Q I spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen and I know my back is suffering. I feel quite exhausted after work, although my job isn't physically demanding. I like to go to exercise classes to try to keep toned but is there anything I can do to improve my posture?

A So many of us spend long periods of time sitting hunched over a work station. Our backs suffer, our posture suffers and we feel stressed and fatigued after a day at work.

Getting out to an exercise class is a good way of releasing stress and reducing the ill effects of it.

But putting your posture right and helping to realign your body needs a more considered approach. Bad postural habits are developed over years and it takes time to help to eliminate them.

If we spend a lot of time in a sitting position the muscles in our backs start to feel the strain when we ask them to stand up tall.

They may become weakened and prone to injury and strain, while the deeper layers of stomach muscle can lose their tone if they are not used to help support the spine.

A class which strengthens, stretches and relaxes the body is a great complement to aerobics and circuits sessions or muscle-toning classes such as 'legs bums and tums' or 'Bodypump'.

At your local gym or fitness centre look out for classes such as 'yogacise' or 'tone, stretch and relax' sessions, which will give you the opportunity to stretch out and improve your posture.

The latest class to hit York is 'body balance' which draws from sources such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, Pilates and contemporary dance stretch. The system of stretching and relaxation claims to realign the body and relax the mind.

We shouldn't ignore our mental or 'spiritual' fitness for the sake of our physical fitness. Sometimes we need to take a break from our busy lives and be kind to our minds as well as our bodies.

Whether you choose to attend a Yoga, Pilates, Alexander Technique or Body Balance class, an experienced teacher is imperative. If you don't know the teacher, check their credentials.