Budget exercise

FITNESS

Finance ministry personnel are locked up for a week before the Budget. How should they - and all of us who slog in offices - cope with the health effects?

The finance ministry goes into paranoid lockdown during the weeks before the Budget is presented. Not only does the IB deploy its finest men to the task of ensuring that no information leaks out, those workers and officials associated with printing and vetting the Budget, during the last week or so, are imprisoned within the ministry building.

There they get the basic facilities, and the chance to grab a little sleep when they aren't burning the midnight oil to have everything ready on time.

Obviously, this is a stressful period for all concerned. As any office worker knows, the physical and mental impact of sitting at a desk long hours to complete some urgent pending work, day after day, is quite profound.

This is especially true if, like most of the ministry officials, one is no longer young. How much more harrowing would it be if you were also being constantly surveilled, and were worried even to call home for fear of inadvertently saying something you ought not?

Office workers can head home at the end of the day, where they can eat home food and sleep in their own beds. And perhaps a bit of early-morning yoga or a walk in a nearby park offsets the work stress.

No such option for the Budget workers. What can they do to come out of their quarantine in reasonable health?

For one, they can breathe better. Periodically forgoing a hunched work posture and shallow breathing is good "" sit up, take a few deep and slow breaths, with eyes closed. This improves circulation.

If some of the work can be done standing up, by placing the work surface at a higher level, more calories will be burnt, and less stress placed on the back. Two or three hours of standing work a day is enough. If a thought break is required, it's an opportunity to burn calories while thinking.

They can also take exercise breaks while working, without leaving their seats. Stretching helps relieve tension and frees up blood circulation. Each major muscle group should be stretched, from neck to arms to back and sides to abs and legs.

There is plenty of office workout advice available on the Internet. Perhaps it's time the finance ministry created its own how-to guide for diligent Budget workers with the help of a yoga instructor.