Beat Desk Job Drain

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Beat Desk Job Drain

Little daily habits can sap your energy more than you know. Do these easy desk-friendly tweaks from the pros at Canyon Ranch spa in Tucson, Arizona, to save your energy for that after-work sweat session.

By Melissa Daly

Power Suck
Sitting for hours slides your tush down in your chair, forming a C-curve in your back, says Mike Siemens, clinical director of exercise physiology.
Pick-Me-Up
Every hour, stand up, put your hands on the small of your back, and gently arch as far as you can for one second, leading with your head. Do six to eight reps.

Power Suck
Hunching over to text or read the cell phone screen pulls your neck out of alignment -- a kink that can cause neck pain and fatigue.
Pick-Me-Up
Placing a thumb on your sternum, make an L by pointing your index finger up. If your chin touches it, move your head back. Do six chin-to-finger-and-back reps hourly.

Power Suck
Getting a candy fix within 90 minutes of gym time will send energy levels crashing 10 to 20 minutes into your workout, Siemens says.
Pick-Me-Up
Don't go more than three hours without eating, and make your preworkout snack a mix of protein and carbs, like peanut butter on apple slices.

Power Suck
Stress can cause you to breathe shallowly, depriving you of energizing oxygen, says life-management therapist Peggy Holt.
Pick-Me-Up
When tension starts to build, spend three minutes taking slow, deep breaths and use all your senses to visualize something soothing, like lying on the beach.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, July/August 2010.