Stuck behind a desk all day? Don’t worry, you can get in some strength training with these simple, quick exercises.

1. Abdominal Draw-In: Sit tall with your back off your chair. Pull your navel in toward your spine and hold for up to 5 seconds. Complete 8-12 repetitions. While drawing your abdominals in, be careful not to hold your breath.
2. Pelvic tilt: Sit tall with your back off your chair. Place your hands on your hips at the pelvic bone. Imagine your pelvis is a bowl filled with water. Slowly tilt your pelvis forward without bending your torso as if you wanted to spill the water in front of you. Slowly return to center. Now tilt your pelvis backward. Slowly return to center. Complete several repetitions.
3. Marching: Sit tall on the edge of your chair. For 30-60 seconds, lift one foot at a time as if marching in place. For more challenge, move arms in a marching motion.
4. Isometric Bicep Curls: Sit tall with your back off your chair. Place your forearms under your desk with elbows at 90 degrees. Push up hard as if doing a bicep curl and trying to bring your hands through the desk to your shoulders. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Complete 8-12 repetitions. Remember to keep breathing. You never want to hold your breath.
5. Chair Squats: Stand in front of your chair with feet shoulders distance apart. Bend knees as if you were going to sit. Do not sit. Stop 1-2 inches above seat; then stand back up. For more challenge, hold the squat position for 3-5 breaths. Complete 8-12 repetitions.
6. Hip Flexion and Knee Extension: Sit tall with abs drawn in. Lift left foot off floor a few inches with knee bent. Straighten leg out; then bend knee and lower leg. Complete 8-12 repetitions on each leg.
7. Inner Thigh Squeeze: Place a towel, firm water bottle, or an empty coffee cup between your knees and sit tall with your abs drawn in. Squeeze legs into towel and hold for 1-2 seconds. Complete 8-12 repetitions.
8. Calf Raises: Stand behind your chair with feet hips distance apart. Exhale and rise up on your toes. Inhale down. Complete 8-12 repetitions. Try this while on the telephone.
9. Balance and Shift: Stand behind your chair with feet hips distance apart. Stand on one leg for 5-10 seconds, shifting between legs. Try this while on the telephone.
10. Dips: Sit tall on the edge of a stable chair. Place your hands by your hips and lift hips off the chair. Move hips slightly forward of chair. Inhale and bend elbows, lowering body. Exhale and push up. The farther the legs are from the chair the more challenging the exercise. Complete 8-12 repetitions.

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Jaclyn Helling, a 29-year-old fund-raiser from Lenexa, Kansas, was heavy for as long as she could remember. Her childhood pastime of vegging in front of the TV with takeout grew into a grown-up habit. As a twenty-something, she dined out all week long, guzzled soda, and heeded her sweet tooth rather than food labels—practices that pushed Jaclyn, 5'7", to 186 pounds in November 2012.

The Change
Just walking or cruising on her bike left Jaclyn winded, but it took a doctor's visit to shake her into action. In addition to spying the number on the scale, she learned that she was scarily close to having high blood pressure. The doc suggested she drop 20 pounds—but that wasn't enough for Jaclyn. "I wanted to go all in," she says.

The Lifestyle
January 1, 2013, was Jaclyn's big day: She eliminated sugar, alcohol, and processed foods, popped in her first workout DVD, and started tracking her habits with Noom, a smartphone app. That winter, she learned to cook at home using veggies like parsnips and green beans. ("I didn't even know what a parsnip was before," she says.) A daily nutrition e-mail she signed up for helped her stay motivated. By Super Bowl Sunday, she'd shed 12 pounds. Jaclyn kept up the clean noshing—and the daily sweatfests, doing 30-or 60-minute videos before work—and by summer, she was down 30 more pounds. "My thighs used to rub together when I walked, especially in the heat," she says. "No more!" She added treadmill runs, first building up to a mile at a time, then to a few outdoor miles two or three times a week. By Halloween 2013, Jaclyn reached her goal of 130 pounds.

The Reward
When Jaclyn's now-fiance got down on one knee in November 2013, she was instantly pumped to try on dresses and plan photo sessions. (The pair also love running races together now.) Before, she would've been self-conscious. And during a December 2013 move from Washington, D.C., where she'd been living, back to her Kansas hometown, Jaclyn found herself easily hoisting box after heavy box. "I wouldn't have been able to do that a year ago," she says. "I'm so much stronger."

Jaclyn's Tips
Schedule fitness. "I put my workouts in my calendar like a date I can't break."
Bag it. "I bring a few cookies or crackers in a small bag to work, so I'm not tempted to eat the whole package."
Know your stuff. "Really reading ingredient lists was quite the eye-opener for me."

BEFORE: 186 lbs
AFTER: 130 lbs

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The Lifestyle
Virginia resident Cindy Santa Ana, 45, remembers exactly what she used to eat growing up: lots of canned soups, toaster pastries, frozen meals, and fast food. "I wasn't getting nutrient-dense, real food," she says. "It was more packaged, convenience items." When she had her two girls and decided to become a stay-at-home mom, Cindy became less active, which made her weight start to seriously creep up. "I didn't feel comfortable in a swimsuit or any of my regular clothes," says Cindy. "I had to keep buying [bigger] sizes until I got up to a size 16." She estimates that, although she is 5'4", she must've weighed about 180 pounds by the end of 2009.

The Change
Cindy's health suffered as her weight grew. She got regular sinus infections, dealt with hip and leg pain, and came down with lots of migraines, all of which she blamed on her size. Eventually, her doctor diagnosed her Hashimoto thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that caused inflammation in her body. Cindy was constantly taking different medications to reduce the symptoms of this disease and her other problems. But the worst part was that she lacked energy to keep up with her kids. "I would look forward to naptime every day so that I could nap, too," says Cindy. She'd sleep for two hours in the middle of the day just because she was so wiped out. "I woke up one day and realized I didn’t want to live like that anymore," she says.

When Cindy was ready to make a change, she sought the help of a friend who worked as a health coach. It was especially groundbreaking for Cindy to discover how to shop for local foods, read nutrition labels, and cook meals from scratch. Her favorite powerhouse food: kale. Now she throws it in her omelets, juices, salads—"I love me some kale," says Cindy.

Of course, she had to include more exercise into her routine, but she looked at it more as a stress-reliever than a weight-loss tool. "I notice when I don't exercise, I can't think as well," says Cindy. "I get grumpy or irritated during the day. It's like my Zen time."

And get this: Cindy never hit a gym. Instead, she turned her basement into her own workout center. She bought a $75 stationary bike off of Craigslist and got free weights to help her strength train. But Cindy also needed an exercise she absolutely loved doing, and for her, that was dance. "I'll put on some fun music and just dance around silly like no one's watching me," says Cindy, "which nobody is—so I can do whatever I want!"

Cindy couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments. "It was exciting—exhilarating—to see the changes in the medicines I didn't need anymore," says Cindy. "My migraines went away, and my energy kicked up." Now, Cindy weighs 128 pounds, a weight she's maintained for two years.

The Reward
For the first time in 20 years, Cindy feels comfortable in a bikini—but she's also incredibly proud of how much stronger she is. "I have abs and shoulder definition, which I've never had before," says Cindy. " It's sort of empowering to be strong." She even gets a kick out of being able to lift her own carryon luggage onto planes. "I don't need anybody to help me do that," she says. "I can swing my kids around and feel stronger than I ever have before." And with all of this added confidence, Cindy has followed in her friend's footsteps to become a health coach, too!

Cindy's Tips
Plan to work out. "Set workout clothes out at night so that they're the first things you put on in the morning. That way you're ready and don’t have to think twice about it."
Know what you're going to eat. "If you haven't planned a meal [ahead of time], you might reach for an [unhealthy] one instead."
Find an exercise you love. "When you commit an exercise you enjoy, it doesn't feel like a chore."

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Before: 180 pounds
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What do Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Hines Ward, and Cliff Lee have in common? Other than being some of the top athletes in their respective sports, all of them have undergone platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Each of these athletes used the treatment to improve their injury recovery rate so they could get back to competition as quickly as possible.

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?

PRP is an alternative treatment option intended to improve healing and decrease recovery time. PRP treatments are becoming more commonplace among athletes as they search for ways to get back to the field, gym, or mat as quickly as possible.

PRP has been used for a variety of injuries, but is typically used in injuries involving ligaments, tendons (such as an ACL tear), or joints where blood supply is poor. There has been some use by athletes suffering from soft tissue injuries, but the results reported have been consistently underwhelming.

PRP treatments are created by removing blood from a patient and processing it in a centrifuge. The high-speed spinning separates the blood into its components: platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and red blood cells. A second spin separates the red blood cells and platelet-rich plasma. In most cases, an activating agent is added as the final step.

The PRP is harvested and injected back into you at the site of injury. PRP has a concentration of platelets that is three to five times that of the native plasma. The entire procedure, from harvesting to processing to injection, can be done in an outpatient facility in less than an hour.

PRP is unlikely to be covered by your insurance carrier so be prepared to pay for it yourself. Prices vary widely across the country with $500-1,000 being the most common charge per injection.

Why Does PRP Therapy Work?

As I mentioned before, the majority of athletes who undergo treatment with PRP have tendon injuries. MCL and ACL tears are especially prevalent. Tendons have poor blood supplies, which leads to long recovery periods.

Platelets are a natural source of the growth factors (PDGF, IGF, VEGF, PDAF, and TGF-β) that are involved in wound healing and the regenerative process. The processing of your blood activates these growth factors in the PRP just prior to injection back into your body.

The basic premise behind PRP treatment is that an injection of your own platelet-enriched plasma can supply growth factors to the injury and speed healing. Platelets also have other substances (such as fibronectin and vitronectin, among others) that aid in wound healing.

Does PRP Therapy Actually Work?

That’s hard to say at this point. There is conflicting data in both animal and human studies. While there are many studies that suggest improved healing times, there are significant concerns with study design, standardization of preparations, and a lack of a consistent treatment protocol that make it difficult to determine efficacy. On the plus side, other than the chance of infection associated with any kind of injection or blood draw, the side effects and tolerability to the patient are generally good.

On a personal level, I’m fortunate enough to be in communication with Coach Michael Rutherford and I contacted him about his recent experience with PRP. Michael was dealing with a long-term case of medial epicondylitis, or golfer’s elbow, and had tried several different treatments without success. After PRP, he had the following observations to share, "It did the trick; however, when I returned to my normal training volume and movements [the golfer’s elbow] came back somewhat. Much better, [but] not perfect.”

PRP in Conclusion

With just a few minutes at a computer you could easily find dozens of professional athletes professing their support for PRP. With a little more research you’ll see that the data is mostly promising, but far from definitive.

Study design, quality control, and treatment protocols have varied widely and make coming to a consensus difficult. What we can do is look at the studies available, examine anecdotal evidence, and use a little common sense to come up with some suggestions on who this may help.

If all of the following apply to you, then PRP is something you may want to look into and discuss further with your doctor:

Your injury is chronic (at least six months)
Your injury involved tendons, ligaments, and/or areas with low blood profusion
You have tried unsuccessfully to rehab the injury through physical therapy and/or mobility work
You’ve discussed the injury with your physician and tried whatever therapy s/he has recommended
You can afford the treatment(s)
You have no medical conditions that put you at unnecessary risk due to the treatment and harvesting process

Disclaimer: I am not a physician and I am not providing you with medical advice or recommendations. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician as needed. The information contained in this article is presented in summary form only and intended to be used for entertainment only. The information should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation, or advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. I do not recommend the self-management of health problems.

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