The Workaholic’€™s Workout

When you’re always racing against deadlines or working 12-hour days, the recommended 2.5 hours of weekly physical activity doesn’t always fit your schedule. How to keep fit when you practically live in your office?

PINK CEO Cynthia Good saw a solution firsthand when she entered a nail salon at 10 a.m., and several employees were exercising to a morning workout show.

“Staying active and fit at work offers mental clarity, stress release and a faster metabolism,” Jennifer Ettinger, author of Find Your Inner Goddess and founder of Fit Your Style tells PINK. She recommends using a wall for pushups or standing up when on the phone to perform calf raises.

Fitness trainer Kelli Calabrese says fitter people perform better mentally. She advises taking a break from your desk for at least five minutes every hour to stretch, breathe and move around, and adds that desk exercises, like stationary lunges and simulated jump rope, help get your heart rate up.

Other experts suggest replacing your office chair with an exercise ball chair for an hour or so a day. These chairs aren’t stable, forcing you to sit straight to maintain balance. This helps improve posture, balance and strengthens your core. If your company has greenspace, you can walk during your lunch hour or view exercise videos from your iPhone.

Mayo Clinic says you can also take advantage of your commute. For those who drive, you can park further away and walk. Too far to walk or bike? If you take the bus, try getting off a couple blocks before your stop.

Bonus PINK Link: Exercise isn’t the only way to boost energy at work. Here’s how to wake up.

By Malee Moua

“Fitness – if it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.” Cher