14 DAY TRIAL // Health and fitness experts have emphasized the importance of working out at the office on several occasions before. A few minutes of exercises each day could help drastically reduce the risks of employees developing lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions and some types of cancer, due to their sedentary activities. People working in front of the computer for 8 hours a day are the most prone to developing such afflictions, as the nature of their job doesn't imply too much movement.
Specialists advise that a few simple exercises could benefit people a great deal. For instance, instead of parking their cars in front of or very near the office building, employees could find a parking spot some distance away and walk there. The same goes for the lunch break, when health experts say that 10 to 20 minutes of strolling on the streets helps burn down calories and stimulates the metabolism. With a minimum amount of effort, people could avoid the unnecessary health risks that their jobs imply.
The general conception, according to which only performance athletes stay fit, while healthy exercise requires hours and hours of practice each day is wrong, argue fitness experts. They say that a minimum amount of exercise performed each day is enough to advert serious health conditions. “The intensity level of an activity can be much less than people think," explained St. Louis University's Ethel Frese, who is an associate professor of physical therapy.
Also, very few people know the measure in which stress affects their overall health condition. It is not only working out that is necessary, as stress management also plays a crucial role in keeping the body fit. Experts argue that the exercises people do each day should also include stress relief techniques. "Health is more than cardiovascular fitness. It's stress management, flexibility, your mental attitude. It all contributes to health," said Nick Viviano, a fitness consultant for the Department of Defense.