On-the-Job Training Works for Desk Set : An effective routine can be achieved without leaving the office or even sweating up the suit.

If you feel like work keeps you chained to your desk and leaves no time for exercise, working out right in the office may be your key to shaping up. You can do it without even breaking a sweat.

“People often don’t realize that there are many exercises and stretches you can do at your desk that will help keep you flexible and in shape,” says personal trainer Brenda Adams of United Aerobics in Anaheim Hills.

Exercising at your desk is important for good health, says Donald Taylor, a Santa Ana chiropractor. “Our bodies really weren’t designed to sit, especially for long periods of time,” he says. “When you sit on a regular basis, as many of us do, the circulation slows down in the lower body, which can lead to a loss of muscle tone, muscle cramping and low back pain.”

Those people who regularly work at a computer also have a tendency to roll their shoulders forward, which Taylor says not only leads to a hunched-over look, but puts pressure on the nerves in the shoulders.

To help prevent discomfort and keep in shape, there are many stretches and exercises that can be fit into a daily office routine.

Simple Stretches?

One thing everyone should all do periodically throughout each day is stretch, say fitness specialists.

“Stretching is very important because it increases flexibility and massages your internal organs, which is really good for them,” Adams says. “It also makes you feel better.”

Good upper body stretches include the door stretch, Adams says. To do this, put your arms and palms against a door jam at a 95-degree angle and stand with hips in line with the door and knees slightly bent. Then lean forward a little, which will give your chest a good stretch and prevent that hunched-over-the-computer look.

After you’ve done the door stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, if possible, reach overhead and grab the top of the door frame and pull down. This will stretch your upper back, shoulders and the back of your arms.

To stretch out your neck, do forward neck circles or drop your head to each side and hold it, Adams says.

Other effective upper body exercises Taylor suggests doing at the computer include interlacing your fingers and stretching your arms straight above your head with your palms toward the ceiling. “This will stretch your back muscles and promote circulation,” he says. “You can also extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height and open and close your hands, which also gets the blood flowing.”

Stretch your lower back and sides by holding a ruler shoulder-width apart directly above your head and leaning slightly to the right and slightly to the left, stopping for a moment in the middle before going to each side, suggests Jan Kozlowski of the Tustin-based personal training company, the Balanced Choice.

For your lower body, there are a variety of things you can do, says Kozlowski, including stretching your hamstrings by sitting in your chair and putting one heel on the floor. Then gently lean forward and hold.

You can stretch your calves by standing up and leaning on your desk. Put one leg back at a time and straighten it.

Stretching your ankles is also a good idea, says Adams, who suggests making ankle circles under your desk.

Whenever stretching, hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds and stop immediately if you feel pain. “It should feel good,” Adams says.

Upper Body Workout

To give yourself a good upper body workout similar to the bench press found in gyms, you need look no further than your chair, says Kozlowski.

You can work just about every upper body muscle if you have a chair on wheels. Sit straight in your chair and put your feet up on the legs. Then grab the edge of the desk and in a controlled fashion, push yourself away from the desk and pull yourself back to the desk.

“Pulling yourself toward the desk works your biceps and back and pushing away exercises your triceps, chest and the front part of your shoulders,” says Kozlowski.

If you have a stationary chair, you can do a partial upper body workout by putting your chair back a little from the desk and doing pushups off the edge of the desk.

In addition to your chair and desk, you can use a variety of other office items such as books and paperweights.

To work your triceps, Adams says to take a paperweight or book in one hand and extend the arm straight up into the air so that your upper arm is right next to your ear. Then, balancing the raised arm with the other hand, slowly lower the elevated arm toward the back, stopping when your elbow and arm are at a 45-degree angle. Raise the arm and repeat.

Do bicep curls by holding paperweights or books in both hands. Keeping the elbows close to the body, slowly raise and lower the arms in an alternating fashion or both at once.

Work the shoulders by placing books on your palms and raising your arms straight above your head so that your fingers are pointing in back of you. Lower your arms, stopping at the shoulders and raise them again. To work your upper back, do this same exercise, but go past the shoulders, keeping your arms behind your head, Adams says.

Two other useful workout tools that store easily in your desk are exercise bands and tubes. To work the shoulders with a long rubber band or tube, put it under your feet, stand straight, bend your knees slightly and then pull up on both ends with your palms facing down and your elbows leading.

Do rubber-band bicep curls by placing the band under your feet and pulling up with the palms facing the ceiling and your elbows locked into your sides. Make sure to keep the arms and wrists perfectly straight when doing this exercise, Adams says.

Working the Abdomen

To work out your stomach muscles, sit on the edge of a stationary chair that is not on wheels and put your palms at the back of your head, says Kozlowski. Then open your elbows so they are out to the side and do cross crunches by lifting your left leg and crunching your right elbow to the knee. Open all the way up to the starting position and crunch to the left side.

Lower Body Exercies

There are a lot of things you can do at your desk to exercise your lower body, Kozlowski says. Work your hamstrings and behind by standing on a telephone book with one leg and kicking your other leg up and down from the knee in small, slow presses. “When doing this exercise, remember to constrict your bottom,” he says.

To exercise your quadriceps, Kozlowski suggests sitting on the edge of your desk and letting your legs hang over. The back of your knees should touch the desk. Put a telephone book between your calves near your feet and sitting up straight, in a controlled motion extend your legs up, lock them momentarily and then lower them slowly.

You can strengthen your calves and feet by standing on the toes of one leg and slowly going up and down. “Make sure to keep your weight on your big toe at all times,” he says.

Another great way to tone your legs is to use the stairs whenever possible. “When walking the stairs, keep the knees slightly bent, the stomach in tight and always use the handrail,” Adams says.

Get Up and Walk

The best and safest way for most people to get some cardiovascular exercise into their daily routine is to take advantage of what we all must do at some point during the day--walk.

In addition to using the stairs, you can also walk briskly around the office in a tall, erect stance, Adams says. “To walk properly, squeeze your bottom, pull your stomach in and push back your shoulders,” she says. “Doing this will improve your posture and train your body to stay aligned.”

If possible, take a walk during your lunch hour, says Kozlowski, who recommends brisk “power walking” for 20 minutes to an hour three times a week.

Whenever you walk, always warm up for two to five minutes by gradually increasing your pace and also remember to cool down for the same amount of time by slowing before stopping.

Breathing and Stretching

Pay attention to your breathing pattern, Kozlowski says. In general, you should exhale when a muscle is contracting or shortening and inhale when a muscle elongates.

Start your office no-sweat workouts slowly and remember that in the beginning, consistency is more important than intensity. “At first do no more than one or two sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise,” Kozlowski says.