The Career Man

Who predicted the seemingly endless 60-hour workweeks that so many of us battle through at the close of the twentieth century? That so many of us would be self-employed, searching for business seemingly round the clock? That company allegiance would become more a liability than an asset? That we would have to scramble so incessantly just to stay one step ahead of changing technology, corporate layoffs and downsizing. All the rules seem to have changed for the typical working man these days, and yet the old saying rings truer than ever: A man''s work is never done.

The scramble to make a decent living in these modern times requires sacrifices—mostly of personal time. And one of the first things to get set aside is exercise. The quality of our lives, our health and even our work suffers as a result, says Charles Swencionis, Ph.D., head of the health psychology program at Yeshiva University in New York City and co-author of The Lazy Person''s Guide to Fitness.

"The problem is that man was made to be physically active, not to sit at desks and stare at computers," says Jonathan Robison, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist, nutritionist and executive co-director of the Michigan Center for Preventive Medicine in Lansing.

Why We Must Exercise

We can''t perform at our peak—at work or play—if we give up physical activity. So it''s time we work smarter, not harder—to parrot the mantra managers chanted during the initial frenzy of corporate downsizing.

Working smarter means fitting regular workouts into our daily work routine. Rather than squeezing us for time, they help us do our work better and more effectively—and they blow away stress, say Dr. Swencionis and Dr. Robison.

Ever notice how much more clearly you think, how much easier the thoughts flow after a few minutes of vigorous walking? That''s one of the immediate benefits of exercise.

It''s simply part of our physiology, says Dr. Robison. Our brains, hearts, muscles, and joints all were designed to work more efficiently when regularly exercised.

"The challenge," says Dr. Swencionis, "is to find creative ways to squeeze exercise into our busy lives." Fortunately, once we understand what''s needed, we can find many ways to provide it, says Dr. Robison.

The Busy Man''s Needs

Being in peak condition means more than just looking good in your gym shorts, according to Dr. Robison. It means having a balance in all aspects of our lives.

"Yes, physical activity is important," he says. "Yes, reasonably balanced nutrition is important. They''re part of the bigger picture of physical, emotional and spiritual balance."

A well-designed peak conditioning program uses good nutrition as a base, says Dr. Robison. For the super-busy corporate man, the plan blends in efficient aerobic, resistance and flexibility workouts, along with mental and physical relaxation routines.

Let''s look again at each of those elements more closely, as they pertain to the working man.

* Aerobic exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up higher than normal, but not at a rate so high that you can''t carry on a conversation, and holds it there for 12 minutes or more. It could be vigorous walking, bicycling, rowing, dancing, racquetball, jogging, basketball, soccer and so on.

* Strength training, also known as isotonic or resistance training, builds muscle by resisting its natural movement with weight—even body weight.

* Stretching alternately tenses and relaxes muscles, increasing flexibility and blood flow.

* Relaxation can be as simple as breathing rhythmically and gently pruning the mind of all but one thought, phrase or image—and can even be done while working out.

An ideal prescriptive program might involve devoting an hour or more a day to a balanced combination of all those exercise components. But most people don''t follow exercise prescriptions. "Doctors have almost given up telling people to exercise," says Dr. Swencionis.

Realize, says Dr. Robison, that while we need all these components in our daily life, we don''t need to do them by rote, all at once. That is, we don''t have to spend 20 minutes on the treadmill, followed by 20 minutes lifting weights, and then 20 minutes stretching and relaxing. Rather, we can accumulate bits and pieces throughout the day, in a variety of ways, and achieve the basic benefits.

In fact, if we make the process enjoyable, helpful and re-energizing, we gain even more benefits.

Walking the dog counts. So does gardening and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. So does two minutes of peaceful daydreaming, visualizing lying on a beach in the South Pacific, while bumping around on the cross-town bus.

In a moment, we''ll explore numerous ways of accumulating activity of all sorts throughout the business day. But some men do prefer to block off specific time on their schedules for regular workouts. Here are two super-efficient routines for time-managers.

The Busy Man''s 30-Minute Workout

To gain the invigorating, life-preserving benefits of physical activity, research suggests we need to accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity, says Dr. Robison.

An easy way to do that, he says, is walking.

"You don''t have to learn how to walk. You can do it almost anywhere. You can walk around the block. You can walk around a hotel. You can walk around the office," he says.

So walking is the first element in Dr. Robison''s really-strapped-for-time busy executive''s workout on the run. You should try to get at least 30 minutes, but for this quick, on-the-fly routine, you could get away with 15 minutes.

"Let''s say a man is really strapped for time," says Dr. Robison. "In addition to walking, at the very least, he can do push-ups. They''re pretty good all-around upper-body conditioners. You don''t have to spend much time doing push-ups. They''re certainly something you can do anywhere for a couple of minutes. Then do five minutes of stretching, or a few Yoga poses. And then five minutes of sitting doing nothing—trying to just get in touch with yourself at the present moment and not doing, because people are always so busy doing that we hardly ever end up just being in the moment. You can do that while stretching. So, 15 to 20 minutes walking, a couple minutes doing push-ups, five minutes stretching and meditating, and you''ve had a quick workout."

The 60-Minute Gym Workout

If you can hit the gym for an hour, three days a week, here''s what exercise physiologist John Amberge, director of corporate programs for the Sports Training Institute in New York City, would suggest.

Start with 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (start slowly to warm your body up). Then go through a full-body muscular strength routine for 20 to 25 minutes. Our Core Routine, with one set of each exercise, will work. Then cool down with abdominal exercises and whole-body stretching. "You''ll be in and out in an hour, as long as you don''t rest longer than one minute between each set," Amberge says. "You could even do this on a lunch break."

Specific Exercises

Obviously, calendaring an hour a day, three days a week, for total workouts in or out of the gym, plus accumulating at least 30 minutes of physical activity on each of the other days, is the ideal, says Dr. Robison. The point here is that most of us busy men feel we don''t have time for that. We''re too busy earning a living, remember?

Here are some surefire ways to easily fit working out into your work days. Many of these activities combine one or more of the exercise elements, such as cardiovascular work and strength training. As a bonus, we''ll toss in a series of stretches you can do while sitting at your desk. As a double bonus, we''ll offer a resistance workout you can do in your office with some high-tech gym equipment that will cost you less than $20 and fit in the corner of a desk drawer or in a compartment in your briefcase.

Cardiovascular Work

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for this one. The very nature of aerobic exercise—pumping up your heart rate and then sustaining that heightened level for a time—mandates that it eat into your day. Here are tips for getting the time or motivation to work aerobic exercise into your busy day.

Take a walk. This is the number one solution. No clothes changes, no equipment, and the clock starts running the second you get out of your chair. Switch to dressy walking shoes or carry sneakers with you for a quick change, recommends Amberge. Walk to appointments and to lunch. "Make it a point during the day to get out and walk around the block or around the building for 15 minutes," Amberge says. Use stairs instead of elevators. "You can use the flights of stairs in your building and do 15 minutes of stair-climbing for a cardiovascular workout," he says.

"Take the subway or train and get off a couple of blocks early and walk the rest of the way," suggests Dr. Robison.

Forget shortcuts, says Dr. Robison. Take the long way. "Park a couple of blocks away from your destination and walk the rest. If the weather is reasonable, walk to work if it''s possible and safe, or find a garage or parking lot away from your office and park there most days and then walk."

Join a gym. Find one close to your office, one you must pass every morning and evening. Make it easy to drop in for a few minutes or to run over to it during lunch. Better yet, go before or after work: This saves the most time since you only have to change clothes once (that is, you can leave your house in your workout clothes in the morning and dress for work at the gym). Get in a quick game of racquetball or basketball, or swim or hit the workout machines or weights, says Dr. Swencionis.

Log your activity. So advises Dr. Swencionis. Studies show that people who keep track of their daily physical fitness efforts tend to place more importance on fitness and are more likely to find time for it.

Accumulate activity. Garden, walk the dog, carry trash, mow the lawn, trim the hedges, split logs. Discover ways to avoid labor-saving equipment and go ahead and use your muscles, says Dr. Robison.

Ride a bike. Ride to work some days if that is feasible. Ride your bike on errands. "Five or six miles on a bike is a great workout," says Dr. Robison. And, he notes, it''s a lot more fun to do it outdoors than in a gym on a stationary cycle. And the very act of balancing on a real bicycle adds a fitness element that you miss on a stationary bike, points out Covert Bailey, a popular fitness writer and author of Smart Exercise.

Flexibility and Relaxation Exercises

First off, study ergonomics, suggests Amberge. Ergonomics is sort of the science of sitting at a desk without hurting yourself. It is serious business, since humans weren''t created to sit at desks. Most personnel departments have brochures produced by workers'' compensation insurance companies that demonstrate proper postures for various tasks, and libraries have books on the subject. An important ergonomic factor, Amberge says, is movement. "Get up from your desk and move around regularly," he says. This stretches muscles, helps blood move and works out kinks that can otherwise turn into problems.

In fact, tense, relax and stretch your muscles throughout the day, says Dr. Robison. The following stretching exercises can all be done while sitting at your desk. In the next section, we''ll toss in some strength-builders you can do at your desk that are recommended by Dr. Robison.

Arm Muscle Toners

Raise your elbows to shoulder height and bend your arms so your fingers are in front of your chest. Your arms and fingers should be parallel to the floor.

Push your elbows out as far to the sides as possible. Hold for five to ten seconds, then relax. Repeat five times.

Mid-Back Stretch

Draw your left arm across your chest in front of you. With your right hand, grasp your arm just above the elbow and pull it, gently, toward your right shoulder. Hold the stretch for five seconds. Do the other side. This stretches and increases flexibility in the upper and middle back.

Shoulder Hugs         Side Stretch

Cross your arms around your chest, reaching your fingers around your shoulder blades. This relieves shoulder and upper-back tension.

Side Stretch

Clasp your fingers together in front of your chest. Turn your palms outward and lift your arms over your head, keeping your fingers interlaced. Push your arms back as far as they comfortably will go with your elbows straight, then lean to the right as far as comfortable and then to the left. This works and stretches your side muscles from your arms to your hips.

Lower-Back Relaxers

Sit upright in your chair with your legs spread slightly. Droop forward, dropping your neck and shoulders and then your arms, bending down between your knees as far as possible. Then sit up and relax.

Windmills

Sitting upright on your chair''s edge, reach down and touch your left foot with your right hand while reaching your left arm up into the air. Slowly alternate sides. This stretch is good for the hips and waist.

Arm Circles

Stretch your arms straight out to the sides with your elbows straight. Slowly whirl your arms, defining small circles with your pointed fingertips. First go forward, then backward. This improves shoulder mobility.

Shoulder Rolls

Sitting up, gently roll your shoulders forward five times, then backward five times. Great for dissipating tension buildup in the neck and shoulders.

Finger Relaxers

With your palms down, spread your fingers and thumbs as far apart as possible, hold for five seconds, relax, then repeat. Particularly good for relieving tension in fingers tired of dancing on a keyboard.

Upper-Back Relaxers

Sitting upright, place the tips of the fingers of your right hand on your right shoulder and the tips of your left fingers on your left shoulder, while pointing your elbows straight out to the sides. Then slowly draw your elbows together in front of you as close as is comfortable, stretching the muscles in your upper back and shoulder blades. Then return to the starting position. Drop your arms and relax with your hands in your lap. Then repeat.

Shoulder Stretcher

Reach over and behind your head with your right hand, resting it as low as possible on your left shoulder. Bring your left hand up behind your back and try to touch or interlock the fingers of both hands. Repeat on the other shoulder.

Neck Stretcher

Sitting upright, slowly drop your chin to your chest. Then slowly tilt your head backward as far as possible and stare at the ceiling. Return it to the normal upright position so that you''re staring straight ahead. Now slowly tilt it as far as possible toward your right shoulder. Bring it back to the center upright position, then lower it to the left.

Strength-Building Exercises

You don''t have to buy a lot of expensive gym equipment to get a good resistance workout. You don''t even need to buy weights, says Amberge.

You already have the weight. Your body weight. Remember the mat exercises the P.E. coach led you through back in high school? The push-ups, the squats, the lunges, the crunches and so on? Add "step-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, wall sits—these are all good resistance exercises that use your own body weight and can be done anywhere, without special equipment," says Amberge. There are many other exercises as well.

Extended Wall-Sits

This is great for building muscular strength and endurance in your quads, hamstrings and glutes, says Amberge. Start by standing with your back against a wall, feet about hip-width apart. Then slowly slide down and walk your feet out until it is almost as though you are sitting in a chair—but there is no chair. Your back is supported against the wall; your quads, hamstrings and glutes are contracting to support your body weight. Start slowly by holding for a count of five to ten seconds, then slide back up. Repeat five times. You may progress to the point where you can hold the wall-sit position for several minutes. Don''t go below a 90-degree angle at the knee joint in the seated position, nor allow your knee to go in front of your foot, Amberge warns.

Seated Ab Builders

While sitting upright, link your fingers behind your head. Lifting your left knee, bend and touch it with your right elbow. Then return your left foot to the floor and lift your right knee and touch it with your left elbow. Do at least five in a set.

Seated Quad Builders

This also builds abs. Sitting upright in your chair, lift your legs straight out in front of you, so your body is making an L-shape. Hold for five seconds, then repeat.

Back Strengtheners

Here''s one you can do lying in bed, says Dr. Swencionis. Roll over on your stomach, put your hands at your side and lift your head and shoulders up off the bed—keep your head and neck straight. Hold the position for a few seconds. Do it in sets of five.

Seated Trunk Twists

Sit on the edge of your seat and hold your arms straight out to the sides, then bend them up at the elbows at right angles. Turn your entire upper body (turning your head with your trunk) to the right as far as comfortable, hold for a couple of seconds, then return to center. Repeat three times, then turn to the left. This is good for the abs and pecs and for relieving back tension.

Seated Pec Stretch

While sitting upright, link your fingers behind your head and push your elbows back as far as comfortable. Hold for a few seconds, then relax and return to the starting position. Drop your arms to your side and then repeat several times.

The Tube Workout

Tubing is an amazing fitness tool. Fashioned from surgical tubing, it is sold in varying lengths and thicknesses, sometimes with handles attached to the ends, in some fitness stores. It''s inexpensive and takes up little space, yet can replace a full set of weights.

"With tubing, you can do a workout simulating all the muscle group isolations just as you would with free weights or gym equipment," enthuses Amberge. The various thicknesses of the tubing create various levels of resistance. "You can wrap one end around a door knob or the leg of a desk or some other immovable object and use the other end like a weighted pulley on gym equipment," he says.

Tubing easily fits in a briefcase, and so it travels anywhere. Most manufacturers include instructions showing a range of exercises that can be combined for a full-body workout. But to start, here are three great exercises to do with six-foot tubing.

Abs Exercise with Tubing

Stretch the tubing across the bottom of your feet (cross in the arch area) while sitting on the floor. Both legs should be extended in front of you, knees bent slightly, feet pointed up and slightly out, about two feet apart. With a handle gripped in each hand, bring your hands together in front of your chest and, holding them there, slowly lower your upper body back toward the floor while tightening your abs. (You need not touch the floor.) Pause. Return slowly to the starting position. Do sets of five reps.

Seated Rows with Tubing

Sit on the floor, legs extended in front of you, knees slightly bent, feet pointed up or slightly out. (For added resistance, you may spread your feet shoulder-width apart.) Stretch the tube around the bottom of the arches of your feet. Wrap the ends of the tubing around your hands to create resistance. Your palms should be facing inward. Pull your elbows back evenly until your hands are near the midline of your torso. Then pause and slowly return to the starting position. That is one complete rowing motion.

Triceps Press with Tubing

Grasp one handle. Put that hand near the back of your neck and let the tubing fall down your back. With the other hand, reach behind your back and grasp the tubing at a place that feels comfortable and hold it there, taut between your hands. Slowly raise the hand at the back of the neck, extending the arm upward (but not locking the elbow), keeping the elbow close to your head. Slowly return to the starting position.