Any other Desk Workers out there?

StaciInGa

I work an office job full time - so sitting at my desk 8 hours a day. I am wondering what tips & tricks others have for getting movement in during their days. I have started a habit of walking on my midday break. Fortunately I work in a flexible office environment where I can use my break time and then eat at my desk. If weather is good, I walk outside. If weather is not agreeable, I walk back & forth in a long hallway of a building in my office complex. I aim for about 2 miles/4000 steps for these sessions.


I do have (but rarely use) a Walkingpad treadmill and can walk at 1.5-2 mph and still work on spreadsheets using a desk riser. It is a bit of a chore though to get it in place to use.

I am now using a Cubii Jr2 under desk 'elliptical'. (Got it late last week.) It does not take any setup and I'm using it off & on throughout the day. I am not really logging calories, no idea how much I'm burning but I figure it is movement and whether it is an extra 25 burned in a day or 500: more movement is better. Yesterday I used it for about 6 hours. Friday I used it for 2-3 hours off & on thru the day.

I looked thru a lot of devices on Amazon and ordered this one because a) It was returnable if it didn't seem useful and b) I was afraid the cheaper ones would be too tall to use under the desk. The cheaper peddlers were 11-12" tall and the Cubii pedals are not that high. It is not a huge range of motion, and I'm still walking for cardio daily.

nossmf

I just keep it simple: I drink a lot of water during the day, so every hour or so I get up to either refill my water bottle, hit the men's room, or both.

JaysFan82

I work a desk job. I try to fit in walks during my day in addition to my morning exercise

2022lynne

I highly recommend GrowWithJo workouts on Youtube

R2che

I have a desk job also. I make a point (weather permitting) to walk my dogs before work and i get in a good brisk walk at lunch and i always aim for 10k steps everyday. Getting up every hour for a loo break is a great idea also

Antiopelle

I also have a desk job, mainly working from home. As you said: walks during lunch breaks, outside if weather permitting, otherwise inside (around the dining table, through the living room towards the kitchen and back). Also, I go to the gym 2 times a week after work and do some biking and diving during the weekend.

Machka9

Do you have stairs in your building?

I walk a bit on my commute to and from work.
I walk at lunch.
I often exercise in some way after work (cycling, walking, running, rowing, weights, Pilates)
And I try to get up at about 10-ish and 3-ish to climb some stairs in my building.

StaciInGa

No access to stairs. But that is a good idea for at home on the weekends.

I am kind of against joining/going to a gym. I am gone from about 6:30am until 6:00pm (commute, work) so driving to/from another location seems like a waste of time. We are working to improve options in our 'home gym' however.

Machka9 wrote: »

Do you have stairs in your building?

I walk a bit on my commute to and from work.
I walk at lunch.
I often exercise in some way after work (cycling, walking, running, rowing, weights, Pilates)
And I try to get up at about 10-ish and 3-ish to climb some stairs in my building.

AnnPT77

Bunch of ideas from lots of MFP-ers in this thread, some work-based, some home-based:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Machka9

StaciInGa wrote: »

No access to stairs. But that is a good idea for at home on the weekends.

I am kind of against joining/going to a gym. I am gone from about 6:30am until 6:00pm (commute, work) so driving to/from another location seems like a waste of time. We are working to improve options in our 'home gym' however.

Machka9 wrote: »

Do you have stairs in your building?

I walk a bit on my commute to and from work.
I walk at lunch.
I often exercise in some way after work (cycling, walking, running, rowing, weights, Pilates)
And I try to get up at about 10-ish and 3-ish to climb some stairs in my building.

I have a home gym which I started creating when I realised that a year's membership for 2 of us would buy us a good quality treadmill.

So each year, for a little while, we added a piece.

ridiculous59

I had a desk job and lost 90 pounds. My office was on the second floor. Instead of using the printer/photocopier in my office, I'd usually take the stairs and use the one on the 1st floor (my excuse was that it made better quality copies). Also, instead of phoning or emailing co-workers, I'd often go speak to them in person. We had two office water coolers, one of the 1st floor and one on my floor. Guess which one I used. Basically I found any excuse to get more steps in my day.

I drove past a gym on my way home so that was convenient and I went five days a week. For me, once I was home, I found it hard to motivate myself to work out, so this was my best option.

During some employee training I once attended a presentation on "chair yoga". It's always good to remember to stretch throughout the day when you have an office job.

There was a spell when all three of my kids had hard physical jobs. One employer referred to his crew as "industrial athletes". I was pretty jealous of the amount of food they could eat. Meanwhile I sat at my work station eating veggies and hummus haha.

cwolfman13

I typically walk a couple of miles during my lunch break. Other than that, I take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever I'm going to or from my office to or from another floor in the building. I also get up every hour to use the restroom or fill my water bottle or both and I take the "scenic" route. Not so much a work thing, but when I'm out and about running errands, shopping, etc I forgo that "rockstar" parking and park a further distance away...I'm usually in the building before that person who sits there and waits for a parked car really close to the entrance, and I get more steps in.

vi8484

I also got a Cubii recently and am logging 4+/day at a slow-moderate pace. I really feel a difference: no leg cramps since I began, much more range of motion in my "bad" knee, some slimming in my obliques. I too struggled with choosing a device. Almost got a Scoop, but I'd have to think about using it. This, I just get going and forget I'm even moving. I love it and am getting much more movement than before. I do try to add walks in here and there and also work with a trainer for strength and balance once a week. I'm 64 and trying to keep going. I know the Cubii is not intense, but it's something I'll do and that is the key. Good luck. (BTW, I got the Jr2 model).

StaciInGa

Starting today I've added a lumbar support pillow to my office chair. Using the Cubii I sit a little further forward in the seat so I'm hoping this will help for better posture. I'm aiming for 25 hours a week. I think I am also the Jr2. Does not connect to their app, which is not a big deal.

I am walking at lunch most days. And sometimes at home in the evenings also, depending on how the evening goes & where I feel my activity is for the day.

vi8484 wrote: »

I also got a Cubii recently and am logging 4+/day at a slow-moderate pace. I really feel a difference: no leg cramps since I began, much more range of motion in my "bad" knee, some slimming in my obliques. I too struggled with choosing a device. Almost got a Scoop, but I'd have to think about using it. This, I just get going and forget I'm even moving. I love it and am getting much more movement than before. I do try to add walks in here and there and also work with a trainer for strength and balance once a week. I'm 64 and trying to keep going. I know the Cubii is not intense, but it's something I'll do and that is the key. Good luck. (BTW, I got the Jr2 model).

ehju0901

I work from home, so it is much easier for me, but my goal is just to get 250 steps minimum in per hour. I usually try for 1000 per hour though, so my larger goal of 10K is a little more feasible by the end of the work day.

If I were in an office, I would try to walk over to co-workers desks if I have questions rather than emailing them. Printing to a further printer. Even just standing up occasionally and walking in place is something.

I am interested in the under-desk eliptical others have mentioned here, I would just have to invest in a different desk set up though (I am tall and my knees nearly hit the desk as it is when I am sitting).

Antiopelle

And also: I read my mails on my phone and do my daily Wordle game while walking around, whether at home or at the office.

StaciInGa

ehju0901 wrote: »

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I am in an office within an office complex. Most of my work is at my desk, spreadsheets and such. Confidential/financial matters for the company so private printer at my desk. Minimal interaction w/ coworkers other than occasional chit chat. Small office, about 1500 square feet total. (5 of us work out of this location, so it is plenty of space for us but not a BIG space overall.) It would be a bit awkward to LEAVE work to go to another location to use the bathroom especially since I'm drinking more water these days and that would be a trip each hour almost.

If I walk the hallway I read on my phone/kindle app or play a puzzle game to help pass the time. I am known now as the Step Lady by the Fedex delivery guy to the office complex, because I get my steps in. If I walk outside the screen is a little hard to read in the daylight/brightness so I just listen to music. Unless my current Kindle Unlimited read includes the free audiobook.

I still like the Cubii Jr2. It raises my knees about 4" at most I would say - but if your knees barely fit now then yes you'd need a different setup.