Fitbit Users with Desk Jobs
juliedee20
Posts: 45 Member
I work in a call center 10 hours a day, 4 days a week, with regimented breaks and lunches that force me to sit at my desk until my break is scheduled. This makes it very difficult to get my 10,000 steps in on a daily basis. I make the most of my days off, or at least try to, but I was wondering if there were any other Fitbit users out there like me, and what creative things you do to reach your goals.
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I too sit all day at my desk. I switched my exercise class to before work - I leave the house at 5:20 for a 5:45am class. This gets me about 5000 steps in before work. When I have my breaks at work I usually hit a stair well and head to the basement then back up again. Also on lunch I try to hit the stairs while my food is heating up. After work I'm so busy some nights I can't get much more in. I did discover the shopping mall near me is .5 miles long so if I can I will pop over there and do some laps. But there are a lot of days I don't hit 10,000 steps. I come close, but never seem to get there. I can't wait for Spring to get here so I can walk laps around the building instead of doing just the stairs. Good luck with trying to fit it all in!0
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I have taken to just standing and walking in place every hour for at least 5 minutes. Sometimes I do it more than once in an hour. It's better than nothing! I sit at a desk answering phones and responding to emails. Plus when I use the restroom I take a lap around my floor before and after the restroom.0
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Any chance of a headset and doing some cubicle laps or marching in place during parts of the call? I get a lot of my steps in before walking before work (amongst other things, to and from the bus), walking at lunch, and then I top up when I get home. (But I don't have a SO or kids, so I have more flexibility there.) I walk while my tea is steeping and while I brush my teeth. I walk while talking on the phone at home. At work, I walk while I'm waiting for the photocopier/printer to give me the document I want. I walk the long way to the bathroom, and I walk up the stairs to get to our meeting room instead of taking the elevator. I often walk to a colleague's office to talk to them instead of calling or sending an email.... I think I have more flexibility than you do to get up a bit more often, but I do often spend hours at a time sitting at my desk. You can do it!0
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I work a desk job, but there are days I'm pretty active at work. I'm an accountant for a manufacturing plant, and so there are times I'm walking around the plant for various reasons. Friday, for example, I worked from 4a-10p and walked about 12.66 miles during that time. We were doing inventory on Friday, so it was much more active than normal. Mostly, I'm sitting at my desk as I am today. I'm still working long hours because we are short 1 of a 3-person department and this is our busiest time of the year.
When I'm not working, I'm a FT grad school student. So I have the same challenge as far as finding time to work out. It is 1 hr. round trip, but I was able to find a 24 hour gym that I can visit late at night/early morning/whenever I can find time. I still don't work out as much as I would like, but it is a nice place to go use the treadmill while it is still cold outside. I'm training for a 5K next month, so I can't skip too many workouts...0 -
I'm free to wander around as I please, so I do that a lot. I go to the bathroom, to the printer, or just walk around the office a little to get some more steps.
I also have a gym in the building so I utilize that on my lunch break. But on days I can't get to the gym at lunch, most of my steps happen in the evening when I'm at home.0 -
For me, it's walking to work from the train station in the morning, gym at lunch, walking back to the train station at night and being 'inefficient' when walking around the house doing chores at night. I manage about 14k steps even on a non-gym day doing this.0
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I work a desk job as well and even if I do the treadmill for 30 mins I still don't get close to my goal of 10k. Waiting for the weather to warm up to try and walk during lunch break0
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I'm not allowed to wear my fitbit at work so on those days find it difficult to get 10000 steps in - but I have a dog and walk him before and after work. Some days I walk home from work (2.5 miles and add the exercise into MFP) - other days I just make myself go out for a walk in the evening which will, admittedly be easier as the evenings get lighter! I'm also trying to get back to running 3-4 miles so am out for a run twice a week - that helps a bit.0
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Thanks for all the great ideas! Some of them I'm doing but some of other ideas have shown me that I need to make better use of my time that I'm not at my desk. I don't have much extra time, but I know that even 10 minutes of continuous effort can give me about 1000 steps. I've also stopped walking my dogs because of the freezing weather so once it warms up I can get back outside with them and that will help a ton! I think we're all waiting for the weather to warm up!0
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I have a desk job and the best I can do is about 6000 steps a day. As soon as the great thaw comes and all this snow goes away, I'm going to join the local YMCA and take advantage of their walking track after work.0
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I'm not allowed to wear my fitbit at work so on those days find it difficult to get 10000 steps in - but I have a dog and walk him before and after work. Some days I walk home from work (2.5 miles and add the exercise into MFP) - other days I just make myself go out for a walk in the evening which will, admittedly be easier as the evenings get lighter! I'm also trying to get back to running 3-4 miles so am out for a run twice a week - that helps a bit.
Just completely curious how you can not be allowed to wear it? I have the "one" and wear it on my bra... even going through a metal detector I dont think they would know... ?
Anyway, I run on the treadmill 2 miles most mornings, I park farther than I need to at work... I go to the farthest bathrooms I can find... I had them give me a standup desk (electric so I can sit too) - doesnt give me many more steps by I know I am burning more calories and using more muscles standing.... I walk every chance I get (I call them "mental health breaks" and walk for 10 minutes every few hours). Instead of calling or emailing someone int he office I will go talk to them directly. I print things separately so I have to go to the printer more than once. And I hike a LOT on weekends and summers.
Good luck!0 -
Oh two more things
1) give someone else in yoru house a fitbit. When you get home, start your timers. After a few hours check your numbers then chase each other around trying to catch up to the other one. My mom and I did this for awhile because when we got home from work we were so close in numbers we would try to beat each other. You could also just invite people on challenges to give you a little more motivation in the evenings.
2) Mental game - in the evening check yuor numbers, round up to the next 1000. Refuse to go to bed til you hit it. I have paced the hallways for 15 minutes before bed because I was too close to give up...0 -
Lol - one more... drink more water... double win - more water, and more trips to the bathroom = more steps. I learned that one when I switched to drinking tea... holy cow that stuff goes right through me.0
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I'm not allowed to wear my fitbit at work so on those days find it difficult to get 10000 steps in - but I have a dog and walk him before and after work. Some days I walk home from work (2.5 miles and add the exercise into MFP) - other days I just make myself go out for a walk in the evening which will, admittedly be easier as the evenings get lighter! I'm also trying to get back to running 3-4 miles so am out for a run twice a week - that helps a bit.
Just completely curious how you can not be allowed to wear it? I have the "one" and wear it on my bra... even going through a metal detector I dont think they would know... ?
Anyway, I run on the treadmill 2 miles most mornings, I park farther than I need to at work... I go to the farthest bathrooms I can find... I had them give me a standup desk (electric so I can sit too) - doesnt give me many more steps by I know I am burning more calories and using more muscles standing.... I walk every chance I get (I call them "mental health breaks" and walk for 10 minutes every few hours). Instead of calling or emailing someone int he office I will go talk to them directly. I print things separately so I have to go to the printer more than once. And I hike a LOT on weekends and summers.
Good luck!
I get it if they don't have a One or Zip. I had the One, but upgraded to the Surge. Technically, I'm not supposed to wear a watch or bracelet at all when I go out to production areas. Nor am I supposed to wear my RoadID. Our policy is only medical bracelets with break-away clasps can be worn. It is for safety purposes, but I wear mine anyway and nobody has ever stopped me. It helps that I'm not putting my hands in areas usually where it will get caught and trap my hand where it will get cut or smashed. It also helps that, as part of the administrative staff, I'm given more latitude with such things as I'm not spending my entire day in production areas (usually).0
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