by Matt Bird

Created on: June 11, 2009

Sitting behind a desk all day is the pits, especially if you're the active type. Incessant typing just isn't good enough exercise unless you're only working on your wrists (and even then it can do more damage than good), and the rest of your body is likely to suffer from a lack of exercise while at work - especially if you work full time and almost never leave your office.

But fear not, my chum with the rapidly expanding bum: you can keep fit at work too. There are plenty of little exercises you can do on breaks, or even just between assignments, to keep your body limber and fit. All you need is a little bit of space, a little bit of energy and a good memory, as you'll have to do these exercises daily to see any results. Here are a few things you can do at work to keep your body in a decent shape.

- Push ups. Man, push ups are great for the body. You don't even have to do many to feel an incredible strain on your body, and if you do enough of them you'll see some incredible results in your arms and your abdomen. These are especially hard if you've been desk-bound for a long time and have built up a lot of weight. As you improve you can move your hands closer together, further apart and even experiment with one-armed push ups (though you have to be really strong to pull those off).

- Wall push ups. Not strong enough for the full brunt of gravity? Start with wall push ups. Plant your hands against the wall and push. There's still a decent amount of strain and with time you'll be able to graduate to real push ups.

- Sit ups. These require about the same amount of room as push ups and aren't quite as effective - however you can usually do more sit ups than push ups, and they work wonders for your abdomen if you do them correctly. Slip your feet under your desk until you get used to the position and then you can drop just about anywhere, leverage or not, and do as many as you want. Fast and efficient.

- Squats. Great for working out the rear, and you can usually do quite a few of them. Just be careful that you don't stretch so far that you split your pants. That's not something you want to explain to your boss or co-workers.

- Running on the spot. Not recommended if you work on a thin floor, maybe, but good if you can do it on a carpet and generate a minimum of noise in the process.

- Stretching. Even if you do nothing else, a bit of arm and leg stretching is a really good idea if you're going to be stuck in one place for a long time. Be sure to take a break every hour and limber up your limbs for the next stretch of work, as you'll prevent back injuries and stiffening of the limbs with a minimum of effort.

In reality you can pull off almost anything found in a workout video so long as you have enough room. Working isn't a good enough excuse for not exercising, so do a couple of these exercises a day and you'll find your energy level rising and your mood along with it.

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