Get fit with simple on-the-job exercises

By Scott Craven
Arizona Republic

With a fully charged cell phone at her side and a lightweight laptop ready to travel at a moment's notice, Wendy Burton was sure she could do it all.

The Phoenix businesswoman kept on top of everything, multi-tasking her way through 12-hour days and having everything under control until one day she looked in the mirror and remembered what she'd been forgetting — her body.

It turned out the calories were adding up faster than 60-hour workweeks.

"I didn't like to look at myself in the mirror," Burton says. "I knew I had to do something."

One solution might be to extend multi-tasking to exercise and fitness, says Karl Schnell, who operates Longevity Personal Training in Phoenix. Lift some weights while planning your day. Take a brisk walk on those 10-minute breaks. Ask clients to meet you on the hiking trail instead of over lunch.

Schnell is accustomed to working with people whose schedules are not amenable to an exercise routine. That is why Schnell travels with a mobile gym.

"Most of my clients are people putting in 60 or more hours a week," he says. "What I try to show them is that you still have time to do some sort of exercise."

You can work out at your desk as long as you don't mind looks from colleagues more worried about your mental health than physical conditioning.

• While reading e-mail, do a few desk push-ups, standing with your feet on the floor and hands placed shoulder-width apart on the desk. Lower and raise yourself slowly, keeping your back straight. Do eight to 10 repetitions.

• Talking on the phone? You can work in several exercises. Try a few abdominal crunches. Sit with your back straight, tighten your stomach and tilt your pelvis slightly. Rotate your hips forward before releasing the squeeze and returning to the starting position. Try that eight to 12 times.

• Shoulder shrugs can release tension as well as work the upper back. Sit straight, relax your arms and bring your shoulders up, pull them back and circle downward. About 10 reps should do.

• Ready to work the biceps? Put one hand in front of you with the palm up (the curling arm) and place your other arm on the wrist. Bend your curling arm upward while using the other arm to supply resistance. Move slowly and smoothly until the arm is at a 90-degree angle, then return to the starting position. Do 10 reps and switch arms. This will also keep you awake during meetings.

Simple workouts can also be done at home. While vacuuming with one hand, curl a water jug or soup can with the other. Do the same while ironing or dusting.

You can work your legs while gardening or washing the car by doing lunges. With your back straight, take a step forward and slowly bend your legs until your back knee nearly touches the ground. Rise slowly.

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