Help!!! I have a desk job!!!

noelledell

I wanted to get some suggestions on how to stay active throughout the day when you're tied to a desk for at least 8 hours! I'm an accountant, and am stuck at my desk between 6-8 hours per day. UGH. I have a timer set on my computer that goes off every 30 min and I will take a 2-3 min break to go to the bathroom, water cooler, or just walk around so that I can get the blood flowing again. I feel like this isn't enough though- I've read a lot of articles lately about how unhealthy sitting for long periods of time is for the body, but not many suggestions on what to do about it- I can't quit my job, so I need suggestions from people that have the same issues. I've just started on my weight loss journey so at the moment I am on a 1600 calorie a day diet and walk every evening for 30-45 min. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!

tlinval

I, too, have a desk job. I work on a college campus, and have a pretty flexible "schedule" during the day, so I take walks throughout the day as well as use my lunchbreak for a long, fast walk. When I have to use the bathroom I walk to the farthest one on campus! It's a good 12 minute fast-walk round trip. I also volunteer to do things like bring things to the mailroom or run an errand for my coworkers/boss. I also make sure I exercise after work, too. I think that helps me sleep, otherwise my legs feel like bricks from sitting all day long! Good luck!

SwindonJogger

get a pedometer and try to beat each days total. It's very motivating when your deskbound and makes you do more trips away from your desk.

MireyGal76

I fidget... Constantly moving in my chair. I take the stairs instead of the elevator. I park further from work than I need to and walk. I go for a two mile run on my lunch hour. Little things like that add up.

iWaffle

Getting up and moving around is good for your circulation but sitting in a cubical all day does't keep me from losing weight. Excess food keeps me from losing weight. Don't stress about being at a desk all day. Just do stuff outside of work to stay healthy and you'll be fine. I do 30 minutes of cardio in the morning before I go work and hit the weights 3-4 times a week. Of course I work hard at eating well too because that's more important than anything.

I've been at a desk for years and years and it doesn't stop me from being in shape. When I find myself getting out of shape it's from slacking on eating discipline and skipping the gym. My job has little to do with what kind of shape I'm in. Actually I sort of like having a desk. I always bring a lunch (#1 tip. Don't go out to eat with the herd, or you'll look like a cow) and having my food right there lets me graze on it during the day at my whim and helps avoid the break room donut syndrome.

Don't stress or let some "research" of your typical desk worker make you think that it's harmful for you. It's habits of a desk job, not the desk itself that gets you into trouble.

alaliberte

noelledell-I too have a desk job. There are ways around sitting there for 6-8 hours feeling helpless and tied to the desk!

I've got two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute lunch--not very much. On my breaks, I shut my door and do some arm exercizes--dips on the chair or pushups, sometimes I do crunches. I always get out for 3-4 minutes to breathe fresh air.

I've taken to bringing a bag of workout clothes with me to work (and yes, they go home with me almost every night to avoid a stinky office!). Sometimes I run during my 30 minutes, sometimes I bring my road bike and leave it at work for several days at a time and ride it for 2-3 days during my lunch.

That is how I get my exercise in during the day. This way, I get in about 2.5 hours a week just while at work. Mondays I swim after work and Thursdays I teach yoga. So between everything I'm still able to get in 5-6 hours of workouts a week. This is probably obsessive. You can still use your lunch breaks and get in a few hours of workouts a week and tone your core/arms/legs.

I've also read that if you fidget around...move your feet, stretch, etc while at your desk you burn more calories--not sure how many.

Good luck! You can do this!!

Il_DaniD_lI

I have a desk job.. I run the stairs on my lunch break and sit on my butt for the rest of the day.

kateanne27

I always get up and visit my coworkers offices when I need to talk to them instead of phone/email etc, I found that simple thing made a huge difference. I also do those chair exercises where you hang your butt off the chair and raise and lower your arms, incline pushups against my desk, standing crunches, etc every so often to try to keep things active. I have a private office so no fear of embarrassment.

Kyrosh

I work at a desk from 8-17.. I walk from the station to work in the morning, which takes me about 10 minutes + the time I have to walk from home to the station is another 10 min... If I do this in the evening as well, I will have 40 minutes exercise already. Most of the time I do some 30DS in the evening around 21:00 when everybody's in bed or somewhere else... So that gives me a daily work out of 60 min!
Take the stairs instead of the lift, things like that help a lot!!
Good luck

dew_drop

I wonder if you could request that your work station be modified so that you can stand. I put in this request to my current job in January of 2012 and they are still "thinking about it" ... would be easier if I wasn't just health conscious and had a doctor's note. Crazy eh? ... Maybe it's worth a shot @ your place.

Nadine

ChitownFoodie

I fidget... Constantly moving in my chair. I take the stairs instead of the elevator. I park further from work than I need to and walk. I go for a two mile run on my lunch hour. Little things like that add up.

^^THIS, except I get my 2 mile run in before work and I take the train so I just get off one stop earlier. I NEVER take the stairs, 1 flight or 40 flights, doesn't matter.

noelledell

Great motivation and suggestions! Thank you all for responding!! I love the tip about the pedometer- I am going to do that for sure! My schedule isn't all that flexible since I have so many deadlines but I do try to take min breaks when I can. I have an hour for lunch and there is a park right next to my office complex but to be honest, I live in the south and right now it's 100+ degrees daily and I just don't want to sweat my *kitten* off at lunch. I know it's an excuse, but I work in a professional office and can't go back stinky and gross and we don't have showers here.

NaeSimpson

I feel ya! I used to have a job where I walked a lot and then got a desk job. I'm lucky enough to have fitness-conscience co-workers. We walk at lunch (having someone to talk to and keep you up to speed it great). We have low-cal drinks in the office and when i get bored or start to fall a sleep, I go to the bathroom and do a few squats or jumping jacks to get my heart rate moving and wake me up. It sounds corney, but every little thing helps. I'm looking for one of those little bicycle things that only goes on your feet to fit under my desk for my lunch break on rainy days. There's tons of stuff out there, it's not finding things to do that's the hard part, it actually doing them. Good luck!

Strobins05

Here are some things I do at my job. Bring some hand weights, I love lifting at my desk, LOL. Also do some dips with your chair and when you go to the bathroom do lunges, squats and jumping jacks. :flowerforyou:

geminigrl622

I have a desk job as well and I jog 3-5 miles at least 3-5 times a week.

sofakingawesome69

I wanted to get some suggestions on how to stay active throughout the day when you're tied to a desk for at least 8 hours! I'm an accountant, and am stuck at my desk between 6-8 hours per day. UGH. I have a timer set on my computer that goes off every 30 min and I will take a 2-3 min break to go to the bathroom, water cooler, or just walk around so that I can get the blood flowing again. I feel like this isn't enough though- I've read a lot of articles lately about how unhealthy sitting for long periods of time is for the body, but not many suggestions on what to do about it- I can't quit my job, so I need suggestions from people that have the same issues. I've just started on my weight loss journey so at the moment I am on a 1600 calorie a day diet and walk every evening for 30-45 min. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!

I work a Help Desk here, so I am tied to the Phone/Desk all day. I take 2 or sometimes 3 quick walks around the parking lot every day. Takes about 13 minutes and is a good chance to stretch the legs and also gets me a quick exercise break. I figure smokers get to take unhealthy breaks, so I am taking my "smoke" breaks..

Pisc2749

Only you know where you work and what conditions you're working in. This should be easy enough to figure out, if your building is large enough, take a break every couple of hours and take a walk around the building outside. Or take a 5-10 minute walk down the street twice a day, would add up to over a mile. Even if you're busy, you're entitled to a couple of breaks per day so take them. Lunch time is perfect for exercise. I don't eat during lunch so I use that time to walk/jog. I eat small snacks at my desk throughout the day vs. one larger meal. No matter where I've worked, I always managed to get out during the day and walk around, at least when the weather is nice. I even used to walk up and down the stairs a few times a day just for exercise. If you want to do it bad enough you'll find a way.

eclare87

I don't have time to read all comments now but I plan to come back later. I actually do a lot of writing and thinking about this subject during my job. I have desk job too and work for media company. It's my passion project to blog, tweet about health at work when I have time. My co-workers and community where I live have given great feedback and tips too. I just did a video about sitting on stability ball at the office! haha Check it out if you want:

http://www.yorkblog.com/biz/fitatwork/

mistigoodwin

get a pedometer and try to beat each days total. It's very motivating when your deskbound and makes you do more trips away from your desk.

Great Idea. Thanks!

Mbishop7684

I have a desk job and I am CONSTANTLY up and moving around. At lunch my co-worker and I take long walks and then I workout after work. I get REALLY fidgety at the office because I am sitting all the time. I find that if I get up and do things every 15 mns- small breaks like get water- helps with that.

I'm going to second the getting lunch with co-workers idea. DON"T DO IT! Its SO easy to fall into well if they do it and look like this than I can too mentality. Bring your own and eat at the conference table OR bring your own and walk to a destination a bit a way and eat it.

Hope this helps!

SueGeer

Try downloading this little gem:

http://www.fitbolt.com/

I use it most days.....you can set how regularly you want an exercise reminder & you can rank each exercise too. Anything from gentle stretching exercises to the dreaded burpees & jumping jacks.

Good luck!

Sue