"Sedentary" office job on 7th floor. What can I do!?
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@MsJulesRenee let me know if it helps!
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I have a desk job too. At work, I walk to the restroom or for water, every 1-2 hours. And I walk to and from the parking garage (which is more than most do here). That's it. I get my exercise before and/or after work.0
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Unless you have a particularly grueling job, I doubt you spend all your waking hours at the office. Just do your exercise in your non-working time!
I also have a desk job. (And I'm also "only" 5 feet tall... well, 5'1" actually, but same difference. I still manage to get a fair amount of activity into my day.
Some ways to stay active:- Go for a walk on your lunch hour. Even just 20-30 minutes will help. A lot. Go rain or shine.
- Use a more active method to commute, if possible. Cycle, walk, or use public transit requiring you to walk to and from the stops, and leave the car at home. Save fuel, the environment, and get some more activity in your day.
- If this is absolutely not an option for you, then at least park further away -- at the far end of the parking lot, or a few blocks away if you street park -- so you'll walk to work.
- Take the stairs for 2-3 flights and then hop on the elevator for the rest. You'll find that, the more you do this, the easier it will become. In less time than you think, you'll probably be sprinting up all 7 flights without breaking a sweat.
- Join a gym. Go before or after work, depending on your schedule or preference.
- Take up jogging. Couch 2 5K is how I started. I had never run more than a few seconds in my life. Within a few months, I was signing up for my first 5k. Yes, I was surprised, too. But the program really does work!
- Take up a winter sport, if you live in a cold climate. Snowshoeing, skating, cross-country skiing... just a few options.
Just to name a few.0 -
One more thing: The lack of exercise is probably not why you gained 25 pounds. Weight loss or gain is mostly about the food. It's a little about the exercise. But all you really need to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. Sure, cardio will help you eat more and still achieve a deficit. But the first thing you should do is to get your calorie intake sorted.0
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I use to live on the 4th floor of a building and I would never ever take the elevator. That was going up and down 4 flights of steps at least 3 times a day. Take the steps slow. Get off the elevator at the 6th or 5th floor and walk the rest up for awhile.0
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One more thing: The lack of exercise is probably not why you gained 25 pounds. Weight loss or gain is mostly about the food. It's a little about the exercise. But all you really need to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. Sure, cardio will help you eat more and still achieve a deficit. But the first thing you should do is to get your calorie intake sorted.
I actually read some info which reports that sitting all day does cause weight gain. The study noted no changes in eating or exercise habits coupled with long intervals of sitting can cause weight gain.
This is my first desk job and my commute is 25-40 minutes one way! I've now become more motivated to watch my diet and increase activity, but it definitely involves some restructure of time. I leave home at 8:30a and typically get home between 7-8:30p to my 3 kids! Working on a new and better plan 0 -
Awesome advice! I was thinking more of inconspicuous upper body movement at my desk, cause wow w.neck and back pain! But I will be more dedicated to going up the stairs. I recently read a sample of Eat, Sleep, Move, and it inspired me to get the fitness tracker band, but what it had to say about LACK of movement was astonishing!
Sounds like you need to ring up your company's ergonomic assessment officer and get a work environment assessment done.
But as for exercise in general ... in addition to climbing stairs (which is a good calorie burner), can you go for a walk each lunch and/or incorporate walking as part of your commute?
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I actually read some info which reports that sitting all day does cause weight gain. The study noted no changes in eating or exercise habits coupled with long intervals of sitting can cause weight gain.
This is my first desk job and my commute is 25-40 minutes one way! I've now become more motivated to watch my diet and increase activity, but it definitely involves some restructure of time. I leave home at 8:30a and typically get home between 7-8:30p to my 3 kids! Working on a new and better plan
What I meant was, the reason you gain weight when you first start a desk job is that you're still eating the way you were before, when you were more active. You're less active now. So you need to decrease your calorie intake accordingly.
Of course, if you can add more exercise to your day, all the better for your overall health. But you can lose weight even if relatively sedentary, simply by cutting calories.0 -
Ever day going down 7 flights 2-4 times a day, now 3 flights up too. Gotta set the reminder to get up from my desk more!
@MsJulesRenee did you try the Sun Salutation for your back???0 -
Ever day going down 7 flights 2-4 times a day, now 3 flights up too. Gotta set the reminder to get up from my desk more!
@MsJulesRenee did you try the Sun Salutation for your back???
not yet
been waking up for work late, too cold to get out of bed! Lol I will be trying it tomorrow when I'm off work. 0 -
I have a sedentary job and I don't have any exercise goals for work. I just try to reduce any potential damage by getting up from my desk and walking around the office once every hour or so. I also switch between a sitting desk and a standing workstation. I make no attempt to find the closest parking spot to the office. Other than that, I save any expectations for activity and exercise for non-work hours.0
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MsJulesRenee wrote: »Ever day going down 7 flights 2-4 times a day, now 3 flights up too. Gotta set the reminder to get up from my desk more!
@MsJulesRenee did you try the Sun Salutation for your back???
not yet been waking up for work late, too cold to get out of bed! Lol I will be trying it tomorrow when I'm off work.
I know what you mean about being too cold in the morning, torture! I moved from N.Y. to Florida a few years ago, no longer a problem
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Ever day going down 7 flights 2-4 times a day, now 3 flights up too. Gotta set the reminder to get up from my desk more!
@MsJulesRenee did you try the Sun Salutation for your back???
Drink more water and use the restrooms on the first floor only.0 -
@MsJulesRenee : I had a very hard time with neck/shoulder/back pain no matter how I sat too. Then started doing a very simple yoga stretch Sun Salute, and it almost immediately improved, I just need to remember to do it every day after my morning shower! Try it and see if it helps:
http://wildernessdave.com/files/2012/01/sunsalutationfinal.jpg
I'm a yoga teacher and am very glad to hear that yoga helped your back
Comfortable chairs are important, too. People who have to sit 8 + hours per day should do it in a decent chair.0 -
Absolutely! Better than any pain relieverkshama2001 wrote: »@MsJulesRenee : I had a very hard time with neck/shoulder/back pain no matter how I sat too. Then started doing a very simple yoga stretch Sun Salute, and it almost immediately improved, I just need to remember to do it every day after my morning shower! Try it and see if it helps:
http://wildernessdave.com/files/2012/01/sunsalutationfinal.jpg
I'm a yoga teacher and am very glad to hear that yoga helped your back
Comfortable chairs are important, too. People who have to sit 8 + hours per day should do it in a decent chair.0 -
like this thread....i'm a desk jockey also...i started doing the stair thing...couple times a day....0
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I've been consistently doing 7 down, 2-3 up at least twice a day....not much easier, but getting monotonous
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I used to work at a call center and a coworker had an exercise ball and dumbbells and used them for a few moments here and there throughout the day. That may help you be more balanced than just the stairs.0
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I am getting great tips from this thread. I got a fitbit two days ago and was horrified as to just how inactive I am. I also have a desk job and I am going to try to lean into improving by getting just a bit better each day.
From Jan I am ditching my car and starting to take the train to work (new job in the city), which will involve walks to the bus and up and down from the train. That should also help. Not having a car at lunch time also means that if I need to go to the store I have to walk there.
All of this is good news for my butt!0 -
Having all those stairs does get monotonous but it is an opportunity as well! Think of how many people spend however long on a stairmaster that goes nowhere! At least you are going up and down! DO as many as you can and walk loops on each floor! Free walking track and stairmaster!0
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