This week’s trainer tip comes from LA celebrity trainer Patrick Murphy, who has worked with the likes of Eva Longoria and Mario Lopez*.

Murphy says:
“Sitting at your desk? You can still be physically productive. Draw-in your abs towards your spine and hold for 5 seconds to equal 1 abdominal crunch.”

Granted you probably won’t get Mario’s abs, but every little bit helps. Makes sense. I eat at my desk, shop at my desk, make important phone calls** at my desk, oh yea, and I work at my desk, too. So why can’t I workout at my desk?

Here are some other work workouts you can try:

-- Take the stairs. I know. This is old news. But let's make it more tangible for you. You can burn about 40 calories in just 5 minutes on the stairs. That’s almost an Oreo cookie (55 calories)!

-- While sitting in your chair, stick one leg out straight and hold for 5 seconds; then lower your foot so it hovers over the floor and hold for several seconds. Do each leg 15 times. Sounds easy, but you’ll be feeling it by the end.

-- Put your hands on your chair arms and lift yourself off the chair. Hold it for a few seconds. Do this 15 times.

-- Grab your desk and slowly push your chair back until your head is between your arms. Then slowly pull yourself back in. Do this 15 times.

-- Stand up and place your hands on your desk. Walk backward, then do push-ups against the desk. Repeat 15 times.

-- Sit up and turn your head to the left and your torso to the right, and hold. Repeat 15 times.

-- Try to get your shoulder blades together. Hold, and then relax.

-- My all-time favorite is the butt workout. No one will know you’re working on your J.Lo bum while on a conference call. Now: Tighten your buttocks and hooooooold, and then relax. Repeat 15 times.

If you’d rather not get weird looks from coworkers, just take it outside. Go for a walk at lunch. You’ll burn about 100 calories per mile. (If you walk 2 miles at lunch you’ll burn off that glazed donut you ate at the morning meeting!)

How do you fit workouts in your work day?



* Which I take to mean that I’ll look like Eva if I do what he tells me to.
**to my mother