Whittle (Your Waist) While You Work
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9:30 a.m.—Stretch It Out
Set an alert on your computer (if you don't have calendar software like Outlook, the website TheSitetoRember.com will send you free emails) to remind yourself to stop and stretch your arms, neck, upper back and shoulders for a couple of minutes. You'll reduce pain, prevent headaches and reduce the occurrence of migraines, reports a study out of the University of Turin in Italy.
10 a.m.—On the Phone? Stand Up
Get out of that swivel chair! The more activities you do while standing up, the better, says Dr. James Levine, a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His research has found that standing boosts your calorie burn by about 50 calories for each half hour you would have been sitting. Levine has even developed gadgets like a slow-moving "treadmill desk" and office "skates" to encourage workers to move more throughout the day.
But simply standing while talking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking to co-workers to deliver messages instead of shooting off an email will all boost your calorie burn throughout the day.
Noon—Eat Lunch with a Healthy Co-worker
There are plenty of reasons to leave your cubicle for noontime noshing (uh, do you really want to spend more time surrounded by three gray walls or pick crumbs out of your keyboard?), but here are three biggies. First, people who eat while they're distracted—surfing the Web, checking email—consume an average of 40 percent more than those who take a break and focus on enjoying their meal, according to research by Dr. Brian Wansink, a behavioral eating scientist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Brian Wansink's 7 ways to eat mindfully
Second, making a social connection relieves stress and may help improve cognitive skills, according to a University of Chicago study. Finally, experts agree that eating with a pal who is health-conscious strengthens your own resolve. You're less likely to go to an unhealthy fast food joint if your lunch buddy is set on finding a great salad spot.
End today...and get ready for tomorrow
Set an alert on your computer (if you don't have calendar software like Outlook, the website TheSitetoRember.com will send you free emails) to remind yourself to stop and stretch your arms, neck, upper back and shoulders for a couple of minutes. You'll reduce pain, prevent headaches and reduce the occurrence of migraines, reports a study out of the University of Turin in Italy.
10 a.m.—On the Phone? Stand Up
Get out of that swivel chair! The more activities you do while standing up, the better, says Dr. James Levine, a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His research has found that standing boosts your calorie burn by about 50 calories for each half hour you would have been sitting. Levine has even developed gadgets like a slow-moving "treadmill desk" and office "skates" to encourage workers to move more throughout the day.
But simply standing while talking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking to co-workers to deliver messages instead of shooting off an email will all boost your calorie burn throughout the day.
Noon—Eat Lunch with a Healthy Co-worker
There are plenty of reasons to leave your cubicle for noontime noshing (uh, do you really want to spend more time surrounded by three gray walls or pick crumbs out of your keyboard?), but here are three biggies. First, people who eat while they're distracted—surfing the Web, checking email—consume an average of 40 percent more than those who take a break and focus on enjoying their meal, according to research by Dr. Brian Wansink, a behavioral eating scientist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Brian Wansink's 7 ways to eat mindfully
Second, making a social connection relieves stress and may help improve cognitive skills, according to a University of Chicago study. Finally, experts agree that eating with a pal who is health-conscious strengthens your own resolve. You're less likely to go to an unhealthy fast food joint if your lunch buddy is set on finding a great salad spot.
End today...and get ready for tomorrow
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