Occupational hazards

Stand and deliver
A TOC staffer broke the cubicle mold and created a standing work station. Not only does it improve his posture and ease upper-back pain, but he also burns at least 50 more calories an hour by standing all day, according to experts. Check out the options at ergoindemand.com, or find an unused monitor stand with wheels around the office.
Workaround Use your computer software to set up an auto-reminder to stop and stretch your arms, neck, upper back and shoulders for a couple of minutes a few times a day. You’ll ease pain, prevent headaches and reduce the occurrence of migraines, reports a study done at the University of Turin in Italy.

Dial in
If you can stand while checking your e-mail and taking calls, why not walk? That’s what James Levine, Ph.D., an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, does. Trekdesk.com sells the desk (sans treadmill) for $450, or channel MacGyver and rig up your own.
Workaround Use a pedometer to track how many steps you take during the day. An extra 500 steps a day burns 25 calories—it may not sound like much, but that’s enough to drop two pounds in a year.

Bounce around ideas
We can’t promise you’ll go home with a six-pack stomach, but sitting on a ball will engage your core muscles, which improves posture and firms your midsection. Find one at Sports Authority for $25.
Workaround Nudge your butt a few inches forward—and sit up straight—in that swivel chair for a similar effect.

Make an entrance
Sliding from meeting to meeting in Carpet Skates ($20, amazon.com) may look totally ridiculous, but it’ll sizzle serious calories. A study led by Levine found that thin people are on their feet an average of 152 more minutes a day than office drones who keep themselves chained to their desks.
Workaround Slip on flats. Folks who wear comfy clothes and shoes to work take an average of 491 more steps a day than their dressed-up, high-heeled colleagues, reports a study by the American College of Sports Medicine.

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