DO you have an office/desk job?

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SummerLovin0x
SummerLovin0x Posts: 481 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm sure there are plenty of people on here whom have desk jobs or office jobs.. Secretaries? I'm one of those. Who works a long work day, up at 5 am.. 1 1/2 hour drive to work. Be into work for 8:00 am. work 8 hours, home at 5:00, eat supper, do nails, because i'm also a nail technician, finish at 9:30 p.m. Shower / Bed.

How do i find time for working out. Better yet how do you guys find the time? ox
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  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    I'm not a secretary exactly, but I do communications in an office and spend a lot of time at a desk. I started waking up at 4am to get my exercise in (my normal wake-up is 5:30). It can be hard to motivate myself that early in the morning, but if I wanted to stick with it that was what I had to do.

    The part I got stuck on though: You drive an hour and a half to work? Or 1/2 hour? Because to work 8 hours starting at 8am, and assuming you get lunch, an hour and a half commute wouldn't get you home at 5. If you do drive an hour and a half, I'm really curious as to why you live so far from work.
  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
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    When I used to keep your schedule, I worked out at lunch. We had an hour back then. Depending on where I worked, that ended up being a 1-2 mile walk, or working out in the gym. Your employer expects you to be away from your desk, and your family can't interrupt because they aren't there. Workouts don't have to be an hour of intense sweating and you can even break it up across the day. You have to move to be healthy, start out by moving more. Parking farther away from the office, using the stairs, there are plenty of opportunities in front of you.
  • ilovesweeties
    ilovesweeties Posts: 84 Member
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    Office worker here, but not one with a schedule as packed as yours! I have been taking my activity more seriously since last July, when I started to aim for 10,000 steps a day. That's about 7.5k in actual walking (to and from work) and a dog walk after dinner. I also go for a walk at lunchtime and try to get up to the ladies room or the kitchen as much as I can. I was able to far exceed 10k when I took up running though. Three times a week, for half an hour, 5k run (5.5k steps) and straight into the shower either before work or before bed. Can you park further away from work and walk in and out? Can you run for 20 mins in your lunch break? I'm sure lots of people on here have strength training advice too.
  • jessupbrady
    jessupbrady Posts: 508 Member
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    You'd be surprised how easy it is to find a little extra time once you make a habit.
    Start with shorter exercise routines - something you can do at home.
    http://www.fitnessblender.com has free full length videos and there are several things you can do in a short amount of time (less than 20 minutes) I added a couple favorites that are total body workouts, abs, pilates, core, upper body, and stretching that are all under 20 minutes.
    Once you start carving out some time, you'll find it won't be much to add just another 10 minutes, then another. But just start by making it a habit and then let it grow.
  • SummerLovin0x
    SummerLovin0x Posts: 481 Member
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    @echofm1 Yes i work at a hospital so yeah i drive an hour and a half to work i leave my house 630 to be at work for 8
  • rossinator63
    rossinator63 Posts: 36 Member
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    Get a stand up work station so you are not sitting all day: it is terrible for you.
  • Hollywood_Porky
    Hollywood_Porky Posts: 491 Member
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    Yeah BI consultant (business data analyst). I hate sitting down all day. Used to be a chocolatier. Up between 5-6am - my commute is short. Workout late afternoon.
  • jessupbrady
    jessupbrady Posts: 508 Member
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    echofm1 wrote: »
    The part I got stuck on though: You drive an hour and a half to work? Or 1/2 hour? Because to work 8 hours starting at 8am, and assuming you get lunch, an hour and a half commute wouldn't get you home at 5. If you do drive an hour and a half, I'm really curious as to why you live so far from work.

    I leave at 6am and am home 5pm; but I work through my lunch. My commute is an hour and a half as well because I commute into DC - with 400,000 other people. Roads get a touch crowded.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    Start with short workouts but plan them and make sure you follow through. At the same time, get a pedometer or activity tracker and start watching your steps, trying to stay more active through the day. It really does make a difference. I work a part desk job and come to work 15 minutes early to walk in our warehouse (we start at 6:30 and it's way too dark/unsafe to walk before I get to work) and I also make sure to get short walks in at least once an hour or two. Doing 10-15 minutes worth of yoga or basic strength training in the morning and again in the evening is easy to fit in if you make yourself do it.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    echofm1 wrote: »
    If you do drive an hour and a half, I'm really curious as to why you live so far from work.

    a LOT of people have commutes that far, either because of massive traffic congestion or because they live in a rural area, where you have no choice but to commute for a decent paying job.

  • KrysGettinFit
    KrysGettinFit Posts: 131 Member
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    I'm an admin, so basically the same. I get up at 4 to get my work out in, I'm pretty lucky that my company has a gym in the basement. I also set alarms on my outlook during the day reminding me to get up and move. I usually get up and walk around my cube every half hour or so, then on the hour I will get up and do a "big movement" walking around the office a little bit. Then use the bathrooms on the first floor and use the stairs to get there.. just little things like that. It helps!
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    I work out on my lunchbreak at a gym 5 mins from work and I get up 5 mins out of every hour to walk around - have read lots of articles saying that it's essential to walk around a couple mins every hour if you have a desk job
  • P90XBowler99
    P90XBowler99 Posts: 44 Member
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    Desk job here too, government worker in the IT field. I take a 45 min walk (5K) at lunchtime with lots of hills, and get my workout in when I get home @ 4.
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,197 MFP Moderator
    edited May 2015
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    I drive over an hour to work each day and have a mostly desk job. I traded my chair for an exercise ball. Every so often I use the ball for some quick work exercises. It only takes a minute, plus I have the benefit of doing "active sitting" all day which apparently burns more calories than sitting in a chair. I also tend to get up and walk away from my desk for a few minutes every couple of hours and just go for a 5 minute walk. Whenever I head to the bathroom, I extend the walk just a little bit. I also run in the evenings (my kids are teenagers, so they help with house stuff and/or run with me if it's a shorter run), and have found an app called 30 Days which I do each morning - only takes a few minutes.

    @jessupbrady - I drive into DC every day as well. @echofm1 - living too near DC is expensive and congested. I traded a convenient commute for a house on 3 acres of land (yes I know that's not much, but I'm within commuting distance to DC), and a more rural setting and nicer schools for the kiddos. :) I get out the door at 5:30 each morning, am usually at work by 7 (earlier if I can), work through lunch, then leave by 3 to get home (usually) by 5. It's DC - that type of work schedule is very very common.

    Edit to say I just realized that OP never said she lived in DC. Doh! But the point remains that sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. LOL! Hope everyone is having a fantastic hump day.
  • autodominio
    autodominio Posts: 55 Member
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    I have a job that is mostly desk (70%) the rest is hands on but definitely not consider changing my 'sedentary' to 'lightly active' because of it.
    How do I get in the workouts? I bring lunches that I can eat on my desk or as I move around like a wrap or a sandwich, any meal on a tupperware really if it's not too elaborate but I don't punch out to eat these 'snacks' and I save my lunch time for a workout.
    The other way I do it is that I have a bike trainer at home. It's a stand where you hook up a real bike and use it as a stationary bike. You can put it together and away in only a couple of minutes.
    And lastly here's an advice that may be a little shocking if you can't exercise because of these extreme circumstances you may not have too to reach your weight goals at least, you will need to workout to gain strength and muscle mass but just to drop excess fat pounds you don't need to workout. A book I read even suggest working out may hamper some peoples weight loss efforts as exercise can be an appetite enhancer as it can also be a suppressant. Just things to consider.
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
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    Get up earlier/or at end of day, and do a short workout, lots on UTube. Park far away from office and walk, use stairs, use restroom on different floor, walk during lunch break, take advantage of office gym. use a ball/stand desk. Get up and walk around every hour. Do stretches at desk while waiting on .....
    Some of the advice I have been given. Good Luck
  • MissusSpags
    MissusSpags Posts: 109 Member
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    I leave the house at 6am to get to work for 7. Work until 4:30 and then head home. I've been stopping at the next town over from my house after work to walk for 2 miles. I change into my workout clothes before I even leave work so I'm not tempted to just "go home for five minutes and chill" since in the past, those five minutes turned into five years..lol. I agree with previous posters in that you have to work with what you have. I'm on the fourth floor of our office building and I'm trudging up those stairs like THAT'S my job. We take team walks down on the third floor since three times around the loop is a mile. Anything over and above your normal day will help. :smiley:
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
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    I started by walking on my breaks I get two twenty minute breaks during the day bring your sneakers with you and bam 40min workout done!
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
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    also use the stairs every little bit helps
  • margelizard
    margelizard Posts: 89 Member
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    I have a 45 min bus commute each way, which isn't terrible, but I spend almost my entire day sitting! I get up to go to bathroom and kitchen more often than necessary, and walk to talk to my colleagues in another office instead of using the phone.

    I usually get off the bus 2 miles from my house and walk/jog home. Sometimes I beat the bus, depending on traffic! So I usually walk/jog M, W and F, then cycle at least ten miles on Saturday or Sunday (or both if the weather holds out. But I live in Scotland....).

    Frankly, I'd like to do more, but I also want time to relax, so I let it slide a bit....

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