Working Out a Workout at Work

Move, stretch, take breaks – does that sound like a workout?  Does it sound like work? The office may seem like an odd place to work out, but you spend most of your day there. Exercise can keep you healthy, make you more productive and head off workplace injuries. Even short bursts of movement count.

Keep on movin'

At work, your best fitness option is brisk walking that raises your heart rate. A 30-minute walk can be part of a lunch hour, but there are other ways to add steps:

• To and from work: Walk to work, or walk to the car, train or bus. Biking is also an option.

• During work: Take the stairs. Don't phone -- walk to a coworker's office and talk face-to-face. Use a fax machine or copier at the far end of the office or on a different floor.

• At lunch: If you can't exercise, at least you can walk to your favorite eating spot.

Cubicle calisthenics

Depending how comfortable you are around your coworkers, you can do simple strength training exercises at your desk:

• Do a basic crunch in your chair. Pull your belly button in and up; pull your chest down.

• Grasp your chair's armrest and lift yourself up, using your arms to work the triceps.

• Do pushups without using the floor. Place your hands on the edge of your desk and your body at a 45-degree angle to the ground.

• Work your thighs by squatting as if you were about to sit in your chair and standing before you touch the seat. Keep your back straight.

• At the copier, lift one foot and then the other behind you to work your hamstrings. Standing on your tiptoes engages the calves.

Don't be desk-bound

It's not natural to sit at a desk for hours at a time. Add poor posture -- shoulders rolled forward, neck muscles pinched, arms at an awkward angle -- and it can be hazardous.

The leading work-related injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back and neck injuries, often result from working without a break and holding the body in poor positions.

"The human body was meant to be upright with the postural muscles [abdomen, back, shoulders and neck] holding us up,'" says Lisa Garrity, a San Diego trainer who specializes in corporate fitness programs.

Take breaks at least once an hour, even if just for a few minutes. Stand and stretch your arms over your head, or use the simple stretch detailed at right to loosen your chest and neck.

To correct your posture as you work, raise your body awareness, says Diana Fairechild, author of Office Yoga: At-Your-Desk Exercises. "While you are working, you can continuously do self-corrections. Or if you are downloading something on your computer, take those 10 seconds to do an exercise. No one's boss is going to complain about a 10-second break."

Why employers are helping

Ms. Garrity says exercise breaks shouldn't be seen as distractions. "You will actually be more productive if you get away for a couple of minutes and get some oxygen to the brain."

Companies large and small are starting to agree. Investments in employee fitness range from subsidizing memberships at local health clubs to building full-sized fitness centers on site.

Stretch to fix poor posture

In a car stopped at a light: Place the back of your head against the headrest. Pull your chin in toward your throat. Lower your shoulder blades and bring them together. Contract your abdominal muscles. This stretches your neck and upper back.

At your desk: Clasp your hands and place them behind your head. Lift your chin so it's parallel to the floor. Open your elbows like wings. This stretches your chest and shoulders.