The Daily Balance

If you are like me, at least 75% percent of your workday is spent sitting in an office chair. On days that I can’t make it to the gym in the morning, this little tidbit grates on my nerves like you wouldn’t believe. “We are made to move, not sit at a desk 12 hours a day,” says Joan Price, author of The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book. “As ergonomic as your desk or chair may be, sitting produces back pains, headaches, and listlessness. You become less productive.” No. Kidding.

But other than taking a few moments for stretching, can you really achievbe meaningful excercise in your cubicle or office?

According to an artcile from WebMD, there is hope. Kelli Calabrese, MS, an exercise physiologist and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says yes, you can. Calebrese believes in 60-second or 10-minute bursts of aerobic exertion. “This is cardio — if you get in your [target] heart rate zone,” she says. And we all know that improving your heart rate variability — your heart’s ability to jump from resting to “pumped” — has been shown to increase longevity and decrease heart disease risk.

Now, don’t blow off your morning workouts or weekly workout routines just yet, but you can supplement them with exercises performed at your desk — which is certainly better than nothing!

Next time you need a break from your work, try the following (information provided by WebMD):

• Glance at the wall clock and rip off a minute’s worth of jumping jacks. If you’re a beginner, try the low-impact version (raise your right arm and tap your left toe to the side while keeping your right foot on the floor; alternate sides)
• Do a football-like drill of running in place for 60 seconds. Get those knees up! (Beginners, march in place.)
• Simulate jumping rope for a minute: Hop on alternate feet, or on both feet at once. An easier version is to simulate the arm motion of turning a rope, while alternately tapping the toes of each leg in front.
• While seated, pump both arms over your head for 30 seconds, then rapidly tap your feet on the floor, football-drill style, for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
• If you can step into a vacant office or conference room, shadow box for a minute or two. Or just walk around the room as fast as you can.
• Or do walk-lunges in your office or a vacant room. Set your PDA to beep you into action.
• No conference room? Take to the stairs — two at a time if you need a harder workout! Do this 5-7 times a day.

Looking for something a little less intense? Lucky you! Price’s book has more than 300 less dramatic — but equally beneficial — exercises. “I call these fitness minutes,” she says.

Some strength-building suggestions:

• Do one-legged squats (hold onto a wall or table for support) while waiting for a web page to load, the copier to spit our your reports, or faxes to slither out.
• Stand with one leg straight and try to kick your buttocks with the other.
• Sitting in your chair, lift one leg off the seat, extend it out straight, hold for 2 seconds; then lower your foot (stop short of the floor) and hold for several seconds. Switch; do each leg 15 times.
• To work your chest and shoulders, place both hands on your chair arms and slowly lift your bottom off the chair. Lower yourself back down but stop short of the seat, hold for a few seconds. Do 15 times.
• To stretch your back and strengthen your biceps, place your hands on the desk and hang on. Slowly push your chair back until your head is between your arms and you’re looking at the floor. Then slowly pull yourself back in. Again, 15 of these.
• Desk pushups can be a good strengthener. (First, make sure your desk is solid enough to support your weight.) Standing, put your hands on the desk. Walk backward, then do push-ups against the desk. Repeat 15 times.

Don’t forget about the little things…

• Whenever possible, “stand rather than sit,” Price says. “Walk rather than stand.”
• Walk during your lunch break. If you find that boring, buy a camera and walk around taking pictures. Some experts say it’s ideal to walk 10,000 steps a day — this can be five miles, depending on the length of your stride. “Buy a pedometer, wear it five days, and divide by five,” Price suggests. “If you’re nowhere near 10,000 — and this takes some doing — set a reasonable goal. If you clocked 2,000 steps, go for 2,500.”
• Join a gym near your office and go during your lunch hour. If your employer provides a gym, that’s even better.
• Forget emailing the guy three cubes over — walk. (Remember, walks to the vending machine don’t count!)
• Get NEAT!

Image credit: extras.missoulian.com

Now that my company has moved into our new office, we have A LOT more stairs! While others take the elevator, I make sure to take the stairs between floors daily, on average, I probably climb about 20 flights a day! I always try and make sure I get in a short little walk during my lunch hour, as well. After researching and reading the tips I provided above, I can definitely be doing more to counteract my sedentary desk lifestyle here at work. Bringing some small hand-weights to keep at my desk probably isn’t such a bad idea. I’m sure it’d work as a fantastic stress-reliever, too. Mad at a co-worker? Instead of pumping your fist into his skull (I mean….er, yelling…), pump some iron!

I want to hear from YOU! How do you fit fitness into your workday?