Desk Jobs (help)

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FitnessLover001
FitnessLover001 Posts: 188 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys! I've recently started a new job, it's 40 minutes from my house, 8am-4pm, and it's a desk job. I literally sit for 8 hours and while I love what I do, I HATE the fact that I sit all day. Does anyone have any tips on how to stay active? I never thought I would say this (i've always been one to think and believe I'll be able to work out every day forever), but when I get home at 5, I just want to crash. My eating habits are usually on target. I had a piece of steak and cheese for breakfast, plain greek yogurt, fruit and honey nut cheerios for lunch, and steak and cheese for dinner, then wheat thins and a scoop of pb during snack time. What are some tips to staying healthy when you have a desk job?
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Work out before or after. Just get it done.

    Sedentary behavior begets sedentary behavior. Active behavior begets active behavior.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    Although I can't say much for the desk job, it it at all possible to get up an hour early to work out? I know how miserable a commute can be, I have a 45 minute one myself with work from 7:30-4. So morning workouts aren't for me, but I know many coworkers that can't start their day without it.

    Otherwise, is taking a walk on your lunch break an option? Might help refresh your mind, especially when sitting for so long.
  • ShashayLee
    ShashayLee Posts: 178 Member
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    i get up from my desk every half hour or an hour & walk round the halls, it helps :)
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
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    All of the above are great options. With my regular lunch walks, I add in climbing the stairs in my office building at lunch or on a break to get a little extra fitness into my day. Once you've adjusted to the new work routine, you'll find it easier to add in your workouts on a schedule that works for you.
  • mrsloganlife
    mrsloganlife Posts: 158 Member
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    Agreed with the above options. With desk jobs you just have to find ways to move. Does your office have stand up desks? With your phone do you have a headset? I have a headset for my phone so while I am on the phone I can walk around. My office thinks I'm weird, but in especially intense calls I get a lot of walking done ;)

    If you have a Fitbit you can set alarms to remind yourself to get up and move. It is very easy to get sucked into work. I feel the same when I get home--very blah and not wanting to do anything. I make myself do it, and now I am more motivated because I love how I feel when I am done.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,937 Member
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    My office is on the 5th floor of the building ... so, I climb stairs. I do the 5 flights anywhere from 6-8 times a day.

    I also walk a bit on the way to and from work.

    I go out at lunch for a walk.

    And after work I look forward to going for a walk to the beach with my husband ... at least. Sometimes I also lift weights or we go cycling.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    I am also in the crowd that takes a lunch walk instead of a lunch break, and then I eat at my desk.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited February 2016
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    It's not really all that difficult to have a desk job and still stay in shape. I have to admit that people who seem stymied by this mystify me. Especially when there seem to be no other big demands on time outside the office (i.e., school, second job, children, eldercare, etc.) There are 168 hours in a week. Work 40, commute 7, sleep 60. You still have 61 hours left for everything else.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Work out before or after. Just get it done.

    Sedentary behavior begets sedentary behavior. Active behavior begets active behavior.

    I like this!

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I have a desk job...I stay active outside of work. I make time for regular exercise to include an abundance of cycling as well as a few days per week in the weight room. I also do things like park further away from the office and other establishments like the grocery store, etc...I take the stairs and otherwise make myself "less efficient" in other daily chores so that I move more.

    When I get home, I'm usually on my feet for a few hours cleaning, cooking, fixing things, getting the kids ready for school, etc. I spend very little time watching television and the like.

    On weekends, we're always out and about as a family doing fun stuff...
  • BrownieKitty12345
    BrownieKitty12345 Posts: 149 Member
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    I drink a lot of water and make people see me drink a lot of water then I go to bathroom all the time. This gives me about 3k steps. Not sure what desk job you have but I'm office manager so I can walk back and forth for 10 mins and no one would blink an eye.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Don't go home--stop by the gym first.

    Plus, if you walk for 15 minutes three times a day (each break, plus 15 minutes at lunch) that's a good 6000-7500 steps right there. Plus, getting up and getting some exercise will help you to focus better.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    It's not really all that difficult to have a desk job and still stay in shape. I have to admit that people who seem stymied by this mystify me. Especially when there seem to be no other big demands on time outside the office (i.e., school, second job, children, eldercare, etc.) There are 168 hours in a week. Work 40, commute 7, sleep 60. You still have 61 hours left for everything else.

    Maybe those are the people who are watching 5 hours of television each day. :)
  • shera426
    shera426 Posts: 227 Member
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    I work 12 hr shifts, 4-6 days a week. I do really good on my days off and workout and do the best I can at working out at 5am before I head to work. Even if it's 20 min Jillian Michaels video I try and get some movement in my day
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    Walk to the furthest water cooler for water and the furthest bathroom from your desk. It all adds up. Get off the bus home a few stops early.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    work out when you get home. Yea, it sucks. Starting a new job throws you for a loop, but work out anyway. It will help you focus at work every bit as much as it keeps you in shape
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Desk job for almost 36 years and counting. Anywhere from a 40-60 minute one way driving commute all the time. Get up at 4:15 eat, workout get cleaned up and to work by 7:15. Usually 9 hour days, sometimes 12-16. If not working stupid hours will do second workout in the evening. When my kids were young would have all the school, sports, and music activities in the evening also. Literally did not watch weeknight TV for 20 years.

    As others have mentioned, try to get an adjustable desk. I got one a couple years ago. I'm 6'2" and sitting at the desk hunched over a computer screwed up my shoulders. Have had several incidents of back pain (like crawling to the bathroom pain level) that the doctor attributed to too much sitting. I have really had to keep up on the mobility work.

    Also, if you keep up the good eating habits, you are not doomed to gain weight at a desk job. It's CICO pure and simple. I've been within 10 pounds of my HS graduation weight of 200 pounds for 40 years.

    Best of luck.
  • JoshLikesBeer
    JoshLikesBeer Posts: 88 Member
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    When I had a long commute, I found a gym near work. I drove there early in the morning to beat the traffic, then showered and ate breakfast after my workout before heading into work. Maybe that could work for you.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Desk job which generally requires 8-10 hours a day, with a commute.

    3 days a week I gym after work, 2 days I train in taekwondo and on weekends we try to fit in a hike or something active. I also walk on my lunch break (either take portable food, or if your office doesn't mind eat while you work) and I get off one train stop early for extra steps.

    It's just what I have to do, if I want to achieve the things I want to achieve. Previously I'd spend the evening sitting on the couch. Turns out I often enjoy the exercise more.

    I do find that a lot of the wanting to crash when you get home is mental. Your body is perfectly capable of far more than that, and a lot of exercise is mindless. If you just get to it, you might find that you're just as relaxed mentally, and physically feeling better than if you were going home to veg out.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Getting home at 5 is early, Work out then or before going home. Or get to bed early and workout in the morning. Also consider whether you can work in exercise to your commute. During much of the year I bike commute. In the winter I run home on occasion and have just bought a backpack so I can run to work (my gym is near my office). I also go to my gym during lunch or being going home after work (this is why it's important to me to have a gym near work), and worst case I walk part way home or walk at lunch.

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