Move More at Your Desk: Reduce Back Pain and Increase Your Energy at Work

Bradley, founder of the Pilates at Your Desk exercise program, debuts with a practical collection of stretches and gentle movements well suited for the office. “There is no disputing that for those of us who hold our bodies in a relatively fixed position for several hours a day, introducing a variety of movements is a good thing,” she writes, and lays out a desk-friendly practice divided into six parts. The first covers basic fitness facts, such as physiology (defining bones, joints, muscles, and fascia), the health benefits of movement (improved mood and coordination), and recommended frequency (between two and a half and five hours a week). Next come explanations of poses for sitting and standing, full-body movements and stretches, creative ways to get props involved (cans and door frames are called into action), and suggestions for ways to get more steps in (such as taking the stairs). A series of “mini movement routines” rounds things out. Bradley includes a wealth of testimonials from desk workers who squeeze movement into their days, and her analogies make the exercises easy to understand (she warns against a “croissant-like” sitting position, for example, and one neck exercise is called the “pez head”). Readers feeling stiff and crunched for time will find this a welcome guide. (Dec.)