Welcome to the 4th Leitz Office Games e-newsletter Did you see any coverage of the World Swimming Championship in Manchester at the beginning of April? Great Britain won the most medals of any country - 24 in total (3 Gold, 10 Silver and 11 Bronze)! So "Well Done" to all our swimmers, it's a great achievement. The heavy training regime of a swimmer of course means they have very toned arms, but for the rest of us getting rid of those 'bingo wings' can be arduous, especially if you spend alot of time at your desk working on a computer as your arms don't really get much exercise. During April, May and June I'm going to show you some exercises to increase your core balance and coordination and this month we start with our arms - getting them swinging and stretched. I hope many of you are planning to come along to the Creme show in London Olympia in May. I'm holding a seminar each day on how to improve your fitness during office hours so if you would like to attend please click on the logo below - Theatre 5, 11.45 to 12.45. After that I'll be on the Leitz Stand (No. 605) until 2pm and it would be great to meet you and chat about the exercises. Thank you again to Leitz for giving me the opportunity to share these exercises with you. They would like to tell you about some of their innovative quality products - you can even request a sample or more information. Good luck!   Did you know that... Leitz has introduced the Vaultz range to give maximum protection and security to your documents, suspension files, CDs and DVDs in the office, at home or on the move. Vaultz products are strong, sturdy and lockable, either with combination locks for the filing storage boxes or with key locks for the digital media storage products. In today's world there is an increasing need for security and protection of confidential data, whether on paper or in digital format. Vaultz also brings style and fashion to security storage as well as protecting your valuables, your identities and confidential information. We have 100 CD Wallet cases to give away so click on the link below to request yours (worth £16.24 RRP) and increase your security today.   The Vaultz range is available from all good stationery suppliers, if you would like more information on our current promotions please email marketinguk@esselte.com Safe positions Sitting Safe Position Standing Safe Position Sit on the edge of your chair with your legs square at 90° to your back. With your feet hip width apart keep your back straight but relaxed. Ensure your shoulders are level and square with the front of your body. Rest your arms by your sides. Stand upright with your feet hip width apart. Ensure your knees are soft – by that I mean slightly bent and not locked. Rest your arms by your sides and keep your back straight but relaxed. Keep your bottom tucked in and feel the weight of your body through your feet. Arm circles     Directions Starting in the standing 'safe' position, making sure you have space around you. Rotate one arm in a forward circle, finding your natural 'swing' speed by letting the weight of your hand swing the arm round and keep the momentum going. Keep your shoulders as level as you can without being stiff, keep your hips and knees still but not rigid. Repeat for your other arm. If that's easy, then try to do this with both arms (second illustration) but one swinging forward and the other backward - at the same time.   Please Note ALWAYS START EACH EXERCISE FROM A 'SAFE' POSITION (SHOWN BELOW) THIS SHOULD NOT REPLACE YOUR NORMAL EXERCISE ROUTINE NEVER PERFORM EXERCISES IN HEELS THESE EXERCISES ARE JUDGED TO BE SAFE BUT NEITHER SHARRON NOR LEITZ ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR INJURY TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS Assisted arm stretch   Directions Start in the standing 'safe' position, making sure you have space around you and a friend to help. Hold both arms out behind you below shoulder level, palms facing together. Keep your arms loosely straight. Push your arms close behind you and ask your colleague to help you hold the gentle squeeze. Count for 5 and release. You should feel a stretch across the front of your chest and top of your arms. Hints & Tips   Have a sensible breakfast, eat well at lunch time rather than in the evening. Take a bag of dried fruit and nuts to work to nibble on if you get peckish or have a sugar low. They are rich in nutrients and are a slow burning fuel. Lay off the chocolate digestives and not too many cups of coffee. I'm a great believer in moderation and love a cup of strong coffee but it can do strange things to us if we drink too much of it! Try not to eat after 7pm, by eating late you slow down your metabolism which means your body finds it harder to process the food. Eating and then going straight to bed is not good for your digestion. I also find it piles the pounds on!   We hope you enjoyed this month's 'at-your-desk' exercise from Sharron Davies, we like to receive feedback so if you have any comments or questions please email marketinguk@esselte.com. Esselte is Europe's leading office supplier and one of the largest global office supplies manufacturers. The company develops innovative solutions that simplify the modern home and workplace and sells more than 30,000 different office products in over 120 countries through 29 offices around the world. Its principal brands include Esselte, Leitz, and Xyron. More information can be found by visiting www.esselte.co.uk