sitting at work

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aurora1111616
aurora1111616 Posts: 18 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
is it ok to use sitting at work as a cardio exercise. you burn an average 55 calories an hour and i sit 8 hours a day so thats 440 calories burned. just don't know if i'm allowed to use it. is there a difference between cardio calories burned and regular non heart rate raising calories burned?

Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Uh, no. Even if you're set as "sedentary" in MFP, your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate, basically your "sit on the couch and watch TV burn") is already taken into account.
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
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    A world of no.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,202 Member
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    Presuming you're actually serious here ...

    No.

    If you've listed yourself as sedentary, that's what it means ... it means sitting around and not doing much and is included in your base calorie limit.

    Also, sitting is not healthy. Look it up. Type the words: sitting and health risks ... into Google and start reading the articles.

    Here's a MayoClinic article to get you started, but there are heaps more:
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005

    You should be getting up at least once an hour and walking around for at least a couple minutes. And standing whenever possible ... like through meetings. And going for morning, lunch, and after work walks ...
  • aurora1111616
    aurora1111616 Posts: 18 Member
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    wow "uh no" "a world of no" and "presuming you are actually serious" thanks for the "helpful" remarks. I was serious. I am new to this site and I didn't know how the calorie and workout portions worked. I have a desk job and most times I don't even have time to leave for lunch if I even get a lunch. Its in a hospital so there are no breaks or lunches. You work through your shift and its all perfectly legal because it is a hospital. I do go home and walk my dog for 2 hours but that is the only "exercise" I get. I guess I will just have to go below my 1200 cal for the day to lose weight.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    YoYou'reure quite welcome. Have a most wonderful day.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,202 Member
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    aurora1111616 wrote: »
    wow "uh no" "a world of no" and "presuming you are actually serious" thanks for the "helpful" remarks. I was serious. I am new to this site and I didn't know how the calorie and workout portions worked. I have a desk job and most times I don't even have time to leave for lunch if I even get a lunch. Its in a hospital so there are no breaks or lunches. You work through your shift and its all perfectly legal because it is a hospital. I do go home and walk my dog for 2 hours but that is the only "exercise" I get. I guess I will just have to go below my 1200 cal for the day to lose weight.

    Yep.

    I'm in a similar situation ... except that, thankfully, I do get an hour for lunch and my employers are big on health and wellness, so no one says anything if I want to stand through meetings (several others are doing the same thing) or if we get up and walk up and down the stairs or something.

    I also have about 1200 calories for the day ... and if I want to eat more, I have to do more. If I don't ... that's my limit. It's a good motivator! :D

    Can you walk in the morning on the way to work? I walk to catch the bus, and then walk from where the bus drops me off to my office. Same on the way home. That's about 1 km of walking.

    I walk whenever possible during the day ... any excuse ... toilet, photocopier, coffee ... but I don't count that sort of walking.

    After work, my husband and I cycle or walk. He's busy setting up a gym in the basement so there will be the option of doing indoor workouts as well soon ... just in time for winter.

    As you walk your dog for 2 hours ... can you take hilly routes? Or pick up the pace and perhaps jog a bit.

    Then there are days off and we try to get as much exercise as we can. There are times when we're out on our bicycles for hours.





  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,202 Member
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    BTW - if you're working in a hospital, of all people, they should have a health and wellness program for their employees. If there is one that isn't well publicised, maybe try to get involved in promoting it.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Try to get a standing workstation. It's so much better from a health & well-being perspective, and it burns more calories too.

    For exercise, look into high-intensity cardio (HIIT / intervals). Running up the stairs is a good example. Very efficient for fat loss.

    Also do some strength training, to keep your metabolism high. Even 2 sets per muscle group twice per week can make a difference, and it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. Google "Nerd Fitness" for a bodyweight-based program.. but try to get on a freeweight-based program eventually (Stronglifts, etc).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Nope, sorry, thats part of your activity level and already accounted for.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    If you told MFP you want to lose weight, you eat what it says. So no, please don't go below the 1200 cal to lose weight! That IS what it's telling you to eat to lose. If and when you exercise, it will tell you to eat MORE. You don't have to do anything to earn the 1200.

    And you may be happier starting with a different goal as well. You can tell it 1 lb / week, or 1.5 or even 0.5. Any of those will allow you to eat more and still lose! (Just lose more slowly.) So if you are feeling not so great on 1200 calories, consider changing your goal, at least for a bit. You can always try to move it back once you adjust.

    There are also some great stickies around the various boards here. Definitely check them out if you get a chance!
  • aurora1111616
    aurora1111616 Posts: 18 Member
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    thanks all for the comments and ideas !
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    And, research has shown that when you sit for longer than 20 minutes at a time, bad metabolic things start happening in your body. You should, at least, get up and walk around a bit every half an hour or so.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
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    tufel wrote: »
    And, research has shown that when you sit for longer than 20 minutes at a time, bad metabolic things start happening in your body. You should, at least, get up and walk around a bit every half an hour or so.

    I work in an office so every so often "offer" to make the team a drink :)

  • agratzy
    agratzy Posts: 114 Member
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    I'm in reception so instead of phoning people I try walking to their office instead. I also go to the mall at lunch at just walk around for the full hour. I use a fitbit to calculate my calories for me. $100 to tell me as close to exactly as I can get how much I burn on a daily basis, totally worth it for me!
  • unit_cohesion
    unit_cohesion Posts: 1 Member
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    I work in an office for about 9 hours per day. To get my walking up in addition to fitbit, I have an app called 'Stand Up!' to remind me to get up every 20 minutes. Also, the more water I drink the more trips to the bathroom and to the water cooler I get to make, so that helps decrease the sedentaryness of my day-to-day activities as well. I still do keep my activity level at sedentary, though. Best of luck!
  • SBRRepeat
    SBRRepeat Posts: 384 Member
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    aurora1111616 wrote: »
    Its in a hospital so there are no breaks or lunches. You work through your shift and its all perfectly legal because it is a hospital.
    I work in a hospital too, and h*ll no, it's not "perfectly legal" to not give you breaks. A lot of caregivers don't take them, because they feel they are unduly burdening their coworkers by handing off their patients to go take a break, but we spend huge amounts of time and energy encouraging them to do so, because they tend to be healthier, happier, and better at their jobs when they do.

    Since you sit all day, I'm guessing you're some sort of support or "non-essential personnel" (technical term, not an insult) which means there is no reason on gods green earth why your employer should be breaking federal law and forcing you to work through breaks.
    Take a lunch break, then go for a walk.

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