Ensuring all-around fitness while bound to your office desk isn't that hard: all it takes is some common sense and a little adjustment in your routine.

Some people shorten their life span with cigarettes. Others kill themselves slowly with alcohol. And there are those who hasten their bodies' deterioration by holding down a desk job.

Huh?

Okay, so a "desk job" is a highly unlikely cause of death; it's certainly no disease and it doesn't put a person's life in danger. But while it's not life-threatening, spending hours being seated-day after day-isn't healthy either, especially when doing mechanical work that puts the body in the same position for long periods of time, like typing or writing.

Unfortunately, whether you're a banker, a secretary, an IT specialist, a teacher, a graphic artist, or a writer, your work often requires a lot of time glued to that chair.

Ill effects
Fortunately, you can avoid -- or minimize -- the physical ill effects of this chair-bound lifestyle! And believe it or not, your physical health has a tremendous bearing on your mental and emotional well-being as well.

Ensuring an all-around fitness alongside your day-to-day desk tasks is really simple: all it takes is some common sense and a little adjustment in your routine.

If your body could talk, these three major parts-the back, the neck and the hips-would be screaming at you by now: Why? Because if you're the typical worker, you forget about taking care of them once seated on that desk, working away.

Know what's wrong
So, give them a break! Know what you're doing wrong and learn how to make it right.

• THE BACK.
Here's something to add to your vocabulary: "lumbar lordosis."

"If you stand straight with your back against a wall, you will notice that the 'small' of your back does not touch the wall and you can actually put your hand between your back and the wall. This is because we all have a natural lumbar lordosis," explains Dr. Manuel Sison, an orthopedic surgeon.

"If you have been sitting for a long period, your lumbar lordosis is lost and you are hunched down into the so-called 'kuba' position. This is not a natural position because it stretches the joints behind your spine, and if it is maintained for a long time, your back starts to be stiff and painful."

This is the reason why a pillow placed between your chair and your back is comfortable, he says.

Since low back pain is a problem that comes with prolonged sitting (especially if the position is unnatural), you need a good chair to keep that back pain at bay.

Ergonomic office chairs are very helpful, says Dr. Sison. Why? The swivel bottom keeps you from straining your back when you reach for something, and adjustable back supports ensure maximum comfort.

• THE NECK.
When computer monitors started invading offices, more necks probably started complaining too! When more people engaged in Net surfing, yet more necks suffered the consequences! Why? It has something to do with the placement of the monitor (and the amount of time you spend staring at it).

Some cybercafes have computer tables that put monitors at an uptilted angle at chest or pelvis level-which is good news.

"It does seem to make sense especially if you imagine how soon you can get a stiff neck if your monitor is placed above your eye level and you stare at it for six hours," remarks Dr. Sison. "Neck pain occurs when the neck is held in a single position, especially if it is unnatural, for prolonged periods."

If you constantly use a document holder for encoding, the same rule applies. So make sure it's placed at or below eye level to go easy on your neck.

• THE HIPS.
All you women out there, this one's for you! For sure, many of you know the feeling of insecurity caused by being told that you seem to be getting bottom heavy. Sometimes, you don't even need to be told that because it's clear every time you look into a full-length mirror!

Serious hip problems are rarely a result of prolonged sitting. Usually, it's simply a case of fat build-up in the hip area, an indication of lack of exercise (men's desk-bound lifestyle manifests itself in the abdomen instead of the hips).

As with neck and back problems, the adverse effects of being seated for long periods may be quelled by taking periodic breaks to get up and walk around or do some other productive work. Five-minute breaks from time to time are good enough (but if you really want to trim those hips and get the rest of your body in shape, nothing beats regular physical exercise to give you a good cardiovascular workout).

Beyond physical
Remembering and implementing these health tips can only do you good. Fitness, after all, goes beyond physical. Keeping your body in tiptop condition-even if it's just to eliminate a dull ache at the back of your neck or to improve your posture-has a tremendous impact on your overall well-being.

It helps promote a more positive attitude, raise stress tolerance levels and improve thought processes.

In short, it helps turn you into a better worker and a happier individual.