desk jobs

My job as a crime scene investigator either has us SUPER active or SUPER sedentary. The last few days I have felt as though I could be doing something as I type reports/read articles, etc.

Any of you try to stay active while at work? My co worker sometimes sits on an exercise ball... anything else?
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Replies

  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    My job as an IT geek has me at a desk every day. I don't bother trying to be active at work, other than taking the stairs instead of the elevator and that kind of thing. I just get my exercise in at other times.
  • FireBrand80
    FireBrand80 Posts: 378 Member
    I use the restroom on a different floor
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Walk on your breaks. That's what I do.
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
    I have a desk job too, but nothing nearly as exciting as a crime scene investigator! I work in an Eye Bank. I love my job. It is very rewarding, but the years of sitting on my butt all day really shows! I have read about sitting on the exercise ball, but have never tried it. I try to do things like ankle twirling to keep the blood flowing in my legs. I make a point to get up and move around pretty often, but I truly don't do it enough. I will be curious to see if anyone can give us some good advice. :smile:
  • CaseyP1207
    CaseyP1207 Posts: 148 Member
    My job as a crime scene investigator either has us SUPER active or SUPER sedentary. The last few days I have felt as though I could be doing something as I type reports/read articles, etc.

    Any of you try to stay active while at work? My co worker sometimes sits on an exercise ball... anything else?

    I'll rock out some push ups, chair dips, wall squats and planks in my office if I'm sitting too long.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    I have one of those small stepper things next to my desk. I try to use it in 5 minute intervals throughout the day.
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
    Walk on your breaks. That's what I do.

    Living in Florida doesn't allow this in the summer months... after 1 minute out there I'd be a sweaty mess! hahaha I plan on doing this when it cools down, though. I see ladies do this daily.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    Living in Florida doesn't allow this in the summer months... after 1 minute out there I'd be a sweaty mess! hahaha I plan on doing this when it cools down, though. I see ladies do this daily.
    Ha! Same here in Houston. I'd be a hot mess after even a 5 minute walk outside during the day.
  • TONYAGOOCH
    TONYAGOOCH Posts: 470 Member
    Maybe walk on breaks if you get any or at lunch. Try some squats each time before you sit down. IDK. I don't usually do any exercise at my desk job as a bookkeeper.

    PS - I think you have the coolest job EVER. I would love to do something like that. lol
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    I work in IT so I sit all day too.
    I go to the bathroom at the other end of the building and I do 20 wall push ups every time a go. I drink a ton of water so I go at least 5 times a day lol.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
    If you're at a desk job and you're willing to walk, do it. Even in FL (I live here too) because unless you deal directly with clients/public, nobody cares if you stink. I used to walk the stairs on my break while I would munch on fruit or read and I would end up sweaty(they connected outside) but I carried deodorant and a hairbrush in my purse and nobody could tell (or at least they didn't say anything) that I had been sweaty.
  • Sarabeth1980
    Sarabeth1980 Posts: 62 Member
    My job as a crime scene investigator either has us SUPER active or SUPER sedentary. The last few days I have felt as though I could be doing something as I type reports/read articles, etc.

    Any of you try to stay active while at work? My co worker sometimes sits on an exercise ball... anything else?

    So in the same boat... I am a cop, in an investigative positiion.... Currently I am sitting at my desk shaking my feet, cause I am ADD and it keeps me awake! I print to a copier on the other side of the floor, use the stairs if I need to go to another floor. Even though i don't have a "lunch break" per se, I try to "go out for lunch" and at least get off my *kitten* for a few minutes...
  • paytonOMG
    paytonOMG Posts: 33 Member
    Bump:)
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I work in Finance. Definite desk job. 10 hour work days with no breaks or lunches. I've started taking a convoluted way to my printer to get in some extra steps, and I get up every hour to do SOMETHING to get some walking in. It irritates the heck out of my co-workers, but putting weight aside, I have a history of blood clots and sitting is the WORST thing you can do when you've had a history of that.
  • KJoy7
    KJoy7 Posts: 246
    Hmmm. I sit all day also... I do squats, calf raises, triceps extensions and planks at work... and I walk as much as possible. Hope that helps.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I'll rock out some push ups, chair dips, wall squats and planks in my office if I'm sitting too long.
    [/quote]

    This. Not so much the planks but definitely the other stuff.
  • ScarletFyre
    ScarletFyre Posts: 754 Member
    Walk on your breaks. That's what I do.

    Same here - when i am real good i even try to bring lunches that i can eat at my desk so that i can wak om every break - which is easier said than done since i work in a call center - cant just be crunching on celery at my desk!
  • jwcomputergirl
    jwcomputergirl Posts: 126 Member
    I'm shackled to my desk (software development) and have a 1+ hour commute each way. So I am sitting on my a** ALL DAY LONG.
    - I do three sets of wall push ups while my computer is booting.
    - I put on my headset and pace around my office while on conference calls
    - I'm terribly fortunate that we have a fabulous gym + free membership here at work so I do my C25K during lunch on Mon, Wed, Fri, and then take a Zumba class on Tues & Thurs.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I work in IT. I am sitting in front of a PC most of my shift. Graveyard shift 11pm-7am so I get in walk breaks. I also work weekends and barely anyone is there. I'll come into work wearing workout clothes and take extended breaks. Up to 30 mins and go outside and get a little sweaty. Everyone at my work is supportive and help cover for me if we get busy while I am away. Also hit the water cooler on the 1st floor, taking the stairs, both ways, in the snow. >,>
  • ScarletFyre
    ScarletFyre Posts: 754 Member
    Bump - looking for more ideas too

    We are monitored, so we cannot take the "long way" to the bathroom or fax machine or we are "talked to" for being off the phone too long...
  • gauchogirl
    gauchogirl Posts: 467 Member
    Living in Florida doesn't allow this in the summer months... after 1 minute out there I'd be a sweaty mess! hahaha I plan on doing this when it cools down, though. I see ladies do this daily.
    Ha! Same here in Houston. I'd be a hot mess after even a 5 minute walk outside during the day.

    It's been over 100 here for weeks and I still walk every day around 10 am (when it's only 80-85). I sweat, but I don't really care. We don't have the humidity that Florida does though. Short 20 minute walks a couple times a day help keep you moving. My last job was in Seattle where it rained a lot so I went up and down the 13 floors of stairs twice a day. Every little thing adds up. I've also been known to drop to the floor and do pushups (or do them against the desk if you don't want to get on the floor.) They wake you up quick! I also go to the gym on my 30 minute lunch break and again at 5:00.
  • Desk job here too, nine hours a day. Great ideas from everyone! I need to bring in my excercise band to my office :)
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-55-1610-InMotion-Elliptical-Trainer/dp/B000VICRO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345225314&sr=8-1&keywords=inmotion+elliptical

    LOVE this thing. It's pretty portable too... i can carry it in one hand. I'm sad because mine broke.... ( long story, i brought it home to use while watching during breaks in a concert webcast... while watching the actual concert I didn't have it out of the way enough... I was dancing around, spun in circles, got dizzy, fell over it and knocked it super hard into my OTHER elliptical...a huge clunky thing, and it wound up messing up the one leg... :(... tried to fix it to no avail, but it's pretty cheap to get a replacement...;)

    I used it under my desk ( turning it backwards for some reason, helped my knees not hit my desk) and then as often as i could, would set up a box to put my keyboard on, and then would do my regular office work while pedaling away :) per my bodybug, i was burning anywhere from 7-9 cals per minute while on it...not bad for a machine! It also works your core when you are standing on it because you have to learn how to balance...since there are no arms to hold onto... i likes it better that way after awhile actually!

    Actually considering selling the big clunky thing and getting one of these for home... it's a lot quieter and VERY compact.
  • DoomCakes
    DoomCakes Posts: 806 Member
    I'm an admin assistant somewhere where I can't really walk around a lot outside my office, and to my dismay I share an office (with a rather annoying person at that D:) so I don't really do much in the office to keep moving. I rather have my back to them and pretend they don't exist so they don't start with the annoyingly boring conversations about the same stuff on a different day.

    BUT what I do is when I go to the rest room since it's a single person restroom, I might do some squats or jumping jacks in there. Just something to get moving :D Also works great if I'm low on energy! I just dip out. Granted, I don't do it often, don't want people thinking I have a problem. lol.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I walk on my breaks, but that's about it. I leave my workout for home because we don't have showers at work to wash off the sweat! :tongue:
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
    Thanks, everyone!!! I workout every morning from 6-7 and then again at night but sitting here all day has been driving me crazy! I guess I'm not used to it since we are usually pretty busy solving crimes and whatnot. I love the squat/tri dips idea... and just walking around my building. You all rock :)

    Just did 100 squats... blood is flowing!
  • atomiclauren
    atomiclauren Posts: 689 Member
    I take what I call "creative loops" around my building (Houston here, too, so I don't dare go outside in work clothes for too long at a time :sick: ).

    I take either my phone or pen/paper and walk around (my building actually has a loop and 6.5 times around = 1 mile) - it gives my brain a rest and my body a change of pace and sometimes I even have ideas to write down!

    It's kind of like the "sudden cognitive inspiration" in the Shower Principle mentioned by Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock :smile:
  • snowgrrl83
    snowgrrl83 Posts: 242 Member
    I have a desk job and it sucks for exercise.
    I do make a point to try and get in some walking exercise as much as I can throughout the day.

    Ways that I do this:

    Take the stairs.
    Park my car further.
    Take a walk on my breaks.
    Take a walk or a short run at lunch time.

    I pretty much use any excuse to walk.
    By the end of my workday, my fitbit has usually recorded about 9000 steps.
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
    BUMP
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 751 Member
    On my short breaks I’ll walk and/or do the stairs. On my lunch I get in a good 30 minute jog. I also do random calisthenics through the day, like squats & lunges.