Spending hours at your desk and hunching over your phone can hurt your posture—but the right kind of exercises can undo some of the damage.

Boston-based Pilates instructor Julie Erickson, founder of Endurance Pilates and Yoga, suggests practicing this three-move sequence.

Done regularly, it can restore mobility and strengthen your back, making it easier to sit and stand upright.

1. Roll up / roll down

Reps: 8-10

• Sit with your legs straight and your arms reaching forward.
• Inhale, then tuck your tailbone under and slowly roll your torso down to the floor.
• Reach your arms overhead so they’re lying on the floor, then point them up to the ceiling.
• Exhale, engage your core, and curl your head and chest up until you’re sitting up.
• Inhale and roll forward over your legs, then come back up to sitting.

Make it easier: Roll down only halfway, or tuck your feet under a strap or the couch.

2. Swan prep

Reps: 5

• Lie face down with your palms flat on the mat next to your ribcage and your elbows bent at about 90°.
• Press into your hands and lift your chest off the mat, drawing your shoulders back.
• Look forward and elongate your neck.
• Slowly lower back down.

Make it harder: Use your back muscles to lift your chest further off the mat, straightening your arms if you can.

3. Spine twist

Reps: 5 each side

• Sit with your legs straight and arms out to the sides. Your shoulders should be dropped down away from your ears and your elbows slightly lifted.
• Inhale, then elongate your spine and rotate your ribcage to the right without moving your hips or lower back.
• Exhale, then try to rotate a little further.
• Return to the centre and repeat on the other side.