Sitting more than 8hrs?

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  • 1Pretty_Busy_Mom
    1Pretty_Busy_Mom Posts: 449 Member
    A physical therapist told me to do "sitting marches" in my chair. It actually works your abs a little. Sit in your chair, both feet flat on the floor. Hold in your stomach muscles and sit up straight. Raise up your right foot up about 6" off the floor and hold for 3 seconds, and put it down on the ground. Raise your left foot up about 6" off the floor and hold for 3 seconds, and put it down on the ground. If you do it quietly, no one even has to know you are doing it. Do a set of 20 every half hour.

    Thanks..I will definitely give this a try.
  • 1Pretty_Busy_Mom
    1Pretty_Busy_Mom Posts: 449 Member
    Nice post. I sit at a cube 8 hrs a day as well. I used to be good at getting up on my breaks and taking the stairs all the way up to the top floor and coming back to my desk. 2012 was the laziest year for me ever! starting tomorrow I will start doing this again on my 15 minute breaks. It helped with my focus and circulation. Thank you for this post!!! :-)

    Same here..2012 as far as weight wise was not good to me.
  • branson101
    branson101 Posts: 173 Member
    see if your employer will invest in a walkfit station. It's a treadmill attached to a desk. We have several at my office and it's nice to get up and walk while working.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
    I have a desk job too :-( I have started walking during my lunch break when I can although lately it's either been bad weather, or I need to run errands during lunch. I just try to have an excuse to get up and walk down the hall as much as I can. I'll walk to my coworkers offices rather than send an email, I'll send my documents to print on the far printer (although I get some disapproving looks for that at times, lol), and I always take the stairs (although I'm only on the 3rd floor). Lots of good ideas though; thanks for posting!
  • srenea9
    srenea9 Posts: 142
    I also have a office job, I rarely get up unless I have to get something at the other end of the building, and the bathroom is next to my office so I don't go far. I read that if you sit for long hours its killing you, that you need to stand up for 10 mins every hour. Today thought I'm starting to work out for about 10 mins in my office, I can close my door & just look up dancing videos on youtube. Just to get moving for a few minutes.
  • dtban
    dtban Posts: 111 Member
    I am a secretary and sit for 8 hours a day also, here are a few things I do to add exercise in that are barely obvious so no one notices. When i am stading at the fax machine waiting for a fax to go though or waiting for a bunch of copies, I lean my but against the table beside it and i lean back and forth doing abdominal crunches...to everyone else it looks like I am just bored and passing time.

    I drink my 8 glasses of water at work so I do use the bathroom frequently...which I always wash the seat before using it LOL...but on the way to the bathroom I have to walk through a back room area where no one ever is, so if there is no one around i will do lunges all the way to the bathroom and back each time I go and can do it without getting caught.

    I do leg lifts under my desk

    most people who have a swival chair, out of habit, constantly swival all day long, use this to your advantage, use your stomach muscles, not just your feet, to swival yourself left and right in a circular motion, this will tone up your mid section wthout anyone thinking anything other than you being a normal person who likes to swival in your chair.

    People who naturally fidget out of bordom burn more calories a day than people who sit still.
  • Delaine2000
    Delaine2000 Posts: 6 Member
    I sit at a desk all day as well and it's draining at times, eventhough I'm not moving physically alot. I recently started getting up at 5:00 a.m. to workout and I think that has helped my energy alot. Now after a long day at work and if I'm mentally and physically tired I don't feel guilty about not doing some physical activity for the day. I'm going to incorporate stairs in my plan now since we are on the 6th floor. I think walking during lunch is also awesome.
  • SweetCourt
    SweetCourt Posts: 17 Member
    I have an office job- I recently switched out my extra large water bottle with a much smaller one so I get up at least 2 times an hour to fill it.... not to mention the MANY power walks to the bathroom :tongue:
  • FrogAndGiraffe
    FrogAndGiraffe Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks so much for starting this post -- great ideas on here! This is me, too -- at a desk all day. I recently started setting a timer on my computer and get up to walk around every 54 minutes. Not only has it made me move more, the added bonus is that I'm more focused and productive during the 54 minutes. I also try to use the restroom two floors up and I walk during lunch as often as I can.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
    I sit for 8 hours a day at my desk doing tech support for Dell Computers. I know the feeling about going to the snack machine to grab junk food. I did that today twice, and ate 3 candy bars. I almost never do that, but today, it just got me. Outside work, I'm an animal now. I run, cycle, lift weights, spin on stationary bikes, treadmills, punching bags, the works. Have to get some activity in sometime. Feel free to add me. :)
  • MarcyL43
    MarcyL43 Posts: 4
    I sit for 6 hours at the office at the computer, and do not get a lunch period. I take 10 min walks every 2 hours. I have stairs and like to include them in my walk, especially if I cannot go outside. Do people have luck using an exercise ball as a chair? I am not a small woman and this could be a challenge. What do people think?

    M
  • taps42
    taps42 Posts: 13 Member
    I am sat at my desk all day as well. I work on the 2nd floor, and the kitchen is on 4th floor so I do try and take the stairs - although I only go up there to put lunch in fridge and then to get it out again. I have got a cross trainer which I try to go on for at least 10 minutes a day
  • 1Pretty_Busy_Mom
    1Pretty_Busy_Mom Posts: 449 Member
    I lean my but against the table beside it and i lean back and forth doing abdominal crunches...to everyone else it looks like I am just bored and passing time.

    I drink my 8 glasses of water at work so I do use the bathroom frequently...which I always wash the seat before using it LOL...but on the way to the bathroom I have to walk through a back room area where no one ever is, so if there is no one around i will do lunges all the way to the bathroom and back each time I go and can do it without getting caught.

    I do leg lifts under my desk

    most people who have a swival chair, out of habit, constantly swival all day long, use this to your advantage, use your stomach muscles, not just your feet, to swival yourself left and right in a circular motion, this will tone up your mid section wthout anyone thinking anything other than you being a normal person who likes to swival in your chair.

    People who naturally fidget out of bordom burn more calories a day than people who sit still.

    Funny, I love all your ideas. Thanks
  • 1Pretty_Busy_Mom
    1Pretty_Busy_Mom Posts: 449 Member
    I sit for 8 hours a day at my desk doing tech support for Dell Computers. I know the feeling about going to the snack machine to grab junk food. I did that today twice, and ate 3 candy bars. I almost never do that, but today, it just got me. Outside work, I'm an animal now. I run, cycle, lift weights, spin on stationary bikes, treadmills, punching bags, the works. Have to get some activity in sometime. Feel free to add me. :)

    The candy bars..Omg I wanted a snickers soo bad yesterday. I settled for a granola bar. You do a lot of exercising I'm sure you worked off all 3 candy bars. Thanks for the invite.
  • 1Pretty_Busy_Mom
    1Pretty_Busy_Mom Posts: 449 Member
    I sit for 6 hours at the office at the computer, and do not get a lunch period. I take 10 min walks every 2 hours. I have stairs and like to include them in my walk, especially if I cannot go outside. Do people have luck using an exercise ball as a chair? I am not a small woman and this could be a challenge. What do people think?

    M

    No luck here with the ball.
  • eAddict
    eAddict Posts: 212 Member
    I use the stairs all the time. I go for my non-smoking breaks by walking the building and the stairwells. Anything to get me away from my desk.
  • GabriellaMaria
    GabriellaMaria Posts: 150 Member
    I am planning to try sitting on an exercise ball instead of an office chair.
    SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA!!:smile:
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    Right now, I'm not only stuck at a desk but I'm stuck in a wheelchair while I recover from knee surgery. I use my crutches at home, but I need the wheelchair because it has an extension for my leg until I can bend it, (Once I can bend it, I can move to a regular chair). So, throughout the day I will do dips on my arms rests and I get up and use my crutches to move around the building as much as possible. I also work out at the gym before work, but lately I haven't been doing it because it means I have to shower and get dressed at work which is really difficult on crutches.
  • Momma258
    Momma258 Posts: 8
    I also have a desk job. I have heard it is really bad for your heart to sit still all day. I would just try to get up and do some discrete stretches to get the blood flowing and circulation going. You could do some leg lifts, or squats. I have poor arm strength so I have an exercise band that I keep in the drawer and try to do some strenghening. Make sure you bring enough food of your own to eat so that you don't have to visit the vending machine. Planning my food ahead of time is key for me. I put in the food for the day almost a whole day ahead of time, and then tweek it as needed throughout the day, based on exercise I get. Oh yeah, I eat my exercise calories.....:bigsmile:
  • meglynne1987
    meglynne1987 Posts: 382 Member
    Hey there! I have a job where all I do is sit in front of a computer for 8 hours or more as well. To keep my fitness goals going I use a Yoga/ balance ball to sit on. (This tends to put me a little shorter than I would be in my chair but I make sure my back is up straight and It's not that bad.) I also have small weights at my desk like 3 pound or 5 pound weights I do some arm workouts while i am on the balance ball. I have a small foot bike under my desk to help keep my legs awake. I got all of this stuff at Wal-Mart for under $35. Sometimes when I need a change I look up "desk workouts" on YouTube and i find some pretty good ones as well.

    Good Luck! I hope this helps and you find something that works for you!
  • mhk0719
    mhk0719 Posts: 255
    I also sit at my desk 8 hrs a day. Sigh I will say I get up and go to the Y 4 mornings a week. No, I really don't like getting up so early, but I know I will get my workout done and feel better...about sitting at a desk all day.
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
    I work 10 hour shifts, and I only get 2 15 minute breaks and a 45 min lunch....so I just get up at my desk and stretch every half hour or so. If I really need to I will march in place at my desk to get my blood flowing.
  • Lunnunis
    Lunnunis Posts: 71 Member
    My job is mainly sitting, with a few opportunities to get up and move around most days. At the end of each lunch hour I climb all the stairs in the building, which makes me out of breath. Then I ride the lift down and do it again.
  • ehunter2k03
    ehunter2k03 Posts: 1
    I have an office job as well. I try to get up every hour and move. We have a big parking garage so I will power walk and circle that about 5 times 2-3 times a day if weather permits. If I can't get outside I walk the office building and take the steps to each floor from one side of the building to the other side of the building. We have 7 flights.

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