Sitting all day=super death in the face

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Sarahdangerfox
Sarahdangerfox Posts: 38
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey y'all-

My friends and family keep sending around these articles about how sitting all day will take yeeeeeears off your life and make you all morbidly obese mega death, but honestly...I have a desk job! I have to sit all day! I get in a half hour of cardio at the gym at lunchtime every day, and I try to stretch as often as possible. I take my pooch for half hour walks in the morning and after work, and I also fidget my damn legs like a crazy person...but what else can I do to break up the sitting or to help with the SUPERDEATH that is apparently headed my way? Sick of hearing this all over the place.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
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    Tell'em to mind their own business!!!! Don't worry abvout what everyone else says or thinks...................it only matter what you think of yourself!
  • BaronessBlixen
    BaronessBlixen Posts: 56 Member
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    I have a desk job too, at a K-12 school. I try to force myself to get up and take a walk around the school at least once, just to do it. Or use the copier outside of my office, rather than the one five feet away.
  • JDRBT
    JDRBT Posts: 264 Member
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    Make sure you take those 5 minute breaks and walk around a bit during the day. I have a sedentary job too. When I worked in an office (I now work from home), I had a rule - if I didn't bring it, I didn't eat it. This saved me money in buying lunches, saved me calories because I wasn't eating out, and it kept me away from the junk food that seems to be available in offices around the world. This included coffee, tea, and other products.
  • mlh612
    mlh612 Posts: 311 Member
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    I'm with you.. I have a desk job and on some days I barely move 3 feet from my desk.. I try to take a mini break - walk around our small office just to get out of the chair, but depends on the day... I just do what I can outside of work and try not to sit too much when I get home :wink:
  • fitniknik
    fitniknik Posts: 713 Member
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    lol...

    Super Death... Its actually worse than normal death
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
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    Rule Number One: Everybody Dies.
    The fact that you are here, and exercising speaks volumes. Try googling desk exercises or something like that. There is a lot of info out there on this topic. Here, I'll get you started: http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=desk+exercises+at+work&aq=4&aqi=g5&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=39e5bf4e97622fe9

    Good luck on your journey, and try not to worry so much about dying yet, enjoy the time you get...
    :drinker:
  • mcqlove87
    mcqlove87 Posts: 59
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    I too have the dreaded desk job. But it sounds like you're doing great things to counter-act it. I work at a car dealership, and I will find as many excuses as possible to walk across the lot as many times as I can.
  • chnkydnknmomma
    chnkydnknmomma Posts: 258
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    I drive a school bus, so yeah, I sit most of the day too...guess megadeath is comin for me!!! LOL I get up and walk around after every run is finished, and try not to keep my legs in one position all the time. My ankles do swell badly in the warm weather, but I think that's pretty much a job hazard.
  • abeesinger
    abeesinger Posts: 6 Member
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    I knew a lady who would sit on a stability ball during the day. It helped her work on her posture and she had to work harder to sit during the day. This is just an example of what I am talking about. I hope it helps!

    http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=stability+ball&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4135041324350455300&sa=X&ei=eDnVTbbAI8OBtgfMqImBDA&ved=0CGMQ8wIwBA&biw=1260&bih=866#
  • sweetmanjd
    sweetmanjd Posts: 94 Member
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    Super death sounds ridiculous...BUT if you are concerned (or need to reassure your friends and family that you're taking action:) you could add a walk around the block/parking lot/etc once every hour - two hours. Doesn't have to be fast...in fact, a slow walk w deep breathing is probably better.
    I work a high stress desk job and have found that taking the 3 - 5 minutes to get away from the screen really helps mitigate the stress. And as it turns out - no catastrophes happen in those minutes!

    You might also ask people to stop sending you such articles...or delete anything that has "Fwd" in the subject line from those folks...honestly, you won't miss anything important:)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    What, exactly, is a "SUPERDEATH"? I mean, it sounds better than a regular death, but I don't really want either one right now. I've had a desk job for 30+ years. How much longer do I have??? Should I start my bucket list?
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
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    Honestly I do not believe the hype. If you sit at a desk job all day AND are NOT active the rest of the day maybe you will have a problem. I think getting in as much activity as you can and making it a habit, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking in the farthest parking spot, when bending over use your legs and squat to engage muscles rather than bend at the waist...little simple changes to daily life. Plus the added activity you get from REGULAR workouts. inho.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    I have a desk job but am the fittest person in my office... Go figure...

    It's not just a question what you do during your 8 hours at work, but what you do with the 4 hours before and the 4 hours afterwards...

    Plenty of time to be active.
  • BaronessBlixen
    BaronessBlixen Posts: 56 Member
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    lol...

    Super Death... Its actually worse than normal death

    Hahahaha. :drinker: Hey, we're all going to die eventually.
  • AllisonS79
    AllisonS79 Posts: 51 Member
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    I have a desk job too. I try to go walk around the mall on my lunch break or take a walk outside. It's not always possible when you're swamped with work though. I have a water bottle that I refill about 4 times a day and I have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to the water cooler. That helps too LOL.

    Most of all, I just try to stay active after work. You can't just get home and plop down on the couch. You've got to use your body when you can. Even if you're just cleaning your house or doing laundry (fun fun, I know...)
  • Jessaamine
    Jessaamine Posts: 111
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    I vote torrid office affiair. You'll get to leave your desk AND get a cardio workout! ; )
  • lynnmarie60
    lynnmarie60 Posts: 325
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    I work in an office too with a sit down job; just get up as much as possible, like, instead of calling someone across the room go talk to them instead. Take walks on your breaks (5-10 helps), get up a stretch every hour for a minute or two and get plenty of exercise before or after work (at least a hour a day) and you will be fine.
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
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    I was just thinking this morning.... I'm so tired of sitting all day!
  • wrevhn
    wrevhn Posts: 864 Member
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    get a exercise ball and sit on it instead of a chair. I read that its better and can help work out core muscles all day. also its bouncy :)


    and the taking a break thing i agree with. once an hour i'd make an excuse to stroll around the office for a leg butt and back break.

    drink water, it adds life, pets add years to your life, apparently chocolate eaters now have years added. lol, combat the "facts" with other ones that are more positive! And tell them the stress they cause you is far worse on you then sitting is!

    SMILE!
  • JustBill
    JustBill Posts: 93 Member
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    In addition to walking around the office once in a while, I've also stopped using the restroom on the same floor of my office, opting instead to use the one downstairs and walking up and down the stairs each time. If you're drinking a lot of water in the course of the day (you should be!) this will equal A LOT of trips up and down the stairs!

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