Office Space? Workout Place

I?m not a bike messenger, construction worker, waiter or janitor. I don?t lift heavy objects nor am I on my feet all day long. I used to be, but that was before I started working full-time in the sedimentary profession that is ?freelance writer.? While I certainly don?t miss running back and forth from dinner tables waiting on gluttonous tourists, I long for the health benefits that come from constantly moving and using my hands for more than typing and lifting a cup of coffee to my mouth every minute or so.

You don't have to be this guy

The thing is, I?m not the only one with a job that seems to run counter to a proper fitness regimen.? Just ask Dr. Jack Groppel, exercise physiologist and co-founder of the Human Performance Institute. Groppel, in a recent interview with Reuters, expressed concerns over masses of people not being active or moving? while at work. According to Groppel, however, ?building even small breaks into the workday every 20 minutes or so will not only cut down on healthcare costs but improves performance.? By performance, he?s referring to problem – solving and workplace initiative. Incorporating regular breaks and more standing can result in not only improved physical fitness, but better work productivity. Work and working out can exist as one. How enlightened.

If you?ve got a cool boss like Michael Scott or have some pull in your office, you can try to institute new policies that involve more physical activity throughout the day. Sitting meetings? Why not have standing and/or walking meetings to increase calorie expenditure? Or maybe a mid-day round of ultimate Frisbee?

Unfortunately, many of us work in ancient business settings with old-school work ethics, where ideas like active meetings and regular fitness breaks sound like ?weird hippie nonsense.? If you happen to work in an office that still uses dot matrix printers, don?t get frustrated. Got one too many boxes of staples in your drawer? Why not stow some dumbbells in there and do some curls when the boss isn?t looking? If he?s the hovering type, you can always do some crunches in the comfort of your ergonomic chair. Skipping the elevator and parking at the far end of the lot are other small changes you can make to improve your overall activity time.

According to Groppel, ?”If there’s more oxygen getting to the brain, you solve problems more readily.? So, whether you?re planning a marketing strategy or editing somebody?s poor grammar, it?d behoove you to keep your brain primed with some physical activity. Working out will give you not only brawn, but more brainpower. Think about it; you can literally climb your way up the corporate ladder by taking the stairs more often.

Just because you?re stuck in a cubicle surrounded by numbskulls doesn?t mean you can?t work toward improving your health. Incorporating active breaks and small at-the-desk workouts can be beneficial not only to your physical fitness, but to your mental well-being. You can be the office stud and whiz-kid all in one.

I?m going to go take an exercise break now. If this article was any good, you?ll know I got a good run in.