The office guide to beating back pain

Putting your back into your work can do it damage - 50 per cent of people get back pain lasting more than a day every year, often because of their nine-to-five jobs. Here are six spine-saving exercises you can do in your suit.

Train platform: alignment exercise

You're waiting for a train. You could be here for some time. Spend a few minutes doing this alignment exercise. Unless you're an avid fan of the Alexander Technique, Pilates, yoga or t'ai chi, it's likely your overriding muscle memory will lead you to feel more comfortable slouching than standing up straight. But while this may feel comfortable and natural, it will lead the lower back to be pulled out of alignment by weak and asymmetric muscle tone.

"Slouching doesn't require as much muscle power as standing up straight," says Ben Coffey of West End Physiotherapy, "but it compresses the lumbar spine and leads to increased wear and tear in the discs. If you get sharp pains stepping off the curb, this has happened already."

Exercise: Put down your bags and concentrate on standing with your spine in a neutral position. Have feet shoulder-width apart and pointing forwards, weight slightly back on heels, chin tucked in, shoulders back and down and arms by your side. Feel as if you have a rope coming out of the top of your head, pulling you taller. Breathe in, and as you breathe out draw in your lower abdomen as if trying to zip up trousers that are too tight. (These are your core stabilising muscles that support the spine - if you can't identify them, go to Pilates.) Breathe normally while holding the contraction for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

At your desk: sitting twist

Sitting with your legs crossed is like giving one side of your body a permanent stretch. Don't do it for long and vary the top leg. "If you do something that's not neutral too many times, you will become lopsided," says Coffey, "pulling the spine to one side."

Exercise: Twist yourself back into balance. Sit up straight, shoulders back and chin tucked in, both feet on the floor, and then cross your arms in front of you, hands on opposite shoulders, and rotate as far to the left as you can, keeping your pelvis fixed and letting your head move with your body.

To increase the stretch, place your right hand on the back of the chair and pull. Repeat on the right.

This is a great exercise for on the Tube, train platforms or in restaurants - pretend you're looking for someone over your shoulder.

Still at your desk: seated curl down

Chances are you've been deskbound for a few hours now, but "sitting-in positions that put the neck and back under strain for long periods is the most common cause of back problems", says Coffey.

Exercise: "The body lubricates joints by movement," says Coffey, "but when you're static they dry out. Get up every half an hour and more around to push fluid through discs, giving them nutrients and removing toxins." And every now and then, try a seated curl down to relieve pressure on compacted lower-back joints.

Start in the seated position described in exercise two. Clasp your hands in front of you between your knees, and drop your chin to your chest. Roll down one vertebrae at a time, using your core abdominal muscles (it helps to do this on an exhale). Then slowly roll back up.

Just off the phone: neck stretch

All that yakking on the phone takes a physical toll on the head, neck and shoulders. People tend to sit motionless when they talk on the phone, leading small muscles in the neck to become stiff and tense. This has body-wide repercussions - backache and repetitive-stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome often start with a sore neck.

Exercise: Get a headset, vary the side that you hold the phone and stretch after long calls. Sit in the correct posture and, keeping shoulders even, drop your left ear lobe to the left shoulder to release neck muscles. To increase the stretch, place the right hand on the head. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat on the right.

Then, starting from neutral posture, turn your head (without tilting it) to the left side until you feel a stretch. Repeat to the right.

After a long meeting: knees to chest

Meeting chairs are rarely ergonomic. After a long sit-in, pop to the loo for a stretch if you don't have an office.

Exercise: Lean against a wall with your feet one foot length away from the wall. Keeping your pelvis level, and your back and bottom flat against the wall, bring one knee to the chest and hug it. This will stretch out the base of the spine. Repeat on the other side.

Very tired now: ground twist

By 6pm, chances are your back is really beginning to ache. So whether you're home or in a deserted office, lie on the ground and stretch out your back. It's a good idea to do back stretches before you work out - going from sitting still to the impact of running or squash without warming up the spine risks your back.

Exercise: Lie on the ground, back straight, legs out in front of you. Bring your left knee up to 90 degrees, and hold with your right hand. Extend your left arm at 90 degrees to your body. Then slowly drop your left knee towards the right, while keeping both shoulders on the ground. Take it as far as comfortable, hold for 10 seconds, then repeat to the other side.

? This advice is not intended to replace that of a qualified doctor. If you have back pain, see a professional. West End Physiotherapy (020 7734 6263, www.wephysio.co.uk.) has a nine to five check, £25pp (based on five people in the same workplace).