Long days at the office where you're stuck behind the desk all day can make it impossible to stay in shape. When you're dealing with looming deadlines and high stress levels, hauling the gym bag to the fitness center over the lunch hour, or even after work, may not make it to the top your priority list.

If you know your chances of getting out to enjoy the fresh air over lunch hour are slim to none, you need to take a more creative approach to getting fit. Just close that door or find a quiet room where you can escape for 10 to 15 minutes, and give your metabolism a boost with these quick and easy exercises:

1. The Power Lunge. Grab a couple of water bottles and do 10-12 lunges with each leg. This will give your lower body a mini-workout, and is especially effective if you've been sitting through meetings or at a computer for most of the morning.

2. The Hoop Shot Squat. Stand up straight with feet hip-width apart and your elbows slightly bent. Bend at the knees to do a half squat, then jump straight up as if you were throwing a basketball into the hoop. Repeat 10-15 times until you feel a slight burn in the thighs and glutes.

3. Boxing Jab. Give your upper body a workout and put your reflexes to the test with a mini shadowboxing session. Stand with your feet hip width apart and slightly twist at the waist as you perform a strong punch. Do this 5 to 8 times on each side, and keep your eyes fixed on a certain point ahead of you.

4. Side Squat. Grab those water bottles or hand weights again and stand with our feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at the knees, then slowly raise your right leg up towards your hips (as far as you can go), then squat, and perform the same maneuver with your left leg. Keep alternating this movement 8 -10 times until you feel the burn in your quads and glutes.

5. Torso stretch. Sitting at the desk can take its toll on your posture, so give your upper body a boost with a long torso stretch. Hold your arms up above your head as far as you can reach and bend forward to touch the ground. Inhale deeply for two counts as you bend, and exhale deeply for four counts as you rise up. Repeat 3-5 times.

Weekdays are the most stressful part of the week for obvious reasons. You're short on time but not on things to do. From getting the kids out the door to hitting the gym, from getting to work on time to fixing dinner, Monday through Friday is go, go, go! One of the easiest ways to make your weekdays less stressful is also one of the most obvious and overlooked. Choosing clothes that are low maintenance and easy to wear and getting them ready to go ahead of time can save untold time and stress during your day.

If your job requires that you dress up, you're probably familiar with the wide range of business casual fabrics and styles. You can choose fancy, expensive clothes that require dry cleaning, hand washing or ironing - but why? If you pay attention when you shop, dress clothes can be just as comfortable as casual attire. Really! For pants, look for wrinkle-resistant fabrics. Pants and skirts in Polyester/Spandex blends hang well on any frame and staunchly refuse to wrinkle! Tops can come in the same fabric blends, but sweaters made of easy maintenance fabrics are also a good idea. Fortunately, sweaters are available for all types of weather and look professional, particularly when paired with simple, stylish jewelry. Since you probably spend more time in work clothes than you do in pajamas, you want them to be as comfortable as possible.

The second step to stress-free weekday wear is making sure your clothes are ready to go. Regardless of how maintenance free your business-casual wardrobe is, make sure all of your work wear is washed and ready to go before Monday morning. If you get the chance, it's also a good idea to lay out which clothes you want to wear the night before. Even if the weather is fluctuating, you'll have a good idea of what will be good the next day.

When great looking clothes are ready to go in the morning, your day runs a lot more smoothly. Sure, there are some things you can't control. But a stylish and comfortable start to your day is a good foundation, and it saves time, too!