Sedentary Office Workers: How Do You Get Your Steps In?
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I am going to buy an under the desk bike pedal too0
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adentonmiller wrote: »Buy a dog and take it for walks. I have two and take them out first thing in the morning for 3-5 miles depending on the day's schedule. That normally hits the best part of 10K steps.
OMG! That's the most desperate thing I have read here! No way.0 -
Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.6
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CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.
No, my guess is that exits from stairwells are setup with "panic bars" for exit and the bottom floor door happens to be locked all the time while entrances from individuals floors are not. Or perhaps the other way around.... but something with how the direction of panic bars on doors and that some doors are locked (so access is one-way only unless you have a key).
Maybe my imagination is not crazy enough.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.
I was picturing her having to surrender her work and personal phones for security checks
As for the stairs - think Hogwarts tech!1 -
adentonmiller wrote: »Buy a dog and take it for walks. I have two and take them out first thing in the morning for 3-5 miles depending on the day's schedule. That normally hits the best part of 10K steps.fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »OMG! That's the most desperate thing I have read here! No way.
I would LOVE to get a dog. Unfortunately, my OH and I have firm and opposing ideas on dogs belonging indoors vs outdoors.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.
I was picturing her having to surrender her work and personal phones for security checks
As for the stairs - think Hogwarts tech!
I was consulting at an insurance company in South Africa. If you wanted your laptop to leave the building you had to check it at the guards station every morning and get a sticker saying it was yours for 24 hours. Otherwise they claimed to keep them.
Places have weird policies.
As for me I didn't get my steps in, so I quit.0 -
Great ideas above.
Few more ideas...
We are also in an unsafe area but our parking lot is gated so we do laps between the parking lanes. People just get used to seeing us out there :-) We sometimes even do a partial meeting that way (else over lunch/break).
If you leave for lunch (apologies if you already answered) consider walking where you eat. A mall (strip mall or large mall), take your lunch to a park, walk then eat. I did this when I worked at home too, just to get out of the house.
I do our meal prep on weekends, including DINNER so I can specifically not spend a lot of time cooking (or dish cleaning) during the week, leaving time for other things, both exercise and not exercise. If you ever go out to eat, consider walking to/from restaurant too.
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midwesterner85 wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.
No, my guess is that exits from stairwells are setup with "panic bars" for exit and the bottom floor door happens to be locked all the time while entrances from individuals floors are not. Or perhaps the other way around.... but something with how the direction of panic bars on doors and that some doors are locked (so access is one-way only unless you have a key).
Maybe my imagination is not crazy enough.
Well, yes, and if you go through the panic bars you are either vaporised, or you find yourself at the top of the stairs. In a different building. The day after tomorrow.5 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Am I the only one who is increasingly intrigued by OP's job? I'm picturing her as an agent in some kind of esoteric, top-secret government agency, possibly dealing with paranormal investigation or research into other worlds, where parts of the building are off-limits because they're running experiments in time-travel or quantum manipulation, or the door leads into an abandoned warehouse last Tuesday. I mean, come on, the stairs only go down and not up? Clearly some sort of alien tech involved there.
No, my guess is that exits from stairwells are setup with "panic bars" for exit and the bottom floor door happens to be locked all the time while entrances from individuals floors are not. Or perhaps the other way around.... but something with how the direction of panic bars on doors and that some doors are locked (so access is one-way only unless you have a key).
Maybe my imagination is not crazy enough.
Well, yes, and if you go through the panic bars you are either vaporised, or you find yourself at the top of the stairs. In a different building. The day after tomorrow.
With your shirt inside out and someone elses shoes on.
Shrug...sometimes you just have to take your chances.2 -
You guys are cracking me up!!!
About the job, some of you are not far off...only a little bit. It is restrictive for both security reasons and safety reasons. 0 -
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kshama2001 wrote: »adentonmiller wrote: »Buy a dog and take it for walks. I have two and take them out first thing in the morning for 3-5 miles depending on the day's schedule. That normally hits the best part of 10K steps.fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »OMG! That's the most desperate thing I have read here! No way.
I would LOVE to get a dog. Unfortunately, my OH and I have firm and opposing ideas on dogs belonging indoors vs outdoors.
Yeah I love dogs, as long as I can hand them back to their owners when done playing with them!
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I agree to build as much movement in as possible throughout the day. Walk in place, do kneebends, or do the twist for a minute or two every time you go to the ladies room. Walk while you brush your teeth. Get up and walk in place during tv commericals. If the treadmill bores you, get a tv or listen to music/podcasts and don't stop until the album or podcast or show is over. Don't wait until your mug is empty before you refill it with water or coffee. I also work in an office environment, and by taking the longer routes to places I can add an extra 1000 steps a day. I also make a point of making sure date nights with DBF usually involve some sort of activity - walking, bowling, dancing (we are ballroom dancers), riding our bikes. In good weather, and when I'm not working through lunch, I will walk laps around the parking lot for part of it. In bad weather, if I'm not busy running errands, I will sometimes go to a mall a few miles away & walk a lap or two around there. I probably average 4000 steps at work, plus whatever I earn outside of work. I don't really stress about it though. My Garmin Vivofit can't tell the difference between walking steps and snowshoe steps, or stairs & hills versus level ground, or when I'm carrying an extra 30# in groceries or laundry up & down the stairs. It also doesn't do very well with smooth ballroom dancing, like waltzing, because my hand stays mostly still on my partner's shoulder. It's a tool, but it shouldn't be the be all, end all. Good luck!0
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Lol at my work the stairs only down too the doors lock and aren't connected directly to the office so you cant knock...not as exciting as being a spy lol
on the original topic im probably going to buy this: https://www.amazon.ca/Stamina-15-0125-InStride-Folding-Cycle/dp/B0027ZNH2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488408925&sr=8-1&keywords=under+desk+bike0 -
adentonmiller wrote: »Buy a dog and take it for walks. I have two and take them out first thing in the morning for 3-5 miles depending on the day's schedule. That normally hits the best part of 10K steps.
This has totally worked for me! I work from home, so my dog has the added bonus of company most of the time (and so do I!). It really makes me get up and out of the house, which is so good for my physical and mental wellbeing.
When we were getting her, we jokingly called her my "gym membership" and it's turned out to be so true!0 -
Walking the dog was something I used to do often. My dog is now, get this, 16 1/2 years old. I can no longer walk her because of her arthritis. He back feet started dragging a bit and she wears off the tops of her nails and then she bleeds--this after just one walk now. I don't think I'll be getting another dog after years of having them. I am just away from my home for too long and, in my older age, I sort of find it cruel for the dog.
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I park in a remote lot and walk in. It's only about 1/3 of a mile, but it counts. I walk to all meetings in other buildings (most people drive golf carts) and try and take a longer way when I can. I take a couple walk breaks during the day. I walk back to my car at night and either walk to the gym or yoga. And then back to my car. I do take the stairs whenever I can.
At home, I'm only allowed to watch new tv if I'm walking around my apt. complex. No couch potato!0 -
So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.0
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So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.
Of course it doesn't. But this thread is not about CICO. It's about STEPS. Surely you know about the fitbit motivation, and the more exercise you do the more calories you burn...and so on and so on.
Pretty sure you understand all that. 0 -
It's hard to get exercise in when you're life is so consumed in the grind of the day. I am an executive assistant in a well known company to the VP of sales. I have two kids, ages 10 and 12, and my husband travels frequently, so many times, it's all up to me. My son is in a traveling soccer team and practices 3X a week. I've looked at my crazy schedule and found a way to exercise nearly every day. I wake up a half hour earlier and take a brisk walk every morning M-F. At night, when my son has soccer practice, I walk the field for an hour. That's j u st under 4 miles. I force myself to go to the gym on the weekends to get in more cardiovascular exercise between laundry and grocery shopping. I'm tired, and most nights I am going to bed with the kids at 9pm, but I've l lost 20 lbs since January 15th. Take it day by day. Find the little hits- they add up over time. A year from now, you will be better off than today. Don't aim for a date- just roll with it and make these habits stick. Gauge how much progress you have made in a year from now. Be kind to yourself. And above all, don't give up on yourself. If you really want something, you will make it a priority.5
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So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.
For weight loss, yes. But for general health - especially bone health, and especially in women - walking really matters. It's all about the weight bearing.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.
For weight loss, yes. But for general health - especially bone health, and especially in women - walking really matters. It's all about the weight bearing.
Exactly. I was posing my question in terms of getting more movement in my life, versus weight loss. Got the weight loss down and where I need to be by CICO. Just trying to get an idea of how other office workers "day" lives are. It's an interesting mix of what people can do during their day, I'll say that!! Makes me want a new job. 1 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.
For weight loss, yes. But for general health - especially bone health, and especially in women - walking really matters. It's all about the weight bearing.
Exactly. I was posing my question in terms of getting more movement in my life, versus weight loss. Got the weight loss down and where I need to be by CICO. Just trying to get an idea of how other office workers "day" lives are. It's an interesting mix of what people can do during their day, I'll say that!! Makes me want a new job.
But you'd miss the superpowers.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »So what's all this about steps? Calories In and Calories Out, leading to Calorie Deficit, is all you need, and it doesn't specifically require you to count steps.
For weight loss, yes. But for general health - especially bone health, and especially in women - walking really matters. It's all about the weight bearing.
Exactly. I was posing my question in terms of getting more movement in my life, versus weight loss. Got the weight loss down and where I need to be by CICO. Just trying to get an idea of how other office workers "day" lives are. It's an interesting mix of what people can do during their day, I'll say that!! Makes me want a new job.
But you'd miss the superpowers.
Well, there is that!
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I'm glad I seen this post. I brought a smart watch i5 plus off a friend as was contemplating getting a fit bit but didn't want to fork out without really knowing more about it... anyway it's only day two I've been up and about since 7:30 this morning it's now 12:30 and I've done 800 steps and that was with walking back and forth waiting for the kettle and food to cook0
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Easy, as an aging male, that walk to the rest room every 30 minutes helps. Also, I take a 15 minute walk on each break (9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.).1
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I feel you. I get up to use the bathroom, but even lunch I find myself eating at my desk. My average steps (when I carry my phone) is maybe 1200 on a good day. I have a 90 minute commute and 10hr work days too. So very long days. I found I have to basically just workout when I get home (thankfully we have a gym in our garage, though I'm thinking of joining one so I don't have to deal with the heat in the summer). There's not much I can do otherwise. Thankfully my husband has been cooking.0
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I walk 2.5 hours to get to work and back (2.5 total not both ways xD )0
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