Desk job

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xXAlana21Xx
xXAlana21Xx Posts: 183 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I recently came upon a desk job and im wondering how everyone handles it. its driving me crazy to sit all day and especially knowing im not working off breakfast or lunch!

Replies

  • jchecks
    jchecks Posts: 133
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    i too have a desk job and feel your pain. BUT...you have to make an effort to move around. go to a printer thats further away...go to a bathroom on another floor...i know these may sound cheesey...but it adds up. i work in a building with 10 stories...and i am on 9...i have vowed to myself that if i get in the elevator and someone presses floor 7 or 8...i am going to get off there and walk up to my floor. there are definitely ways to move around...you just have to be proactive!
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    desk job here. 4+ yrs and going. I take stairs when I can. park far as possible. I take breaks and go walk around the building a few laps. I don't smoke either. thats what I did during dayshift. now I work graveyard. I have much more free time. I take every night 1 hr walking/jogging sessions. I bring a change of clothes too since I work up a good sweat.
  • erinjoy002
    erinjoy002 Posts: 55 Member
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    I too have a desk job. I found some walking buddies and we walk in the office during lunch. there are 4 buildings connected 5 stories high so we walk in a loop around all 4 buildings go down one floor and again and again until we get to the second floor and then we run up to the 5th floor. It's only takes us 20 minutes but it's a great way to break up the day and burn a few calories. :) When it gets warmer we will start walking outdoors around the buildings.
  • franzy
    franzy Posts: 259
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    I know I'm the same way. You can get up every now and then go to the bathroom and stretch out or some standing situps.
  • Alysgrma
    Alysgrma Posts: 365 Member
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    I too have a desk job. I do leg lifts under my desk, I use 2 bags of phone books (about 5lbs each) and do arm lifts with them. When I walk down the hall I will stop and do 50 wall pushups. Instead of just sitting I will stand and do squats while on hold. I can do about 40-50 squats while just on hold!! Stand when working on the computer etc. It is just the little things you do while sitting that helps.

    Hope these help :laugh:
    Mary
  • chiarunner
    chiarunner Posts: 24
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    I'm right there with you! It drives me insane :-).

    Something that is really helping a friend of mine is this little device -- http://www.pair-down.com/?_adwordscampaign1. She says that it's the perfect little motivation to stand up and get moving even whilst on conference calls or what-have-you.

    I worked tech support for years and being bound to the telephone for 3 hours at a go was horrid. I would actually do push ups in my cube (modified, just doing them off wall or table top) to wriggle off the stress of getting yelled at the people I just wanted to help.

    Good luck!
  • slwolford
    slwolford Posts: 2
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    One trick people in my office have used over the years is to sit on a balance ball at your desk for part of the day. I think you would be surpirsed with how much it will work on your core just sitting at your desk. Good Luck!!
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    I walked every lunch about 3km in 30 minutes during spring/summer/fall. Winter is just too cold but I do 55 min of cardio 6x a week so I'm not worried.

    Just be sure to not snack throughout the day - unless its veggies of course. If you are not crazy busy your mind wanders to thoughts of food. I keep melba toast and almonds just in case of emergency so I don’t end up buying a muffin downstairs but I try to not eat these items.

    I walk to the printer a lot, its only 20 feet away though and I take the stairs down at the end of the day (only 5 floors of this building). It's too bad I can't take them up but they are locked since you aren't really supposed to be there unless it’s a fire.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
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    One trick people in my office have used over the years is to sit on a balance ball at your desk for part of the day. I think you would be surpirsed with how much it will work on your core just sitting at your desk. Good Luck!!

    I invested in a Balance Ball Chair by Gaiam for my desk job. It's a little better than just a large ball because it has wheels like a regular office chair. I still switch it out with my normal chair occasionally when I'm feeling tired. It helps with maintaining good posture too.

    I don't love having a desk job, but it certainly hasn't hindered my progress.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I have the same problem. I have started making laps around the floor. Just walking at a normal pace. I counted my steps and then figured out the calories lol .. so now when I have a free moment I get up and walk around the floor - it could add up :) If I do it twice an hour that's 70 calories per day. Sounds crazy but when I'm not busy, it beats staring at the walls lol
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    balance ball at your desk for part of the day.

    Yea, wanted to do that but as a member of my office's heath and safety committee the chance of me rolling over on my head were too great (for me, yea this is probably pretty true. More mature less energetic people could probably handle it ;) hence it was recommended I do NOT try this.

    Also, I would need an XL size ball since desks are pretty high. Great for me since I'm 5'8 but we're always getting requests for those keyboard attachments that lowers it down from your desk and foot stools for those 5'3 and under.

    There are little foot pedals you can buy for $30-$60 to use under your desk if you are really serious but I believe the caloric burn is minimal. You use more energy and muscles walking to the washroom. Do the balance ball if you can though!
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    One trick people in my office have used over the years is to sit on a balance ball at your desk for part of the day. I think you would be surpirsed with how much it will work on your core just sitting at your desk. Good Luck!!

    I invested in a Balance Ball Chair by Gaiam for my desk job. It's a little better than just a large ball because it has wheels like a regular office chair.

    Googled this, this thing is neat! On sale for $99 here (was $120) http://www.gaiam.com/product/exercise-ball-ballanceball-chair.do BUT, I should probably try a $10-15 ball first, see how management reacts ;)
  • Stefani74
    Stefani74 Posts: 448 Member
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    9 hrs a day at a desk! I have just started working out again at home and I try to it early before work. When it warms up and I am going to start walking on my lunch break. I have an hour and have a great place to walk right outside my workplace. In the past I have made circles inside our warehouse during the cold months...which I could start doing until it warms up. I know what I need to do, it's just getting back into that routine!
  • jemorton
    jemorton Posts: 2
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    They have little peddle machines that are just 2 little peddles. Makes no noise. Doesn't hook up into anything (I dont think). You just peddle along under your desk and nobody knows. Might want to research it. My aunt has one.
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    balance ball at your desk for part of the day.

    Yea, wanted to do that but as a member of my office's heath and safety committee the chance of me rolling over on my head were too great (for me, yea this is probably pretty true. More mature less energetic people could probably handle it ;) hence it was recommended I do NOT try this.

    Also, I would need an XL size ball since desks are pretty high. Great for me since I'm 5'8 but we're always getting requests for those keyboard attachments that lowers it down from your desk and foot stools for those 5'3 and under.

    There are little foot pedals you can buy for $30-$60 to use under your desk if you are really serious but I believe the caloric burn is minimal. You use more energy and muscles walking to the washroom. Do the balance ball if you can though!
    Lies! I seem to remember you saying you would get a little too excited bouncing up and down all day. Weird what my mind retains.
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    They have little peddle machines that are just 2 little peddles. Makes no noise. Doesn't hook up into anything (I dont think). You just peddle along under your desk and nobody knows. Might want to research it. My aunt has one.
    I am pedaling as I type.

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