DESK BOUNDERS

I once caught a colleague using her left hand (she is right-handed) to pick the staples off a huge pile of recycled paper. Despite the difficulty she had in manipulating the stapler, she continued to persist in her heroic efforts. "Otherwise my right arm muscles will be bigger than my left!" she exclaimed in explanation.

We would all like to have a job that allows us to be active and healthy; but the simple fact is that the majority of us are trapped at our desks for eight hours a day, and resort to the most curious methods to try to combat our workplace hazards. Deskbound workers suffer from a variety of health problems connected to poorly-designed office space and ignorance of simple ergonomics. They range from very common ailments such as myopia, from prolonged close-screen work, to painful conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Many office workers also spend hours seated in uncomfortable chairs, or cram themselves in the same space for too long. These poor habits give rise to bad posture and back problems, due to compression of the spinal vertebrae in the same position for extended periods.

Apart from physical problems, mental fatigue also sets in during a long-haul in front of the computer. Catherine, 25, assistant manager, spends up to 5 hours at a stretch churning out data and processing reports. At 1.68m, her spine takes on an unnaturally closed-in curvature in order to work at a desk which is too low for her chair. "I often get very tired, even though I’m not moving around," she admits. "Sometimes I have to just get up and walk around a bit."

Jasmine, 21, a receptionist, agrees. Because her job entails handling customer service telephone calls, Jasmine unfortunately does not have the luxury of leaving her desk unmanned. She often grows irritable from her cramped workspace and lack of mobility; "I become very edgy sometimes, almost hysterical!" she quips.

For those of us trapped in our cubicles all day, lunchtime is the only brief breath of freedom we can snatch. So while your colleagues go out for a smoke, why not pick a healthier habit and hit the gym?

Many large gyms have clubs within the central business district and major city areas; some companies even provide their own gym facilities, open for use to all staff. You may wonder, but what can I do in the gym within 30 minutes? The simple answer? More than you can do sitting in McDonalds for one hour.

David, 31, puts in 20 minutes at the gym every weekday during his lunch hour. "My workplace is within five minutes’ run of the gym," he explains, "so I keep a gym bag at work, and get changed just before lunch hour. I take a brisk jog to the gym, which functions as a warm-up; then I do some weights; then I walk back as a cool-down. I usually buy lunch on the way back, something light and quick to eat, and have a good tea-break later if I get hungry."

Indeed, it isn’t the length of time you spend in the gym that matters; it’s the intensity you put into your workout. Like David, you can split your workout over the week. On Monday, work your legs; on Tuesday, your back; on Wednesday, your chest. Three sets of 15 squats will only take you 10 minutes to complete; but if you use the right form, technique, and weight, you’ll make every second of those 10 minutes count far more than someone else’s half-hearted one-hour workout. If you’re doing cardiovascular work, a high-speed hill-run for 15 minutes is just as tough, if not tougher, than a 50 minute light jog. Once in a while, go all out; eat a power-bar for lunch and jump into a full lunchtime class. A fellow gym-member who makes the mad dash to and from the gym every Wednesday lunch-hour for a 45-minute strength spinning class assures me the rushing is worth it. "Usually after lunch you feel very lethargic," she says, "but even though I spend my

whole lunch hour burning calories and only eat a power bar, I actually have more energy. Especially if it’s been a stressful workday, I feel so much better and more relaxed!"

But all this is not to say that you can’t figure out some ways to liven up your deskbound hours as well. If the nearest gym is two hours away, don’t fret – your office space can double up as your workout area! All you need is your office chair (one which doesn’t roll!), and a couple of moderately-heavy ring-binders. Start off by doing abdominal crunches on the floor to warm up, propping your legs up on the chair. Then you’re set to go.

For your legs, do squats – sit back, bending your knees to a 90-degree angle, holding onto the back of your chair in front of you for balance (not support). For your back, support yourself with one arm on the chair. Pick up a ring-binder with the other arm, and perform one-arm rows (literally a movement similar to rowing a boat or starting a lawnmower). Remember to switch over to the other arm afterwards!

To work your chest, do decline push-ups by propping your feet up on your chair (or your desk, if you’re feeling particularly strong!). Keep your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Hold your body straight and lower your chest to the ground, then raise yourself up again, to perform a push-up. For your triceps, place your chair behind you and prop yourself up by gripping the chair with your hands and lifting yourself off the ground, with your legs straight out. Bend and straighten your arms at a 90-degree angle – you’ve just done bench dips. For your biceps, grab those ring-binders again, one in each hand. Straighten your arms out by your sides, then curl them to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body. Finally, your shoulders. Keeping your arms straight, lift those ring-binders out towards the side, raising them no higher than your shoulder-level. Voila! Lateral raises.

Perform three sets of 15 repetitions per exercise, and you’ll have completed a full-body resistance workout without ever leaving the office!

There are plenty of further sources for ideas on office-based exercise. Joan Price, author of The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book, offers a treasure chest of great tips to ease the strain and sedentary nature of office work. For those who work all day with their arms and shoulders in front of them (such as extensive computer or paper-work), Price advises the following stretch:

"Sitting in your chair, reach both arms back as far as you can, arching your back…clasp your hands behind the chair to intensify the stretch. Doing this stretch several times during the day will release tension and make you feel better."

Other stretches include the ‘Copy Machine Back Stretch’, in which you use the photocopier to brace yourself while you arch and round out your back, releasing the tension in your spine caused by prolonged sitting; and the ‘Pencil Toss Stretch’, in which you drop a pencil on the ground behind you and twist your torso and in order to grab it. To burn a few extra calories, Price also recommends taking the stairs wherever possible (even ‘lunging’ the stairs by taking them two at a time!), volunteering to carry anything that needs carrying, and personally delivering messages between colleagues. One particularly amusing challenge is the ‘Speaker Phone Push-Up’; when on hold, switch to the speaker phone, and then do push-ups till your call is put through again!

If, like Jasmine, sheer mental stress starts to get you down, there are just as many ways to find relief. Darrin Zeer, experienced spa therapist and author of Office Spa, offers practical advice to soothe your ruffled mind. When standing in an elevator, for instance, "Position yourself at the rear of the elevator. Stand comfortably with your knees slightly bent. Watch the numbers rise or fall in unison with your breath. When your floor arrives you will be calm and centered."

For keyboard-fatigued hands, Zeer advises, use your thumb to massage the fingers and palm of your other hand, paying particular attention to sore spots. My mum swears by Zeer’s ‘golf-ball accupressure’ for tired feet; while seated, simply roll a golf ball up and down the sole of your bare foot, for an instant massage. You can even use a Swiss exercise ball as your office chair, to work those core muscles while replying your emails!

At the end of the day, however, the best solution to workday blues is living a healthy, active lifestyle. Nothing beats adequate sleep, frequent exercise, and a balanced diet to keep your mind and body alert throughout the day. So get moving, good luck, and see you at the gym!