Deskercise: Work Out While You Work

With an eight-hour workday and two-hour commute, by the time I get home, I want a big dose of reality TV, not a five-mile run. The majority of us working Americans spend more awake hours at the office than at home, leaving us very little time and energy to focus on our fitness.

Lifestyle choices such as poor nutrition and lack of exercise compete with tobacco as the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. Our busy schedules and deskbound lifestyles can be a deadly combination--literally.

While biking or walking to the office, opting for the stairs, and using your lunch break to power-walk around the block are the most common stay-fit-at-work tips, there is a lot more you can do to maintain and improve your overall health while at the office.

Some companies are including programs like yoga at lunch, treadmill desks, and weight-loss competitions to inspire a healthy office environment. Studies show that an active, healthy body helps employees stay mentally energized, stress free, and happy.

The University of California has even developed an entire workout series dedicated to workout routines to stay fit at the office--deskercise. Tired of feeling like a lazy lump, I got moving to discover the best ways to stay fit during the nine to five.

Workplace Wellness ProgramsContact human resources to see what discounts your health insurance provides on diet and exercise programs. Insurance companies love healthy clients because in the long run, it saves them money. Generally, even if it’s not heavily advertised, most company policies do offer wellness programs.

If this is not the case, rally your coworkers and ask if the office can help sponsor a program like Weight Watchers, gym access, or group exercise classes during lunch. Healthier employees mean more productive employees--music to the bosses’ ears.

Touch the SkyStretching is critical to release muscle tension and prevent aches and pains. Some basic stretches you can do right from your seat include:

- Arms: Sit straight at your desk and raise both arms over your head and reach high. Count to ten. Raise the right higher, then the left.

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