Ideas for exercise during work (desk job)

Eat lunch at your desk then spend your actual break going for a walk

I'm in much the same boat! I work out after work on a lot of days (or, at the very least, try to get a long walk in), but doing a little extra during the day helps a lot.

A few things I've found that have helped me personally:

- Buy a pedometer/FitBit/etc. This will make you more conscious of how much you are or are not moving around during the day and will drive you to take a few extra steps wherever you can get them.
- Take the stairs (if and when relevant) instead of the elevator
- Instead of hitting up Facebook or Google News when I need a brain scrub to start on the next project, take a walk around the floor, or downstairs and back up
- Take the longer way. Park farther away from the doors, take a circuitous route to your desk, from your desk, back to your desk. Use bathrooms on another floor, in another wing. Anything to add a few more steps and a little more movement
- Exercises at your desk. My knees are busted, so one of the things my orthopedist has me doing are quad exercises that can easily be done sitting at the desk while I'm stuck in a neverending conference call.
- If you have something to ask someone who works in your vicinity, get up and go ask them instead of calling or emailing. Odds are, you'll get a better, faster answer, anyway.
- Try to take small breaks. What's your company policy on breaks? If folks get smoke breaks, you get walk breaks.
- Get there early. Take a walk when it's quiet and before all the other folks rush in.

It all sounds really silly, but I promise you, it adds up! It's also better for your back/neck/eyes/posture in the long run to get a little more movement in while working the evil desk job.

Stand occasionally and do deep knee bends, keep a small hand weight at your desk for arm exercises, stretching and flexing. Stairs in the building? Use your breaks to wlak up and doen the stairs a few flights.

Hi Everyone!

I just started using myfitnesspal yesterday and it has really opened my eyes! Especially with calorie numbers in foods! Yikes! I am in need of some suggestions. I work at a desk job and don't get much time to move around the office and only get a 20-30 min lunch most days. Any suggestions on simply things to do at my desk to help keep "exercising" and staying awake while sitting at a desk all day? Thank you for your advice!

I created this thread a bit back with an entire list of desk exercises.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1004318-desk-and-sitting-exercises

Tiffany Rothe has a 10 min workout on YouTube that you can do while sitting. Look up her "Get Fit While You Sit" workout.

My biggest thing (and pet peeve) is to get up from your desk to speak with someone! Not only will this help build relationships, but will give you a few more steps here or there. My boss often calls me from 15 feet away...so frustrating! I've also heard that sitting on an exercise ball helps (although I haven't tried it due to my inability to keep those things stable long enough to avoid falling with my skirt over my head).

If you are comfortable enough in sharing your decision to be healthier with others, you can always try to get co-workers involved too! We often have fitness challenges around the office to give us a mental break (and burn off that catered lunch!)

There are a lot of articles on this if you look it up, but I like this one (I can't do situps or running at work either )
http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-While-Sitting-at-Your-Computer

Good luck on your MFP journey
Panda_1999

Hey there! I too work an office job all day. I work out after/before work every day, but I can understand that you may not have the time to do that. To incorporate movement/tiny workouts into my work day, I sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair at work. It may not be much, but it helps to keep the core more engaged throughout the day. I have a friend that does leg lifts with ankle weights on at her desk as well. Also, getting up for 5 minutes to stretch every two hours was a recommendation that I got from my doctor when I was having back issues, and it helped me a lot to stay more alert and incorporate more movement into my day. I hope that helps!

I do mini-exercise sessions 1-3 times every day in my office. I just shut the door and do them on my breaks and/or lunch. I'm finishing my 3rd squat challenge, which has been done almost entirely in my office. Otherwise I do tricep dips off my desk w/ feet in my chair, pushups, crunches, the wheel, whatever. Anything non-jumping.

When I used to be in the cube farm, I'd go out for a quick walk on breaks and lunch.

ETA: I still do my main workout session after work. I just do these as extras and because of a few studies I've read recently that say sitting all day can still cause health problems even if you exercise. I just try to make sure I get up and move every so often.

I take extra restroom breaks for extra steps. Every little bit helps:-)

I suggest making time for your short 15 minute breaks & take advantage of your lunch time. I walk the 15 minutes of my break everyday & walk on my lunch breaks. To enhance my body during the day, I sit at the end of my chair or use a large fitness ball (if your employers let you). That helps build back & stomach muscles- you're less likely to depend on the chair's support. In addition, at times I will get up just to move around when I have a free moment- they don't happen often, so a bathroom run is a great excuse for breaking. I work at a VERY fast paced doctor's office. I understand the meaning of "not having time for breaks" BUT you REALLY need to take those breaks, not only for your fitness level but also for your own mental state. Don't let your work run you- take time for yourself.

Eat lunch at your desk then spend your actual break going for a walk

This is what I did when I was a medical transcriptionist. Granted, I still wound up gaining weight because I ate too much, drank a lot of soda and energy drinks, and just didn't have a healthy lifestyle.

I have a desk job too, so I try to stand up as much as possible, you burn more calories standing than sitting also I walk around our office as much as possible & as fast as possible "nickname Turbo" around here LOL. They have the little peddle things you can do under your desk if you have room and maybe even sit on a exercise ball, they help with posture and work your core. I would love one but I'm not allowed LOL.

I asked for (and got) a standing desk at work. It moves up and down so that I don't have to stand ALL day. I usually stand about 5 hours and sit for the rest. I take the stairs when I can, and try to walk to either the water machine or the bathroom every hour or so. If no one is in the bathroom, I will bust out a few incline push ups on the sinks, do some squats, or both. I have a longer lunch, so I eat and then take a walk, but if my lunch must be shorter that day, I eat at my desk then take a walk. I also take 5-10 minutes around 3pm to take a short, brisk walk. This is my "smoke break", and it also helps me to be more productive by killing the 3pm slump.

Mostly you need to have a deficit through diet and/or exercise after work. If you don't have a ton of time, try Jillian's 30 day shred which only takes 20 minutes (+shower and change) If you can fit that in before you would normally shower, than it quite literally takes like 22 minutes. Weightlifting is great and maybe more cardio is fine, but this would be a fantastic way to start.