DESK SETS

WORK IT The “seated palm” is a yoga move you can do at your desk. Photo: Astrid Stawiarz

Portable fitness gear, modified yoga moves and in-office personal trainers give new meaning to on-the-job training

By Tracey Middlekauff

“The body was not created to sit in an office all day,” says Alex Reznik, founder and director of Complete Body Development, a personal-training and life-coaching company. “It was made to run in the jungle. To hunt for food. If you don’t keep moving, it’s going to cause problems.” Even though our hunting and gathering days are long behind us, Reznik is right about the need to keep active. But when we’re stuck at a desk all day and into the night, we seldom feel we have enough time or energy left to exercise. However, doing modified yoga techniques, using portable exercise equipment or even hiring a personal trainer are relatively inexpensive ways to put a little workout into your workday.

Stretch to the limit

Looking to gain some of the benefits of yoga without ever leaving your chair? Wellness consultant and yoga expert DeDee Benrey can show you how. What’s more, you won’t need a mat, yoga gear or even much space to practice these asanas. Benrey offers both on-site corporate seminars in office yoga and frequent half-day workshops at the New York Open Center. Her holistic approach incorporates not only stretching and exercise, but aromatherapy and relaxation tips. To warm up the spine and keep it flexible, Benrey recommends the seated “cat stretch”: Begin seated in a chair, feet together and firmly planted on the floor. Relax your palms on your knees and straighten your spine. Inhale and expand the chest, then exhale and slowly drop your chin to your chest while rounding your spine like a cat’s, or the letter C. Repeat a couple of times.

Another asana Benrey suggests is the “seated palm,” great for both lengthening the torso and strengthening the arms. While sitting on a chair, raise your arms over your head. Clasp your hands together, palms up. (If this is too difficult, you can clutch a towel between your hands and work within your comfort level.) Breathe in; on the exhale, slowly and carefully turn your torso to the left. Inhale, come to the center and repeat, turning to the right side. It’s important to keep the shoulders dropped to help counteract what Benrey calls “the Uncle Fester look.” It’s also crucial that you move slowly to avoid injury, and Benrey advises consulting a health professional before beginning any exercise regimen.

Doing such moves may look odd to your co-workers, but the results are well worth any sideways glances you may get. Omayma Stephan, a designer at NYC Technical College, found that her constant back pain began to subside after she took Benrey’s on-site class last year. She now follows Benrey’s techniques at her desk every two hours, and says, “You can’t believe how much it has helped.”

For more info on Benrey’s Onsite Office Yoga Seminars, e-mail yoganews@earthlink.net. For Open Center Workshops, call 212-219-2527, ext 110.

Take it personally

Most people think only celebrities and CEOs can afford to pay a personal trainers to kick their butts. And while personal-training and life-coaching company Complete Body Development does boast an impressive clientele

At a $100 a session, not everyone can afford Complete Body’s one-on-one sessions, but it’s possible to use its service even if you’re on a tight budget. Just gather a group of three to ten co-workers, and if your boss will offer up the conference room, you’re good to go. The cost is just $15–$20 per person for a session with one or two trainers, depending on the size of the group. Corporations such as Credit Suisse, Chase Bank and Continental Airlines have used Complete Body’s services in the past, and many organizations have even footed the bill for their workers. “Some companies will pay half, and it’s worth it. Their workers don’t get sick as much and they concentrate better,” Reznik says. Workouts are adapted to the group’s interests, physical abilities and needs. If it’s a prework or lunchtime workout, exercises such as Pilates, tai chi or yoga are offered to keep sweating to a minimum. After work, expect more vigorous activities like kickboxing or boot camp.

Complete Body Development (212-777-7702, www.completebody.com)

Station agents

If you’re a multitasker, portable desk gadgets that allow you to exercise while you work are the way to go, and are readily available at most sporting goods stores. Rod Aviles, fitness supervisor at Paragon Sports, recommends resistance cables, such as the Sport Band System ($21.99) or Lifeline Fitness Cables ($24.99), as an alternative to an unwieldy collection of free weights. These bands are easy to store and can work many muscle groups. Balance and stability boards are also good for developing core muscle groups. Popular versions are made by Nike ($70 at Paragon) and Reebok ($149.99 at Modell’s), which are easy to stash under your desk. Dr. Robert Gotlin, director of Beth Israel Medical Center’s orthopedic and sports-medicine program, believes that although these devices can be extremely effective, they also have potential dangers. After all, the boards are designed to be unstable so you’ll work to maintain your balance. “Go about it slowly,” he advises. “Be close to a wall, and get on with two feet. Then try one [foot], then try to bend.”

Plenty of compact options exist for cardio action, too. The Lateral Thigh Training system, ($100 at Modell’s), is a mini-stepper, and while it’s a little heavy, it’s certainly compact enough to fit anywhere but the smallest of cubicles. It also has wide foot pads for good stability. And the portable mini-cycle at Sharper Image ($99.95) could theoretically be used while you’re working at your desk.

Before getting started with any equipment, Dr. Christopher Dunbar, professor of physical education and exercise science at CUNY Brooklyn, suggests checking out the American College of Sports Medicine’s site (www.acsm.org), where you’ll find guidelines and tips, as well as a physical activity readiness questionnaire, which should help you decide what level of exercise is right for you. Personal trainer Aaron Flynn, who has trained the likes of Calvin Klein and David Geffen, also notes that you can hire a trainer for just one or two sessions to get you started and teach you to use equipment properly. Flynn will do a one-time consultation for slightly more than his usual $75-per-hour fee. But, he adds, “if someone could budget for just four or five sessions to learn and memorize those exercises, that would be a smarter way to go about it.”

Experts point out that whichever method you choose, every step, no matter how small, counts. “New Yorkers want to do everything or nothing,” Reznik says. “Start with something. It all adds up. If you try to be perfect, it won’t last.”

•Aaron Flynn, www.aaronpersonaltrainer.com
•Modell’s Sporting Goods, 1293 Broadway at 34th St, (212- 244-4544)
•Sharper Image, 900 Madison Ave at 72nd St, (212-794-4974)
•Paragon Sports, 871 Broadway at 17th St (212-255-8036)