Forget the whistling. Yoga while you work!

Our desk jobs may be killing us.

Over the past 50 years in the United States, our energy expenditure has decreased by more than 100 calories. That accounts for a significant portion of the increase in weight for men and women, according to researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.

But the study confirms something I've been thinking about long and hard: How do you compensate for all that time spent sitting in your chair every day?

During the workday, I often keep my practice in the closet. Actually, I keep it in the bathroom stall.

In the largest one in our office, I'll often bust out a few warrior, lunge, dancer and half-moon poses. (Not all at once.)

I've learned that sitting all day wreaks havoc on my psoas muscle, which is so cranky from being contracted all day, it's often in a state of rebellion.

I've always wanted to bring my yoga out into the open at work, but I haven't always felt comfortable busting a move in the newsroom.

That's why I've come to admire yogi Michael Reich.

As vice president of communications at the American Cancer Society, Reich puts in long hours -- but he manages to take his yoga with him wherever he goes.

That includes at his desk, in meetings and even with handstands in the hallway.

"I'm happiest when I live my life in one long yoga flow," Reich says. "When I'm able to find center in the morning and stay connected to that, I'm happier, and I think I'm more productive at work," he says.

Even though he manages to teach yoga class at least once a week at the Lotus Room in Tampa, integrating yoga throughout the day is the essence of Reich's practice.

"A yoga class is like shelter from the storm; a yoga lifestyle is learning to be content in the rain," Reich says.

He's often found sitting on his desk in lotus pose, standing head-to-knee pose, or having a conversation with a co-worker in tree or dancer's pose.

"I'm fortunate to work in an environment where the organization values healthy living," Reich says. "It's easy for me to add levity when people are discussing something serious, I might do a headstand in front of their conference room, just to kind of lighten the mood."