Calorie burning excerises at desk???

jdawson002

Looking for some advice....I've been going to the gym as much as I possibly can but some days I physically cannot find the time to go.

My job involves sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day so wondered if there are any fat burning exercises I could be doing whilst I'm imprisoned in my chair?

lgrovoyeur

Some good exercises would be to do squats, high knees, butt kicks, or lunges across your office space. Try tricep dips off of your desk or wall push ups.

You can also try a bit of yoga with standing poses to center your core.

Mandas13

I try to get up and walk in place for 5 minutes, I do that twice per hour.

gosunshinego

I have a job that keeps me sitting for 8-10 hours every day, too, so I really sympathize. My solution was to get a desk bike. It's a little set of pedals that sits under your desk, not a full on bike that replaces your chair/desk. They range from $30 to $200 on Amazon. I settled on the cheapest option just to see if I'd like it, and I don't see a reason to upgrade now into my third month with it. That won't be an option for everyone, though. I am 5'3", so I didn't need to consider my knees hitting the desk as much as taller folks. If you're much taller than me, I'd recommend getting one that is very low to the ground and makes more of an oblong circuit.

The noise is almost non-existent (about what you'd get from a small fan), and the resistance levels are great. You can get super fancy with some tracking your calories burned and distance pedaled.

I get up every half hour (two alerts, one on my phone and one on my desktop) and do 25 tricep dips using my desk and then pedal at high resistance between. I use a grip strengthener when I'm on calls and not using my hands for work. Make sure you're stretching regularly as well and maybe check out some Youtube videos on hip mobility exercises, since that can take a huge hit at a desk job.

jdawson002

a desk bike....what an amazing idea!!

stephaniej2888

I have an under desk elliptical and so far I love it ( got mine off amazon for $89, it's a Stamina In-Motion). It's not as big of a burn as a full size elliptical but still a decent workout for us people with desk jobs. I also started a challenge with a few friends. Every time you get up to use the restroom you do 25 squats and 25 wall pushups...for me that's quite a bit throughout the day as I drink a lot of water lol.

TeaBea

I go for a walk at lunch time. There's a large home improvement store across the street for really hot days. I also keep baby wipes & deodorant in my desk.

chewyxrage

I get in a 2 mile walk at lunch every day. Same as TeaBea, on really hot days I'll go wander the local wal-mart.

jdawson002

Yeah I already go for a 15 minute walk before work, then a 15 minute walk at lunch, then an hour gym after work.

I just hate being sat at my desk knowing that I'm not burning any calories.

kikicooks

I just try to find any excuse to get up and walk around and I have a way to rig my computer so I can stand at my desk a lot of the time, then I just pace side to side and walk in place at my desk.

Wophie

Try getting up to wander, going to the furthest bathroom on toilet breaks, walking in your lunch break etc.

fitgamercatlady

For health in general, you should be getting up every hour for about 5 minutes to get your blood flowing--helps you concentrate more too! I also got resistance bands on Amazon and keep them in a desk drawer. We also have a gym in our building so sometimes I'll go up there and do a quick lifting session, but I'm spoiled here

lavaughan69

My company just bought standing desks and offered them to any employee that's interested. I took them up on the offer and I love it. I find that just by standing more I tend to move around, leave my desk area more often etc. The desk is adjustable so you can sit when you need to. The only downside would be the ache in my legs so now I'm going to add a standing pad.

I also walk on my lunch hour for a 1/2 hour and I do wall push-ups in the bathroom.

ninerbuff

sannhollis wrote: »

I have a job that keeps me sitting for 8-10 hours every day, too, so I really sympathize. My solution was to get a desk bike. It's a little set of pedals that sits under your desk, not a full on bike that replaces your chair/desk. They range from $30 to $200 on Amazon. I settled on the cheapest option just to see if I'd like it, and I don't see a reason to upgrade now into my third month with it. That won't be an option for everyone, though. I am 5'3", so I didn't need to consider my knees hitting the desk as much as taller folks. If you're much taller than me, I'd recommend getting one that is very low to the ground and makes more of an oblong circuit.

The noise is almost non-existent (about what you'd get from a small fan), and the resistance levels are great. You can get super fancy with some tracking your calories burned and distance pedaled.

I get up every half hour (two alerts, one on my phone and one on my desktop) and do 25 tricep dips using my desk and then pedal at high resistance between. I use a grip strengthener when I'm on calls and not using my hands for work. Make sure you're stretching regularly as well and maybe check out some Youtube videos on hip mobility exercises, since that can take a huge hit at a desk job.

THIS. I have a client who desk bound for 8 hours a day and is able to burn 500 calories EASILY each day just pedaling leisurely while she works. Along with her eating and deficit, she's lost 30lbs with minimal strength training (I train her once every 2 weeks).

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition