Question: I work 45 hours a week at a very sedentary desk job. My busy work and family life leaves me no time for exercise and I would like to know whether there are any exercises I can do at the desk.
Answer: If you're someone whose life at the moment is just too busy to set time aside for regular exercise, there are a number of unstructured exercises and stretches that can make an improvement in your physical and mental health. First of all, don't look for the parking spot closest to your building (also applies to the grocery store and the shopping mall). When walking, make it brisk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand up every half hour to stretch, walk in place, or walk the halls and stairs if there's time. If you have any downtime, perhaps while a large file loads, get up and take a short walk around your floor. If you have the space and privacy, try running in place, doing jumping jacks, doing a few sit-ups and push-ups during brief lulls in the day. A hand gripper is a simple way to work on forearm muscles. An elastic exercise band is another easy way to stretch and tone muscles while sitting at your desk.
