Workout for Workaholics

Do you have trouble putting down your blackberry? Or find yourself sore from a long day of sitting at your desk? If you're a workaholic, there are some easy things you can do to make yourself healthier, inside and out.

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton showed Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith some tips all workaholics can put into practice.

According to Ashton, a lot of Americans spend hours a day sitting at a desk, and they can develop back and neck pain if their chairs aren't the best for their posture.

So what can workaholics do to improve their posture?

Whether you get a different chair or gradually build up to more time on a gym ball, your posture can improve as you engage your core muscles, which Ashton points out is also called "active sitting."

"Fifty to 80 percent of us will have a back problem at some point in our lives. I just had one," Ashton said. "If you will start to use one of these at your desk you want your hips and knees to be approximately 90 degree angle. Suck in your core muscles, abdominals and keep your shoulders back and start gradually a couple of minutes doing your work, talking on the phone, try to build up to 20 minutes, as long as you can. I think you'll see a big difference in your back and core."

To further strengthen your core, you can also use a gym ball to do abdominal crunches by leaning back on it. Make sure to pause and take breaks when doing it.

What else can you do to make your office atmosphere healthier?
Ashton says to take a lesson from the nurses and use rubbing alcohol and wipe down any surface anyone who worked before them touched because phones, keyboards, screens, handles on doorknobs all get contaminated and people come to work sick, which they should not do and they infect their co-workers.

Although it's often stressed again and again, hand washing is so important to do. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers and get your flu shot, which includes h1n1 this year -- and you only need one shot.

Ashton stresses that pregnant women, those over age 65, and young children with chronic diseases like asthma, should all talk to their doctors.

Smith recalls the extensive coverage h1n1 and asked if we have to worry about that this year?

"No because the virus is not seen in high numbers, but it is in the flu shot," Ashton said. "We have to remember Americans miss 70 million workdays to flu a year."

What else can workaholics do to stay healthy in the office?

If time permits, try to be creative and incorporate exercise into your work day. Keep a pair of sneakers under the desk or walk to or from work (but keep them in a bag at work -- your office mates may not appreciate your smelly shoes!)

You can also use your desk to exercise by using the side to do little triceps dips. This works the back of your arms and chest.

"For a real boost, you can drop and start doing push-ups...This is my favorite," Ashton said as she dropped to the floor to do 30 reps. "If you do ten an hour -- by the end of your day you've done as many as top NFL football players!"