Sedentary Office Workers: How Do You Get Your Steps In?

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  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
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    I do an exercise dvd before work. I take elevated train to work. My job has one central work station per office hub so I walk to the copier and water machine often, and I drink a lot of water so that's a lot of bathroom trips. Plus the elevators are sucky so I take the stairs. After work I go to the gym for an hour on the treadmill or elliptical, then pick up kids from school and run errands. More stairs, train, and walking. By days end close to 15000 to 24000 steps and many flights of stairs.
  • Zombielicious
    Zombielicious Posts: 246 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Or ask if you can have a standing desk?

    ^ This. I have a standing desk at work, so am able to march in place. If you have a FitBit, it can remind you to get your 250 steps in every hour.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    CMNVA wrote: »
    All, thanks for your advice, very interesting.

    I don't work in a private building so I can't bring in things like a desk cycle or even get a stand up desk. It's just very restrictive here with what you can do.

    Also, as far as weight loss, I'm doing fine and as I said upthread, I have no issues carving out regular exercise. I guess I am just looking for ways to get more movement into my day. When I read the other thread about office workers, I was astounded that those who work in an office all day managed to get lots of steps (movement) in any way and I was having trouble seeing how they did it during their workday. I do see that some folks have a lot more freedom at work or just better situations for walking/getting to work. I must be in the one of the more restrictive situations with security/access, etc. In our building, we actually use to ONLY be able to go down the steps, but never up. They did recently change that.

    I used to have a fairly restrictive (and boring) job and I drank a lot of water, which necessitated a lot of trips to the water and to the bathroom. I was not efficient about these trips.

    I also walked at lunch.

    I still walk at lunch. I'm more productive in the afternoons if I get some exercise at lunch time, and am energized into the evenings as well.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I rarely meet my steps, honestly. I have to go for a walk and that generally doesn't happen while it gets dark early at night and treadmills bore me to the point I don't want to get on them. Walking during lunch makes me feel yucky, walking before work wears me out for the day. I will get up and wander on breaks, but most of the time I don't take breaks either (bad juju).
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    RiderCG wrote: »
    This thread was great to read. I don't have a fitbit so don't count my steps - but do have an office Job and worst of all - I work from home. So I literally walk 15 steps from my bed to my desk in the morning and that's about it.

    I go to the gym after work but never thought to add things in during the day... I feel so silly! I'm going to try incorporating some of these ideas in my routine. Awesome!

    I work from home too. I used to be in a 700 square foot apartment and even if I walked 2.5 miles at lunchtime I wouldn't break 10,000 steps.

    I'm in a house now so get a few more steps due to things being more spread out, but it's still rare that I break 10,000 steps. However, since a lot of my other exercise (yoga, gardening, weightlifting) doesn't involve much walking, I don't worry about it.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    drink all the water. pee all the time.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Get up at 4:30, work out for 45 minutes, shower and get ready - take dog for 10 min walk, then an hour's drive. I get up every hour or so - go to the washroom, refill water bottle. Get 2 15 minute breaks - go for a walk on both. Get 40 min lunch, walk outside for 40 minutes, eat at my desk. It can be done.
  • adentonmiller
    adentonmiller Posts: 5 Member
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    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.
  • buffinlovin
    buffinlovin Posts: 100 Member
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    I will echo those that have said a standing desk. Some companies will get one for you if a doctor will write a note saying it would be beneficial/necessary health-wise (insurance companies see it as a better investment than injuries/medical conditions that can arise from sedentary lifestyle). If your company isn't able to get one for you, there are a few vendors where they are reasonably priced (mine is from a vendor called Varidesk)

    I work in a call center and am pretty much tethered to my desk unless I need to use the restroom, and I have about 4 minutes to get to/from the restroom before it starts looking like I'm avoiding work. Between calls I almost jog in place (I do recommend an anti-fatigue mat if your floor is hard), and I step side to side during calls, or do some leg lifts or squats. If I'm not moving, at least I'm standing, and I try to be in a standing position for 6 out of the 8 hours I'm on the phone.
  • sarajenivieve
    sarajenivieve Posts: 303 Member
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    I walk to and from work and on breaks I walk around
  • sarajenivieve
    sarajenivieve Posts: 303 Member
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    I am going to buy an under the desk bike pedal too
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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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.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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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.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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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.

    I was picturing her having to surrender her work and personal phones for security checks :lol:

    As for the stairs - think Hogwarts tech!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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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.
    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.
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    edited March 2017
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    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 :lol:

    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.
  • brznhabits
    brznhabits Posts: 126 Member
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    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.


  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    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.

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