10 Books That Will Teach You to Stay in Shape in the Office

The Office Workout: 75 Exercises to Do at Your Desk, by Kent Burden
If you’ve already been spoken to by Human Resources about your habit of doing jumping jacks in the break room, this book offers up different exercises that you can do without leaving your office or cube. Simple excercises designed by a fitness expert with the limitations of office life in mind, it will help make your daily grin healthier.

Scared Sitless: The Office Fitness Book, by Larry Swanson
Not only will this book convince you with scientific evidence that sitting all day is very bad for you—it also offers advice for getting physical activity in on the job, and on how to arrange your workspace for optimal health. Ergonomics is an often overlooked facet of wellness—choosing the right chair, the right posture, and the right spacing of work implements can combine into a huge improvement in your overall health.

Walking for Fitness, by Nina Barough
Even the worst jobs usually give you a little time to yourself during your day. Even if it’s just a half hour for lunch, this book teaches you to use that time wisely, which might make the difference between being healthy and being the opposite of healthy. One thing you can do almost anywhere is walk; it’s surprisingly great exercise that can help you lose weight, shed stress, and keep your heart and muscles in fine working order—all while never missing a single morning meeting. Unfortunately.

Office Yoga, by Darrin Zeer
Exercise doesn’t have to involve a lot of sweat and motion. Yoga improves mindfulness, helps maintain joint and muscle health, and reduces stress—and it’s something that can easily be practiced in as little as a few minutes on the floor of your office. Next time you have ten minutes between teleconferences, this book can show you how to make that time count, reducing your discomfort and muscle aches, and giving you meditation tips to help you deal with stress. As a bonus, the “Everyday Calm” section offers easy ways to clear your mind and reclaim your inner balance—no matter where you are or what kind of day you’re having.

Made in the Office, by Rachel Maylor
Part of being healthy in the office is eating healthily. From avoiding the free donuts in the conference room to skipping easy, unhealthy lunch options, everything gets easier if you can make food work for you. Brown-bagging is the easiest way to control your own food situation, but what if you forgot to bring lunch? Maylor’s inventive book shows you how you can cook—yes, cook—in the office kitchenette without making enemies of your co-workers.

Beating the Lunch Box Blues, by J.M. Hirsch
If you are going to bring your lunch, best to make it both easy and healthy. From Rachel Ray’s food empire, this great resource will help you plan daily lunches that are easy to throw together, sans complex recipes or cooking. Best of all, they’re all carefully designed to be healthy, so you’ll be able to devour them on your lunch hour without the 2 p.m. regret.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
Stress is a killer, and there is no better stress factory than your job. Manson’s bestselling book teaches you how to de-stress through the counter-intuitive concept of allowing yourself to be negative. Arguing that accepting negative events is better than trying to be insanely positive all the time, Manson’s approach—backed by research and real life examples—results in increased serenity, simply because you’ll be ready for it—instead of in denial.

10 Minute Brain Teasers, by Gareth Moore
Many workday tasks are mind-numbing, repetitive, or irritating. Keeping your brain fresh is essential, and while the science behind “brain training” is dubious, spending a few minutes exercising the little gray cells is a great way to shake off stress and refresh yourself so you can dive back into those TPS reports with renewed vigor. Moore’s exercises are designed to take 10 minutes or less—ideal for quick breaks throughout your day.

10-Minute Mindfulness, by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
Meditation is a great way to make your work day go faster, be less stressful, and be easier on your body. But meditation often seems impossible without ideal conditions and a lot of time. Scott and Davenport not only argue that daily meditation is good for you, they also walk through ways to achieve mindfulness with just ten spare minutes in your day—something you can return to any time you feel the urge to throw your chair through a window.

The Schmuck in My Office, by Jody Foster
Part of good mental health on the job is dealing with the jerks in your office without sending your blood pressure sky-high. If you believe the studies, there’s a good chance you’re working with at least one sociopath, and chances are, you can guess who it is. Foster’s book urges you not to pretend that jerks don’t exist, but rather, to learn the necessary skills to deal with them effectively, and not allow them to ruin your day—and, by extension, your life.