Full time desk job, What to do for exercise?

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  • jamacattack
    jamacattack Posts: 94 Member
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    I work full time at a desk too. I am not willing to get up any earlier than I already do (5:30) to get myself and my daughter ready so.... I work out in the evenings after I'm done with dishes, dinner, cleaning, etc. It's usually 8:30 or so BUT, I do it. Then I take a shower and relax for the rest of the night.

    I also try to do little stuff at my desk during the day when I have some free time. Every little bit helps.
  • possibri
    possibri Posts: 158 Member
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    I currently work a full time desk job which leaves me sitting at a desk ALL day. Our longest days is from 9-7 of just sitting. Every once in a while I have to get up and let people through security doors but besides that, I must be at my desk. How do you guys mange to keep exercising? Would waking up early to exercise be a good idea? I feel too tired from doing literally nothing all day to want to go exercise and by the time I get home and have my dinner its almost time for bed.

    Im open to any tricks and suggestions!

    I wake up early so that I can get in my exercise. Also, I'm looking into building a standing desk modification for my desk here at work. Sitting is pretty bad for us, so I want the option to be able to work while standing. I'm not sure if you have that option, but if you can get the company to get a standing desk thing, that would be an ideal way to break up the sitting monotony.

    These are fairly inexpensive and quite highly rated (and also make it easy to switch back to sitting): http://www.ergodesktop.com/content/kangaroo-junior

    Good luck!
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    I work full-time and have a desk job, and am training for a marathon. I run in the morning or in the evening depending on commitment and whether I can get up at 5:30 or need a bit more sleep.
  • jessababy22
    jessababy22 Posts: 68
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    I have the pedal exerciser under my desk at work and I love it! My Co workers get a kick out of it. I can get a half hour or an hour done every day by just being at my desk:-)
  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
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    sneak it in at work!!!!!!!!!

    no seriously- how many pushups, squats, dips or lunges can you sneak into a day! make it a game! i bet you can increase your weekly numbers and get a real kick out of it!

    I agree with this i do squats, dips and lunges in my cube all the time. I knwo some peopel on MFP who do them in teh bathroom stall.

    But I also try to get in a 20 min walk about a mile most week day mornings before work.
  • iLose2Gain
    iLose2Gain Posts: 138 Member
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    I usually work out early in the morning. It gets your day started on a healthy note. :smile:

    Also, I find that when I work out early, I usually make better eating choices (probably because I don't want to let my hard work go down the drain).

    ^^^this! :smile:
  • BrazenHarpy
    BrazenHarpy Posts: 81 Member
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    Every morning I jog a little over a mile. Wussy, yes, but it gets the blood flowing and I feel pretty perky for the rest of the day. While I'm at work I drink a TON of water, resulting in numerous bathroom trips that are a nice little break from sitting all day. As soon as I get home I work out for an hour - sometimes that's biking, sometimes it's a biking/weight lifting combo.
  • nilla32zoe
    nilla32zoe Posts: 18
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    I work out in the mornings and likewise have a desk job. but I read somewhere that everytime you have an email--- you are to stand up! Or do leg lifts while sitting in your chair.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    I am another full time desk person. I do what I can during the day, walk as often as possible even if just to fax or copy and do something while waiting on the machine. Jogging in place, arm pumps whatever. Walking before and after are other options as is walking at lunchtime. Or if you have stairs, go that way instead of the elevator.

    All sorts of chair type of exercises that can be done while at your desk at well.

    You can do it!!

    Best of Luck!!
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 595 Member
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    TO THE OP,
    this is great you realize this IS a health risk!!


    You can also do exercises at your desk,
    Like pumping your calves up and down, sitting with great posture, sucking in your stomach, isometric muscle tightening, etc.
    If you google "exercises to do at a desk" tons of sites pop up.

    You could set a buzzer to go off every twenty minutes or so, and do even 5 minutes of some exercise, OR pilates type toning moves, if your job setting allows for that.

    You can use all coffee breaks and lunch hour to walk or exercise.
    If you can, get your coworkers to join in this, too.


    You can exercise when you are home, before you leave for work,
    when you come home,
    weekends, etc.
    GOOD LUCK!!!:smile:
  • rmac18
    rmac18 Posts: 185 Member
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    Work out during lunch. That's what I do almost every work day. Bring clothes, do a 45 minute workout, clean up and back in an hour. No problem. This way I am assured of a good workout at least 5 days a week and sometimes I'll also get a bike ride or run in the evening (I'm not a morning person but that's always an option too). I just find that if I establish a routine then it's easier to stick to it. Plus the other benefit of working out over lunch is I tend to eat less and better. I usually have a protein bar after the workout and I often pack some healthy snacks for morning and mid afternoon so I don't get too hungry. It's worked well for me.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    Definitely work out before work!
  • cutchro
    cutchro Posts: 396 Member
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    Wake at 4:30 have coffee and steel cut oats
    out the door at 5
    arrive at gym onsite at 6
    hit locker room/shower 7:45
    at desk by 8:20 for 8:30 start time
    work till 5
    Home at 6
    bed at 9
  • heatherlee1124
    heatherlee1124 Posts: 8 Member
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    Do leg lifts at the edge of your chair. Do push ups in your chair using the sides and feet planted almost like you cant decide it you want to sit or stand. I also agree with the Kegel :) Get up and do laps if you can get away from the desk, sweep, clean windows, move chairs and dust. I am not a morning person, so getting up early is NOT an option. When you go home to hang and watch the news, sit on an exercise ball. At commercials get off that and do squats, push ups, sit ups, leg lifts whatever. My husband and I do it now as a competition to see who can do more during commercial break. Hope this helps.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I'm not a morning person so I do mine after work (desk job for 30 years!). But there have been periods over those years where I worked out in the morning. If you are too tired after work, then morning sounds like it would work for you.

    I have an office with a door so I also do 2 mini-workouts during my morning and afternoon breaks that include squats, pushups (on the floor and against the desk) as well as some low impact aerobic moves.

    I'm assuming you get a lunch, so you could also take a walk or bike ride then, or go to a gym if one is nearby.
  • annabell48
    annabell48 Posts: 42
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    I don't know if your building is single story or multiple stories. If there's more than 1 floor in your building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go for walks on your lunch hour. When I was working first shift as a shop rat, I'd get up early to get my workout done prior to work because I knew I would let myself down by not doing it after work due to all the excuses out there.
  • sofitheteacup
    sofitheteacup Posts: 397 Member
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    You phrased it that your "longest days" are 9-7: is this every day, or just a couple of days a week?
    I work in school administration and often work 7-5, and waking up early is simply not an option for me, but getting to the gym at 5:30 (when I hate how busy it is) is pretty much my only option. But when I don't want to deal with the people, I go home or work late, and go to the gym around 7 or so: as an added benefit, our gyms have TVs, so I can watch prime time shows while I get in my cardio. For some people, working out after about 7pm or so just wakes them up too much and it's difficult to fall asleep afterward, but I would give it a try for a week or so and see how it goes. A lot of this also depends on what time you go to sleep, or if you have other obligations like children, to attend to after work, but I didn't see anything on that.
  • BlueJean4114
    BlueJean4114 Posts: 595 Member
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    this thread contains links to watch a most fascinating documentary, called "Weight of the Nation"
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/697736--weight-of-the-nation
    6In4J.gif
    and one of the 4 parts
    contains some highlights on some various companies who began their very own fitness programs,
    which i found VERY inspirational. I learned a lot about losing weight, fitness, what sorts out those who MAINTAIN their weight loss from the majority who tend to put it all back on again, how differently one who HAS ever been overweight has to eat, compared to someone else who never was overweight, etc. ...........can't watch that series without learning SOMETHING. Some VERY inspirational people in those films, too. I STILL think about some of the remarks i heard in those films.

    anyway,

    One of them, now a company-wide fitness program,
    that even includes "vegetable of the week" that eveyrone checks off when they've eaten it, (how cute)
    and has everyone doing lil workouts together,
    taking walks together,
    taking turns bringing in and sharing low-calorie treats,
    everyone there focusing on getting healthy, egging each on, to stick with it all,
    even having fitness meetings to discuss how to lose weight/stay fit,
    despite their desk jobs,
    was
    all
    started by
    one (1) woman who worked there and saw how her desk job was ruining her health..

    worth a watch, was pretty darn cool, imo.
  • carolannew
    carolannew Posts: 19
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    Full time desk job here too - 7:30-4. I work in a union shop, so the guys get mandatory breaks at 10 and 2, and I take my 15 minute breaks then as well. I meet my husband on many of the breaks - he works right down the road - and we catch up for a little as we walk. If he's too busy, I usually walk a little further :).

    I have also, for the past 2+ months, been biking to and from work. It's turned from a 5 mile ride into usually around a 10 mile ride, as I'm gaining strength. I'm excited to see how long into winter I'm going to be able to keep it up.

    good luck. Time management is a game, along with everything else!!!

    Carol
  • sr823204
    sr823204 Posts: 53 Member
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    This article gives suggestions: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-at-your-desk

    Best wishes :flowerforyou:

    THANK YOU!!! I too have a desk job and I've been trying to find things I can do while I sitting here.
    :smile: :smile:

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