The Dreaded Office Job & lack of Exercise

breanaz

Hey everyone!
So I am a Loan Processor for a mortgage company; meaning I have limited breaks, work insane hours (Mon.-Sat, averaging 10-13 hour days), and am glued to my chair. I have strict deadlines and many people counting on me, which can cause stress. And unfortunately for me, I like to eat when I am stressed! (the food truck doesn't help either). I wake up at 5am (hello, southern CA Traffic!) and am in the office by 7am...usually dragging my tired butt out by 7pm. By the time I get home I am just SO TIRED. I'm mentally and physically exhausted. My body aches. My head is pounding. Sounds like I am living the dream job life, eh? (Don't worry, I am looking for a different career path... and fast!)

So my question to all of you hard-working office folk is:
How the heck to you find time to exercise?
What are some savvy at-desk exercises you find helpful?

I know I should probably drink a TON more water. But my diet isn't too poor; I eating primarily vegetables and I do not eat diary or meat (I was raised vegetarian; thanks hippy parents!).

Any other advise to share would be greatly appreciated!

Keep on keepin' on and being ya beautiful selves!

Liftng4Lis

5 a.m. = gym time!

PurpleTina

Okay, you're not going to be able to change your entire life overnight; try and make a small change to start with, and stick to it; then make another small change.

For the sake of your health, take a lunch break; and go for a short walk during that break. Even 5 minutes would be a start? The world won't end, and you might find you're a bit less stressed when you get back to your desk. You've probably thought about using the stairs instead of the lift (elevator, sorry I'm British), park the car a bit further away etc. See if you can make any of those ideas work for you?

If fitting an hour's exercise into your day simply won't work (and it doesn't sound as though that's feasible at the moment), just try and do 5 minutes, here and there. You'd be surprised at how quickly those 5 minutes add up.

Water wise, I just have a bottle on my desk all the time, and sip throughout the day.

Any help?

azulvioleta6

Don't go home. Head directly to the gym and work out for an hour.

klkarlen

Varidesk - where you can raise it to stand, or lower it to sit. Fidget a lot. Park as far away as possible in the parking lot. Take the stairs.

nicolaferris420

I also work in an office working long hours and no lunch breaks. I try to walk briskly in the evenings for 30-60 mins if possible but probably only manage that 2 or 3 times a week plus a long walk at weekends for about 2 hours. That's all the exercise I manage so restrict my calories to 1200 so I'm still losing weight. I don't snack at all at work, just make it a rule. I'm afraid for us it's all about the food!

ndj1979

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Don't go home. Head directly to the gym and work out for an hour.

this would be my advice...

I have myself programmed now..I leave the office, go home, change into gym clothes, and go to gym ....no matter how I feel I just go, because I know that after an hour or so of crushing weights, I will feel so much better....

azulvioleta6

ndj1979 wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Don't go home. Head directly to the gym and work out for an hour.

this would be my advice...

I have myself programmed now..I leave the office, go home, change into gym clothes, and go to gym ....no matter how I feel I just go, because I know that after an hour or so of crushing weights, I will feel so much better....

Yep, you will feel more energetic afterwards.

Pack a gym bag with everything you need and throw it in the trunk of your car the night before. No need to go home at all, no chance of being distracted.

AskTracyAnnK28

I'm not sure what your diet goals are, but you don't need to work out to lose weight. Weight loss starts in the kitchen, not in the gym.

But moving around is good, so try and take the stairs instead of the elevator, make a point to get up from your desk and move around, and try and schedule fun activities to do on the weekends

gamesandgains

breanaz wrote: »

so my question to all of you hard-working office folk is:
How the heck to you find time to exercise?

I wake up well before the sun comes up to get my workout in and done with for the day. If it's important to you, you'll find a way.

terar21

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

Don't go home. Head directly to the gym and work out for an hour.

This. Start off slower so you don't burn yourself out and just quit. Pick 2-3 days a week to go directly to the gym after work. Once I sit down on the couch, it takes a lot more mental effort for me to get back up to exercise.

pjcapps

I agree with the VariDesk. I have a standup desk and when sitting I use a exercise ball which makes you work leg and ab muscles to stay upright. Burning an extra 650 - 750 calories a day just using these two things. Stand approximately 4-4.5 hours a day.

Mistraal1981

I used to work in a shop...on my feet all day yada yada. I would get home and think hell no, I'm not exercising I have been on my feet all day!

Now I have a desk job. Similar long hours, but now I get home and think, hell no, I have been on my butt all day, no excuse to skip gym.

Although I may be mentally tired and feel like I'm exhausted, I know its in my head as there is no way I am actually really physically exhausted.

Going to the gym after work makes my day reaaaaally long, I never regret it. I am worth it. I always plan my time. Gym is ONLY (another tick in the no excuse column) 3 times a week where I do heavy lifting (stronglifts 5x5) followed by 20 mins walking at a fast pace, at a 7% incline. I find this routine to give me the most bang for my buck time-wise.

On gym days I only get home at 9:30ish, make dinner then bed by 10:30ish. But again, its only 3 days a week. No excuses!!

extra_medium

Hit the gym before or after work, take a walk in the evenings, take the stairs as often as possible. Follow along with a YouTube workout routine in your living room.. There are many ways.

9Rounder

I have a desk job, 40 hours a week. I have a Veridesk where I can stand or sit. I pretty much stand all day long, except at lunch where I sit for 1/2 hour or get in my car to run errands.

Then I go home after work, change right into my gym clothes, and immediately go to the gym for 1/2 hour. No excuses, no sitting on the couch. It's become a habit.

Tedebearduff

breanaz wrote: »

Hey everyone!
So I am a Loan Processor for a mortgage company; meaning I have limited breaks, work insane hours (Mon.-Sat, averaging 10-13 hour days), and am glued to my chair. I have strict deadlines and many people counting on me, which can cause stress. And unfortunately for me, I like to eat when I am stressed! (the food truck doesn't help either). I wake up at 5am (hello, southern CA Traffic!) and am in the office by 7am...usually dragging my tired butt out by 7pm. By the time I get home I am just SO TIRED. I'm mentally and physically exhausted. My body aches. My head is pounding. Sounds like I am living the dream job life, eh? (Don't worry, I am looking for a different career path... and fast!)

So my question to all of you hard-working office folk is:
How the heck to you find time to exercise?
What are some savvy at-desk exercises you find helpful?

I know I should probably drink a TON more water. But my diet isn't too poor; I eating primarily vegetables and I do not eat diary or meat (I was raised vegetarian; thanks hippy parents!).

Any other advise to share would be greatly appreciated!

Keep on keepin' on and being ya beautiful selves!

Pretty much what the first response says, I work out from 5am-7am and am in the office @ 7:30 out by 4PM. (Gym is 5 mins from my office) I wake up at 4:19am everyday, it's hard for the first 3 days, then your body adjusts to it... you slowly start feeling OMG so much better.

As for exercise while at work- Best thing you can do is respond to emails in person. I've always taken this approach, it has helped my career as well.

canadjineh

Try a Swiss Ball for a desk chair if your office will allow it. Between each phone call or data entry page or whatever it is you do regularly (sorry not sure) get up and stretch for the ceiling, walk around your office, do a little can-can (if no one can see you, lol), jump as high as you can 5 times in a row, then go back to your tasks.

hila_13

Because the commute is quicker the earlier and later I leave the office I sometimes drive to work, then go for a brisk walk (30 minutes) then work. Brisk walk at lunch. Then walk again before driving home. I trade car time for walking time. Its not a perfect solution but it helps.

Spocky

I hope you can find a better job! I don't like my job either. I have a sitting job too but I can walk a bit in the room when I don't have customers, and I can do some squats holding my chair. Think about that with a good shape you will have better chances at job interviews.

terar21

Also, for me, I used to be exhausted after work mentally. After a few weeks of forcing myself to go to the gym, I noticed that the exhaustion went away. The anticipation of exercise seem to give me more energy mentally. Like I was prepping to exert power so I had to be ready. Now I just drag in the morning but I'm pretty peppy in the afternoons right before a workout.

ErikThaRed

I have a desk job that has me sitting for most of the day. I take my 1 hour lunch break to go for a walk. Since I bring my lunch most days I can eat at my desk during the day and then still have the time to get the walk in. I also am not "stuck" to my desk as you mentioned you are, so when I go to fill up my water bottle, or hit the bathroom, I take the longest route around the office there and back to try and get in the steps I need.

cwolfman13

I leave the office and go to the gym a couple nights per week and also on Saturday. I also use my lunch break to ride my bike...I brown bag it and eat my lunch at my desk while I'm working.

jagi410

Can you bike commute to work? Replace that stressful, unhealthy, costly car commute with some exercise!

segacs

A lot of companies are becoming more aware of the dangers of sitting for long periods of time and are setting up standing desks (or sit/stand desks, or treadmill desks) for employees upon request. Can you request an ergonomic consult via your HR department? I know the state of California has been a leader in some of these employee health initiatives, and I believe there are grants and available funds out there for companies who try to accommodate employees.

Other than that, the usual: Take a walk on your lunch break, take the stairs instead of the elevator, try to switch to a more active commuting method like public transit+walking, or cycling for part or all of the distance, or go to the gym before/after work or on weekends.

Even 10 minutes of exercise at a time a few times a day can make a big difference.

And agreed, all of this is for your *health* not necessarily for your weight loss. You can lose weight while completely sedentary if you like -- it's just calories in < calories out.

segacs

And by "glued to your chair" I assume you don't mean literally, right? Do you wear a headset at your job? Can you stand up while on a phone call and just pace around your cubicle or march in place while talking? I do this a lot and I find it helps me think, too. (There's a reason that "thinking on your feet" is a catchphrase.)

Sandcastles61

My oldest son had a killer commute and desk job as well... He joined one of those Planet Fitness gyms ($10/mo and no membership fees) right down the street from his office. He went straight from the office to the gym a few days a week, and it had the added benefit of missing the worst of the traffic. He also didn't feel horrible if he had to miss here and there because the cost wasn't through the roof. Good luck

juggernaut1974

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I leave the office and go to the gym a couple nights per week and also on Saturday. I also use my lunch break to ride my bike...I brown bag it and eat my lunch at my desk while I'm working.

Similarly - I eat lunch at my desk and use my lunch "break" to use the gym.

Doubly beneficial - I get my workout in, and forces me to be more mindful of what I'm eating for lunch, rather than just grab a burger and fries every day from the fast food joint. (not that there's anything wrong with that - in moderation )

segacs

ceoverturf wrote: »

Similarly - I eat lunch at my desk and use my lunch "break" to use the gym.

Sounds nice, but OP is a woman. I don't want to generalize, but *most* women don't really have the option of doing this because it takes us longer to shower, change and do our hair and makeup after a gym workout. It's harder for us than it is for you guys to just splash some water on the face, towel off and go back to our desks.

It's not fair but that's just the modern workplace reality. Most of you men have no idea what we women are expected to do just to look "business appropriate".

Cheryllynnhagen

I am desk bound too but I walk and do yoga. I consider a workout as "part of my job" and if somebody doesn't like it, Oh Well! They won't be around to help me if I'm sick and I do a much better job when I am working. Make it part of your "job" to be healthy.

juggernaut1974

segacs wrote: »

ceoverturf wrote: »

Similarly - I eat lunch at my desk and use my lunch "break" to use the gym.

Sounds nice, but OP is a woman. I don't want to generalize, but *most* women don't really have the option of doing this because it takes us longer to shower, change and do our hair and makeup after a gym workout. It's harder for us than it is for you guys to just splash some water on the face, towel off and go back to our desks.

It's not fair but that's just the modern workplace reality. Most of you men have no idea what we women are expected to do just to look "business appropriate".

Well...that was somewhat demeaning. I guess those showers in our locker room are just for decoration? I'll have to apologize to management, I've actually been using them! I've been doing it wrong.

Yeah, I get that it might not be as convenient...but it also comes across as just excuses. If you want to make it work, you can make it work.

(For the record, there are several women at my gym who manage to work out over the noon hour, and somehow are able to emerge "put back together" enough to go back to work, so it's not impossible).

een2016

Have you considered parking your car 20 mins walk away from the place you work? You will need to walk back anyhow to reach to your car, in the evening. You can start with 5 min walk away to begin with.