15-Minute-Gym On The Desk For Workaholics

By Soon Li Wei and Nurrul Huda Ahmad Lutfi KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- Too busy to take a walk outdoor or exercise at the gym due to work constrains? How about exercising at the work place? For workaholics who spend most of the time in office, they can exercise right from their chair without going to gym or outdoor. A health therapist with Krogh Consultancy Sdn Bhd, Ar'nie Rozah Krogh noted that a 15-minute exercise daily would help to avoid work related mental and physical stress. "Just 15 minutes, that is good enough, but of course the longer you can go the better it is. "But 15 minutes daily or a total of 105 minutes a week is the least recommended amount of time to keep you fit and ward off problems affecting your organs," she told Bernama during the 'Holistic Health In The Office' workshop organised by Bernama Centre of Excellence here, recently. Ar'nie said based on research, 65 per cent of office workers get sick because of work stress and another 35 percent due to physical injuries. "Due to stress, today more people in the developed world are dying of diseases like heart failure, diabetes and other ailments," she said. Therefore, Ar'nie shared some of the tips on how to maintain health in the office especially for the workaholics. MAKE YOUR DESK AREA A MINI-GYM She said numerous things people could do to make their workplaces healthier. "Available space, desks and other office furniture can double as exercise equipment. "You can do dips using the chair or the edge of the desk by placing your hands on the edge and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself, about six inches lower than your seat. Then, raise yourself by straightening your arms," she said. Ar'nie suggested doing push-ups using the desk by leaning against the desk and pushing the body away. Also lift objects with the legs and keep the object close to the body and toward the middle of the trunk. She said while sitting at a desk for long periods of time it might seem like a good way to stay productive, but it is very unhealthy. "The workaholics should set an alarm reminding them to get up and walk around regularly. "You need to take breaks every hour or two to get up and move. A lot of 'low back' condition happen from just sitting for a long period of time that weakens the muscles at the back," she said. WATCH YOUR POSTURE "The number one thing that gets people into trouble as far as a downgrade in their health is concerned, is their posture," she said. She noted that certain ergonomic changes could really make a difference, such as keeping the keyboard at a level that doesn't require too much reaching and it is not too high or low, sit with legs flexed at a 90-degree angle with feet resting comfortably on the floor. She also recommended strengthening muscles involved in posture -- including the abdominal, the muscles attached to the back of the spine and the gluteals to avoid injury to the muscles of the neck, lower back, arms and legs. "It's important to maintain a balance between stretching and strengthening muscles," she said. "When muscles are weakened because of poor posture, what typically occurs is that the opposing or opposite muscle group becomes taut. So the balance comes in making sure that the taut muscles are stretched and the weak muscles become taut," she said. Helpful exercises include shoulder squeezes, back bends, walking, and tightening and contracting the buttocks, she added. SMILE TO REDUCE STRESS Ar'nie said smiling brings about a sense of relaxation, it helps the immune system to work more efficiently and keep one positive in mind. "Smile also can keep someone stay positive. All you have to do is try to think of something negative, but keep the smile, otherwise the test won't work. "You will soon see that it is hard to combine the negative thought with the smile," he said. "When we smile, our body and mind are sending us a message that everything is okay, and smiling will help to lift depression and sadness, and smiling frequently works better than any type of medication to relieve you of stress," she said. -- BERNAMA