Working from home- Struggling for activity

jessiabhold
jessiabhold Posts: 3 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
I've never posted on here before but I was looking for some suggestions. I work from home in an office position so I sit at a desk for 8.5 hours a day. Working from home is much different from when I was at the office because I don't have to walk to my vehicle, walk to the break room, and I'm not able to really walk on breaks like I used to. I've never thought much about it in the past, I go to the gym 3-4 days/week and try to run outside when it's nice out, so I always thought I was getting enough exercise in my day. I recently got a Fitbit Charge HR and I'm starting to see WHY it's so difficult for me to lose weight. I do my best to stick to the 1200 calories per day but with the Fitbit I can see the actual calories I burn and it's nowhere near the 1000 calorie per day deficit that's required to lose 2 lbs/week. I do work around the house when I do take breaks (usually 2x/day) but for the most part I'm usually just sitting on my butt. Does anyone else have this issue or can relate?

Replies

  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    I don't work from home, but I do have a desk job and sit most of the day (with an hour of commute time too).

    Maybe aiming for 2lbs/week is too aggressive? 1 lb a week would give you extra calories and might not be so hard to stick to.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    2 lbs a week might be too aggressive for you anyway, with less than 50 lbs to lose. The smaller we are, the lower our maintenance calories, so often it becomes difficult to generate a 1000 cal deficit in a healthy manner. You'd have to eat the bare minimum and then work out a ton, and not eating that back means your net calories are probably not healthy for you long term. 1 lb (500) is probably better suited for you.

    That said, trying to move more for general wellness can be nice. Can you take a walk around the block or two on a break? Get up and turn on a song and dance a bit? Go take your lunch to a nearby park? Take up a 30 day challenge, like a squat challenge, and do your daily bit on a break? Get up to refill your water bottle a lot, or put on the kettle? If you do phone work, you can stand or walk a bit while you talk. Even just not sitting is good for us.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    Working from home would make my fitness goals a 1000 times easier. I would have a pull up bar, a kettle bell, and an area for floor exercises. Each 45 minutes, I’d have an alarm go off and I’d do a quick set of one of the exercises I had planned for the day. I’d take calls while I was on a stationary bike.
  • LuckyStar813
    LuckyStar813 Posts: 163 Member
    I work and sit in an office each day and work from home 1 -2 days a week. Computer, email stuff. I just started exercising again and here is what I've been doing.

    Daily walk either at work or home on my break - 15 - 20 mins or 30 mins if it's during lunch or after work. Kinda depends on the weather.

    Youtube videos for strength training with handweights or body weight. Like Fitness Blender. or Zumba videos for cardio. We also have a Wii Fit. I do videos like only last 10 - 15 mins so I can 1, 2 or maybe depending on time and energy level.

    Working out just after work is a great way get the blood moving and transition away from the desk.
  • Tama072015
    Tama072015 Posts: 30 Member
    I have worked from home for years. Kettle bells, yoga mat, exercise once an hour for a few minutes. Stand at your desk when you can. I put my laptop at my kitchen bar and stand. Find some nice after work classes.
  • jessiabhold
    jessiabhold Posts: 3 Member
    Wow thank you everyone for the awesome suggestions!! :) I will definitely try to sneak more activity in throughout my day!
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Have you heard of a treadmill desk? They do exist.
  • klkarlen
    klkarlen Posts: 4,366 Member
    edited March 2015
    When I worked from home I weighed less, because I had my wireless phone with a headset and during meetings that did not require actually watching the Webex presentation, I would walk around the house. Or walk around just my office.

    It was also easier from a food intake perspective because there was no one bringing in goodies all the time. When I transitioned to the office job - egads, the food. . . and I piled on 15 pounds! Glad I found MFP an nipped that in the bud.
  • Neonbeige
    Neonbeige Posts: 271 Member
    I work from home as well and have just created a little routine for myself. So first I got myself a standing desk, I don´t even walk or so, just stand - you will automatically move more, put on some music, that helps a lot!

    Then every 30-60 minutes I go and do something. I am lucky to have an olympic bar at home so I do 10 squats every 30 minutes and 10 overheadpresses. But you could do anything to get yourself moving and level up your activity.

    That´s the advantage: nobody will look at you funny ;-)

    Honestly my "standing desk" is not really something proper, but I am going to get there:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxVx8Y2AhTO4QmhsUXZqcUU2WXc/view?usp=sharing
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    Working from home would make my fitness goals a 1000 times easier. I would have a pull up bar, a kettle bell, and an area for floor exercises. Each 45 minutes, I’d have an alarm go off and I’d do a quick set of one of the exercises I had planned for the day. I’d take calls while I was on a stationary bike.

    this- set your own break times- do your own deal.
    - I'd totally set up a standing work station and invest in a swopper chair if I could!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    I work from home and love the fact I can get a workout in at lunch without going anywhere. Have almost all the equipment and free weights I will ever need. It is awesome, I'd rather be out of work than have to go back to working in an office.
  • rhonderoo
    rhonderoo Posts: 145 Member
    I have a Charge HR, and when I've got long periods that I have to sit at my desk (although it's at the office), especially if I'm on a Webex, I do side steps and "clap" my hands or wrists together. It gets my HR up and also counts as steps (but it doesn't let you cheat, you have to do some pretty good side steps and move your arms in tandem).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2015
    Paper clip jar (or use whatever you have). In the a.m. put 15 paper clips in the jar. Whenever you do 10 reps of something....take a paper clip out. At the end of the day....make sure you've emptied the jar. Add more clips to the jar as time goes on...(maybe get different colored clips for different tasks).
  • slb59
    slb59 Posts: 1 Member
    I have a crate I stick on top of my desk and then put my computer on top of for a "standing desk" for an hour or so every day (well, that's the goal anyway). For some reason, I have trouble concentrating when I stand, so I only do it for certain tasks.

    I also will sometimes walk in circles in the living room or pace in my office when I'm stuck on a boring conference call. On days when I'm really tired, I will set a timer on my phone to go off every hour, and force myself to get up and move for a couple minutes when it goes off. Some days are better than others, and no day am I perfect, but it works for me.

    What's helped more than anything, though, is going for a jog in the morning before I work. That way, I get out of the house, get some sunshine, and get my exercise in all in one go. I find I focus better those days.
  • pdank311
    pdank311 Posts: 137 Member
    I feel that. I only work from home like 2x / month. So much less movement than when I'm in the office. I usually schedule it for non work out days too because it's really hard to even attempt to work out after a day of sitting around like that. I'll never admit it to them, but I really don't like working from home due to that. It's a super sluggish day.

    At least the weather is breaking and you can get out and take a long walk or something.
  • summer8it
    summer8it Posts: 433 Member
    Are you working longer hours now that you're at home, or the same? Working at home saves me so much time during the day. Not only is there no commute time, but it takes me five minutes to brush my teeth and throw on yoga pants and a shirt vs. the 45+ minutes I'd spend on hair, makeup, and clothing to get ready for a day in the office. You could spend part of that time doing some gentle exercise like yoga or walking around your neighborhood with a travel mug of coffee, and probably still get to sleep in a bit!
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    A super easy and quick thing to do to get your heart rate going is skipping rope. It takes practically no equipment/setup and you can do it as a work break, say before lunch. Just a thought :smile:
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i work at home and dont have a problem. my activity level is set to sedentary, so basically laying in bed all day. of course, i dont (i wish LOL), im up and down all day long, sit and work, tend to hubby, animals, laundry, sit and work, get up and do more chores, sit back down and try to work, wash, rinse repeat all day LOL.... i go to the gym 4-5 times a week, have zumba one day, take 2-3 mile walks usually 3-4 times per week and consistently lose 2 pounds a week. Now, I have more to lose than you, which definitely makes a difference, but I also weigh and log all my food. that can make a WORLD of difference.

    so, i would check your activity level, and make sure you're logging accurately. And, as mentioned, with not as much weight to lose (although im sure it doesn't FEEL that way), you will lose at a slower pace, anyways.

    If those are correct, you've gotten some good tips above to try;)
  • randrews0407
    randrews0407 Posts: 216 Member
    Do HIIT ... workout in 5 minute bursts. You can set your Charge HR to buzz you reminders, top of the hour - get your heart rate up / jog in place, do push-ups etc
  • klkarlen
    klkarlen Posts: 4,366 Member
    jpaulie wrote: »
    It is awesome, I'd rather be out of work than have to go back to working in an office.

    So would I if I didn't need the paycheck. I was out of work for 8 months, it sucked.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    A 5 minute break every hour will give you 30 minutes of activity in an 8 hour day. If you make those 5 minutes vigorous exercise instead of just activity, you're ahead of the game.
  • flexi99
    flexi99 Posts: 8 Member
    I WAH two days a week. I use the time when I would be commuting to do some exercise. I either do an hours brisk walking in the morning (or a Lesley Sansone DVD - a 5 mile walk one which is really just low impact aerobics), and at the end of the day I do a workout from Jessica Smith's free workouts on YouTube. JS's workouts are varied in level, type and duration so something to suit everyone. Every hour I stand up and walk around for 5 minutes and do stretching. If you have stairs (I don't) walk up and down them through the day. You can eat better at home too.
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