretch or walk around the room, getting up from your chair may be the best thing you can do for your body. Great posture is hard to maintain, and it just gets harder the longer you sit. Plus, health professionals are preaching that sitting is the new smoking. But don't stand for too long--that's also not good for your back!

Yoga

If you’re up for it, try yoga. Yoga’s emphasis on contracting and then stretching muscles can provide a great way to strengthen your back muscles and release any back tension. Try these moves to fire up your spine. Be gentle and listen to your body, especially if you're new to yoga. 

 Cat-Cow

These complementary stretches will contract and lengthen your back muscles.

Cat Pose (Christina Jagusiak / Satya Live Yoga)

Cobra Pose

Push away from the ground with your hands to activate the lower spine.

Cobra Pose (Christina Jagusiak / Satya Live Yoga)

Warrior III

This is a tough pose, but it will strengthen your entire back.

Warrior III (Christina Jagusiak / Satya Live Yoga)

For more benefits of yoga, click here. 

Massage

Yoga isn’t for everyone. Working out with these yoga balls is more like a massage than a vinyasa. It comes as close as possible to giving yourself a backrub--and the balls cost just a fraction of a professional massage.

Massage is especially beneficial after working out and has been shown to reduce inflammation and help regenerate crucial proteins. Whether it's via tennis balls or the hands of a masseuse, pinpointing dense muscle with intense pressure helps break down knots that cause shooting pains and tightness. 

Reach Jenna Pittaway here and follow her on Twitter.