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!