Getting in those steps

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Celeste0568
Celeste0568 Posts: 5 Member
How do those of you with desk jobs fit in your steps everyday? Sometimes I don't feel like there are enough hours in the day to get my steps in after work. On the weekends I easily get 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 steps. My highest during the week has been a little over 7,800.

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  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
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    I have an 8 to 5 desk job. I walk on both of my 15 minute breaks and 35 to 40 minutes of my lunch break. By 5pm I am usually over 8,000 steps.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Sometimes there are better goals than step based, that don't result in many steps but transform the body more.

    Are you doing some other type of exercise?
  • klrice82
    klrice82 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have an under the desk stationary cycle which I use. It helps relieve stress and gives me steps. (Fitbit has to be on the hip to register). Also, I get up and run through my MMA patterns (the light version) or march in place. Hopefully I will get my standing desk soon as well.
  • Celeste0568
    Celeste0568 Posts: 5 Member
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    I get on my NordicTrak every morning. I don't have breaks and only a 1/2 hour for lunch . . . usually at my desk.
  • cindyangotti
    cindyangotti Posts: 294 Member
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    Since I do sit the majority of the work day I also go to the gym after work. 45 minutes of ARC trainer and 20 of brisk walking on the treadmill get me very close to 10k. So I agree with the above poster about doing other exercise to get your steps in. If you aren't a gym person a nice long walk after dinner is a good way to get the rest of your steps in.
  • punkuate
    punkuate Posts: 127 Member
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    Walk to the train station in the morning, go and see people at work instead of emailing, go a walk at lunch instead of eating, walk to pick my daughter up on the way home. Zumba if I get a chance.
  • FishyK
    FishyK Posts: 147 Member
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    Walk to public transportation and get off a few blocks before work. Walk to lunch, whether it is a restaurant, food cart, grocery or park bench where you eat your healthy bag lunch. Talk to colleagues personally instead of calling or emailing. Take those 10 minute breaks and walk around the block. Move your own paper. Get your own files. Make your own copies. Drink lots of water and walk to the furthest restroom often. Mall walk in inclement weather. Pace whenever waiting for transportation, a plane, lunch, the dentist. Park in the far end of the parking lot. Start walking to your next engagement (dinner, movie, meeting, whatever) and have your partner or friend pick you up after you've gotten in a few thousand steps.
  • skinny4me2be
    skinny4me2be Posts: 358 Member
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    Walk to and from you desk to your car in the parkinglot if you have one there, or to your bus stop and back, for a mini break. Take the long route to the bathroom, take the long route to your co-workers desk..meetings, etc. If you don't have any of those, stand up at your desk and do some steps in place if you can/want...just some simple ideas.
  • neschofield
    neschofield Posts: 3 Member
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    I also have a desk job and no breaks/lunch at desk etc. and find it very hard to get the steps in during the week. I've been parking in the furthest spot from my office to get a few more and I like the idea of walking to talk to people instead of emailing - will try that more.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,644 Member
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    I should start by saying I live alone and have no life. :)

    I'll do a Leslie Sansone dvd in the mornings before work. This is time I would spend sitting at the computer so I sort of just pace/jog back and forth in my apartment to the beat while doing stuff on my tablet. I'll set the tablet down for the two minutes higher intensity stuff after each mile tho.

    Instead of driving somewhere for lunch, I'll walk somewhere a touch closer. That usually takes 10-15 minutes each way. I'll also just walk up and down aisles in Target during lunch if I'm feeling too wimpy for the outside weather. I do miss how much reading I got done while eating lunch tho.

    I tend to make more trips if I have to carry files from my boss' office to my desk or put stuff on top of the cabinets for filing. I also take the mail across the street to the mailbox and take a walk around the block (and a lap around the Trader Joe's parking lot) before going back to the office.

    It's a *really* good thing I'm not chained to my desk. :)

    And then, after work, I absolutely make up for the fact I have a desk job. :)

    Basically, I like food and don't want to live on 1200 calories a day (I'm 5'2" and apparently "tiny" now) so I walk a lot to get those extra calories.
  • AnnSchuh1
    AnnSchuh1 Posts: 1 Member
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    We have walking work stations (treadmills that go only 2.0 mph) and I try to get on that for one hour/day. Helps towards the 10,000 step goal. I also take the longest way to every meeting, bathroom break, parking lot, etc. throughout the day. There are still days that I have to do laps at home before bed time to get my steps in. But I know what you mean, I work from home one day a week and that is my most inactive day of the week. I have to try and apply what I do at the office to that one day as well.
  • catherine190
    catherine190 Posts: 6 Member
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    I walk in my office if I am on a teleconference or reading a document. I can get a few hundred steps doing that and frankly, it helps me focus.
  • sarahmichelef
    sarahmichelef Posts: 127 Member
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    glassyo wrote: »
    I tend to make more trips if I have to carry files from my boss' office to my desk or put stuff on top of the cabinets for filing. I also take the mail across the street to the mailbox and take a walk around the block (and a lap around the Trader Joe's parking lot) before going back to the office.

    Yup, this, both at home and at work.
  • shannonstube
    shannonstube Posts: 64 Member
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    I park almost a mile from my building and walk to and from work (sometimes only from, depending on weather). I walk laps of my floor, trying to do at least two in the morning and two in the afternoon. And I walk at lunch, usually about two miles. That usually gets me close to 10,000 before my work day is over. I walk at night or go to the gym, time permitting. My son is in several activities, sometimes I walk around the field or parking lot while he is at practice/class in the evenings.
  • rivaflush
    rivaflush Posts: 2 Member
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    If smokers can have smoke breaks, why can't you have a fitness break? Set your phone to go off every hour and walk for 8 min.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I use the bathroom on the other side of the building, park at the farthest corner of the lot, and as often as I can I walk to someone's desk instead of email them. Even when I bring my lunch, I walk out to my car and eat there while I return texts and checkout Facebook on my phone (and log my lunch!). I go for a walk after dinner. And I will walk in place in front of the TV! Mind you, I live alone so I don't have to worry about looking silly :). On the days I focus on doing all this, I easily get 2,000 to 3,000 more steps than I would otherwise. And I must admit, seeing my Fitbit friends getting more steps than me is a motivator too!
  • spicerdeborah60
    spicerdeborah60 Posts: 1 Member
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    Today is my first day. I will use many of the ideas in above posts t get started. Thanks
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I walk whenever i can. If I'm on the phone, i walk around the whole time. While I'm waiting for the kettle to boil i'll walk up and down the hall way. I'll take one item out of the dryer at a time, put it away, then walk back and get another item. I'll do 10 laps of the house while I'm waiting for my cup of tea to brew, instead of standing there waiting for it.
    If i have a couple bags of trash to take outside, I'll take one at a time. I'll bring one bag at a time of grocery shopping inside. Instead of parking as close to the store as i can, i'll park further away.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    I don't have a desk job but I love hearing all the ideas. When I come home from shopping I unload one bag at a time and put it away. I do the walking while on the phone sometimes. Had not thought about the dryer idea. When I'm home, I try and walk around the house about 5 minutes out of every half hour. The longer I have my fitbit, the more ideas I come up with.
  • Tabytha13
    Tabytha13 Posts: 23 Member
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    It's not just about the step count, although that's a great place to start. Since owning a Flex my main goal is calorie in verses calorie out so it's all about activity for me.
    My current average step count is just over 14,000 but I don't have the time to walk my secret is dancing! I put my headphone on and boogie my butt off when I'm preparing my family's meals, doing the housework and I've even been know to trip the light fantastic at work while waiting for the photocopier or while laminating. ;-)
    So as long as you don't mind looking a bit of a fool .... dance those lbs away!!