Is the daily, 9-5 office schedule the reason for those pounds around the waistline? Sitting behind a desk all day puts you at high-risk for an unhealthy lifestyle, especially when you're dealing with all those extra business lunches, snack attacks when stress levels run high, and only a ten-minute break to get up, walk around and stretch.

If you're not an early riser for the gym each day, or are wiped out after a day at the office, making the best of lunch hour may be the only way to squeeze in a workout. Consider these simple exercises for a real power-hour over lunch:

1. The Stairwell Calorie-Burner.
Head to the stairwell for a quick lower body workout that's sure to kick the metabolism into high gear. Walking up and down stairs at a steady pace can give your glutes, hamstrings and calves a quick aerobic fix, improve circulation and even elevate the heart rate for a mini-cardio routine.

2. The Parking Lot Circuit.
Head to the office parking lot for a speedwalking routine up and down the lanes. Just steer clear of traffic as you weave in and out of parked cars; this routine can help increase your heart rate and take those energy levels up a notch.

3. The Hallway Power Walk.
If the office building has long hallways, consider trekking across the buildings and departments for a quick power-walking session. Just maintain a steady pace as you wave to fellow coworkers. You can also use this one as a way to greet departments you otherwise would never see.

4. The Lunchtime Lift.
If you can get to a local gym or fitness center, try a quick weightlifting routine that targets core muscle groups in the arms, legs and back. Even 15-20 minutes of focused lifting can elevate the heart rate, boost the metabolism and ward off hunger for hours afterwards.

5. Jog Around the Block.
Grab those running shoes and change into your workout gear for a quick jog or run around the block at the office. If the office has a workout room, even better. Just jump onto the treadmill for a quick 15-20 minute cardio blast that will help clear your mind, reduce stress and keep you focused for the rest of the day.

Keeping up with your fitness agenda can take second place when looming deadlines, endless meetings and a never ending to-do list fill up the calendar. Make sure you steer clear of these five fat traps and keep your fitness resolution with ease!

Keeping up with your fitness agenda can take second place when looming deadlines, endless meetings and a never ending to-do list fill up the calendar. While some of us can sneak in some gym time during lunch hour or after work, it's the eight hours <em>at </em>work that usually sabotage most of our efforts to stay in shape and ward off excess pounds.

When you've got a busy schedule to manage, steer clear of these five fat traps so you can stick with your fitness goals with ease:

Fat Trap #1: Free Donuts and Bagels at the Morning Meeting

Starting the day with a sugar laden donut or high-carb bagel may help you wake up, but it could be the ultimate saboteur to your diet plan. Eating too much sugar at once can get you on the high end of a sugar high-low cycle, leaving you to crash a few hours later.

Solution: Skip the freebies at the office and eat a healthy breakfast before leaving home. Try oatmeal with fruit or an egg white omelet to supercharge your day.

Fat Trap #2: Staying Stuck Behind the Desk for Eight Hours Straight

No matter how big that pile of work may be, you don't have to stay glued to the computer screen or shuffling papers behind a desk for hours on end. Sitting in one place for extended periods of time burns very few calories per hour, and can leave you feeling tired and stressed.

Solution:Take frequent breaks to walk around, run an errand or just visit a few people in other departments. Increasing your heart rate even slightly can help keep your mind fresh and keep those calories burning at a steady rate.

Fat Trap #3: Lunch Meetings

'Let's do lunch!' may be the mantra at your office, but it's easy to overeat on unhealthy foods when you're heading off to restaurants, or worse - fast food places.

Solution: Pack a lunch the night before so you always have a healthy choice at hand. Avoid eating out more than once or twice per week so you can extend some control on what you eat during your mid-day meal.

Fat Trap #4: The Candy Jar

It's only natural to reach for the sugar during the mid-afternoon slump, but the combination of sugar, chocolate and fat can do more harm than good - no matter how great you feel right after your treat. Calories from 'just a few' miniature candy bars or hard candies can quickly add up and put a damper on your healthy eating plans.<br><em>

Solution: Steer clear of the candy jar and don't keep one within easy reach. Try a healthier afternoon pick-me-up such as an apple, healthy protein such as string cheese or yogurt, or even a handful of nuts for a satisfying treat.

Fat Trap #5: Snacking when Stressed

When the pressure's on and you need a boost of energy, it's easy to head to the snack machine for some instant fuel. Only trouble is, that vending machine is probably full of sugary treats and fattening salty snacks that will only tide you over for an hour or two.

Solution: Anticipate a snack attack and pack accordingly; pick up fresh fruit salad, vegetables, granola bars, low fat popcorn or even miniature boxes of cereal to snack on when stress levels run high. The 'crunch' factor alone can help reduce stress and satisfy those cravings.

When you're stuck behind a desk all day, it's easy to fall into dozens of fat traps that can leave you with extra weight in a few short months. Stay a step ahead of the weight gain trends at the office by avoiding these common fat traps.

Everyone knows that when you stay fit, you feel and look better. But as a working adult, staying fit can be a real challenge. It's not just about squeezing 30 minutes of cardio into your day - it's a way of living that focuses on staying active, eating well and living a balanced lifestyle. So, while you do need to make a commitment to staying fit outside of work, there's a lot you can do to meet your goals by staying fit at work, too.

Take a Look at the Way You Work

A big part of staying fit at work is recognizing the activity level your job requires, and how you respond to it. Do you work strictly at a desk, or do you run errands? Are you standing in one place all day, sitting down or moving around? Do you wait until you have a huge pile of stuff to fax, copy or turn in before you get up to do it? Just being aware of what your job requires and how you work within those requirements is important.

Once you've done a quick job check, try to make some changes. Get up and do work as soon as it needs to be done. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Use 30 minutes of your lunch to eat and 30 minutes to take a brisk walk. It'll improve your mood and your health.

Help for Desk Jockeys

If you're pretty much tied to your desk, you can still help yourself stay fit while at work. First, check your posture. It's amazing how much poor posture can affect the way you feel. Sit up straight, with your shoulders slightly back. There are also stretches you can do at your desk during the day. I came across this brilliant little program called StretchWare, which reminds you to stretch at intervals throughout the work day and gives you brief stretching routines to choose from.

Watch Your Mouth

I mean, of course, what kind of food goes into it during work hours. Those brownies that Suzanne from accounting baked for the office? They'll make you just as fat as the brownies you eat at home. Eating out for lunch can also be expensive and unhealthy, and everyone has had frenzied workdays where they've scrounged lunch out of the vending machine. Try bringing your own snacks and lunches to work. If you only eat what you bring, you can keep track of what you're eating, how much and what's in it - all things that are important when it comes to eating well. Oh, and the soft drinks? Limit yourself to one or two diet drinks a day if you must, but it's better to take advantage of the water cooler instead. It's healthy - and it's free!

There are a lot of little changes you can make to help yourself stay fit while at work, before you get home to the dishes, the bills and the kids. There's nothing as satisfying as making your health a priority. By upping your activity level, scattering stretches throughout your day and paying attention to what you eat, you can build a great foundation for fitness in your day-to-day living.