The woes of working at a desk
JessaWannaEatEverything
Posts: 106 Member
Like a lot of people I'm at a desk 8-10 hours a day. On top of that I have an hour commute both ways, so 12 hours a day before watching Game of Thrones or Walking Dead.
I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay fit at the office.
Things I've done so far
-I bought a sit/stand desk, and a wobble board
-Go on walks when I can
-"car crunches"
Also, has anyone tried the bicycle desks? Under-desk Elliptical? Other random things people are trying to sell to us office peeps?
I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay fit at the office.
Things I've done so far
-I bought a sit/stand desk, and a wobble board
-Go on walks when I can
-"car crunches"
Also, has anyone tried the bicycle desks? Under-desk Elliptical? Other random things people are trying to sell to us office peeps?
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Replies
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all i do is make sure my breaks and lunch are spent being active, walking etc. lots of trips to the printer and fax, stand as often as possible. desk jobs suck2
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I feel your pain. I have the same problems I am tied to a desk all day long, hour long commute each way, Walking Dead addiction... Well that last one isn't so bad =D I use my breaks and lunch to walk. I am too self conscious
to do much else while at work LOL2 -
As a cyclist, I can't understand why anyone would buy a "bicycle desk."
My watch yells at me if I don't move enough after an hour. When it does, unless I'm in a meeting or heading to one, I'll get up and go for a 5 minute walk. People assume I have to pee a lot, I'm sure, but nobody is going to fire me for it. Some days I make it a game, try to get up after 59 minutes so the thing never yells at me, but without hurting my productivity. I spend my lunch hour walking. I have a loop I do.
I used to commute by bike. That was great, it woke me up in the morning and got my heart pumping on the way home. I didn't hate commuting when I did that. I'd get home and feel like I had a lot of extra time because I already got my exercise for the day. It was wonderful!
Then the company moved 20 miles to the north, and I get here at 7 am. 
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I have a Stand up desk0
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I just eat properly and work out when I'm not working. The desk time is rest time. I do like to walk around, though.0
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I agree with most of the folks here, walks when you can and get up as much as possible. If I ever run a company, I'll make it mandatory to do 50% of all meetings outside walking!1
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Lots of bathroom breaks and walking to find people rather than emailing. Also I rarely sit when home unless I'm eating dinner or the last hour before bed. I try to stay active until the last possible moment. Sometimes that means I watch on demand or netflix while I clean/cook.0
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Go to the gym before/during/after work like everyone else on the planet.2
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NorthCascades wrote: »As a cyclist, I can't understand why anyone would buy a "bicycle desk."
My watch yells at me if I don't move enough after an hour. When it does, unless I'm in a meeting or heading to one, I'll get up and go for a 5 minute walk. People assume I have to pee a lot, I'm sure, but nobody is going to fire me for it. Some days I make it a game, try to get up after 59 minutes so the thing never yells at me, but without hurting my productivity. I spend my lunch hour walking. I have a loop I do.
I used to commute by bike. That was great, it woke me up in the morning and got my heart pumping on the way home. I didn't hate commuting when I did that. I'd get home and feel like I had a lot of extra time because I already got my exercise for the day. It was wonderful! Then the company moved 20 miles to the north, and I get here at 7 am.
@NorthCascades ...... what type of watch do you have?0 -
Same here. I went from working downtown in the city, which was still a desk job, but I would drive to the train station (20 minutes) and the rest of the daily commuting downtown was on foot. Now I work and live in the suburbs. Drive to work 1.5 hours each way. There's been a huge difference with weight gain. Before, I was able to keep it off because I was more active throughout the day.
Here are my suggestions:
- walking on lunch
- walk to someone's desk instead of sending an email to a colleague in the office
- take public transit to work
- get a pedometer or fitbit and make step goals 10K a day
- stand up desk
- Longer workout sessions at the gym
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Another desk jockey here. I get up every hour and take a walk. At lunchtime I go outside and walk (rain or shine). I go to the gym on my way home from work, and on the days I don't go to the gym, I either go for a run, take a walk when I get home. If the weather's too nasty for that, I'll go down to the basement and watch TV while I'm on the treadmill.1
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I get up every 15 minutes. Take walk around the office like an office creeper at least every hour, and try to work in some hip mobility work and SMR with an extra LaX ball on my shoulders/triceps against the wall in my office.JessaWannaEatEverything wrote: »Like a lot of people I'm at a desk 8-10 hours a day. On top of that I have an hour commute both ways, so 12 hours a day before watching Game of Thrones or Walking Dead.
I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay fit at the office.
Things I've done so far
-I bought a sit/stand desk, and a wobble board
-Go on walks when I can
-"car crunches"
Also, has anyone tried the bicycle desks? Under-desk Elliptical? Other random things people are trying to sell to us office peeps?0 -
kpeterson539 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »As a cyclist, I can't understand why anyone would buy a "bicycle desk."
My watch yells at me if I don't move enough after an hour. When it does, unless I'm in a meeting or heading to one, I'll get up and go for a 5 minute walk. People assume I have to pee a lot, I'm sure, but nobody is going to fire me for it. Some days I make it a game, try to get up after 59 minutes so the thing never yells at me, but without hurting my productivity. I spend my lunch hour walking. I have a loop I do.
I used to commute by bike. That was great, it woke me up in the morning and got my heart pumping on the way home. I didn't hate commuting when I did that. I'd get home and feel like I had a lot of extra time because I already got my exercise for the day. It was wonderful! Then the company moved 20 miles to the north, and I get here at 7 am.
@NorthCascades ...... what type of watch do you have?
Garmin Fenix 3. I like it very much. 1 -
Seriously considering going for a hospital patient transport or some kind of activity job soon. I'm so tired of sitting at a desk all day. I have a personal business on the side of my 9-5 and I barely have enough time for that, work, /and/ work-out sessions that are longer than an hour.
I also don't get lunch breaks (we just eat while working) or any other sort of breaks here so basically I just go to the bathroom or make copies a lot because I get so tired of sitting but there's nothing to do that isn't in my damn seat.2 -
Great ideas!
I work out in the mornings, but I used to have a job that let me walk around all day. After a day of standing at a desk I still feel sooooo gross compared to my old job. That's why I was wondering about the biking desk, or the elliptical desk.
@NorthCascades - why are you against bicycle desks? Just wondering0 -
I'm in the same boat...I'm at a desk every day for 9-13 hours. My job doesn't require any need to get up during the day. The only way I've managed to stay fit is hit the gym every morning at 5 AM. Even with that and cycling 7-10 hours on the weekend, I can still gain weight if I'm not careful.
The worst part is the weight always goes to my mid-section which is irritating considering the amount of cardio I do every week.0 -
The only thing I haven't seen mentioned already...I work on a multi-story building, 4th floor. I use the bathroom in the basement and take the stairs.2
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To build strength and flexibility in my feet and ankles, I've been using Yamuna Foot Wakers at work. These half round nubbled discs look like medieval torture devices, but they are effective. I stand on them several times during the day for about 10 minutes, usually while on conference calls. They come with a CD that provides an exercise routine designed to improve maneuverability. These have proven very effective as a self message tool to relieve tightness in my feet caused by running. The other benefit is they offer a stability challenge by causing you to tighten your core and glute muscles to maintain correct posture while standing on them.
Finally, they are approved for civilian use by both Ramsey Bolton and Tyrion Lannister.2 -
Work in an office too. Very long hours. 45 minute commute one way.
I get up very early and go to the gym everyday. I have 10,000 steps on my fitbit before I get to the office. Park as far from the door as I can. Take the long way around when I get up from my desk, walk up and down the stairs every time I leave my desk. I have a standing desk. We don't take lunch breaks either (just adds to the hours at work) I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk. Take the dogs for a walk when I get home. I can not remember the last time I had under 20K at the end of the day. Where there is the will, you find a way.0 -
To build strength and flexibility in my feet and ankles, I've been using Yamuna Foot Wakers at work. These half round nubbled discs look like medieval torture devices, but they are effective. I stand on them several times during the day for about 10 minutes, usually while on conference calls. They come with a CD that provides an exercise routine designed to improve maneuverability. These have proven very effective as a self message tool to relieve tightness in my feet caused by running. The other benefit is they offer a stability challenge by causing you to tighten your core and glute muscles to maintain correct posture while standing on them.
Finally, they are approved for civilian use by both Ramsey Bolton and Tyrion Lannister.
Hahaha - thanks @Djproulx I'll have to look those up!0 -
Desk job too. I don't get up as often as I should but when the restlessness hits I climb the stairwells. 3 story building so it probably looks odd, but it's a good workout.0
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JessaWannaEatEverything wrote: »After a day of standing at a desk I still feel sooooo gross compared to my old job.
Try replacing the television watching with high intensity exercise.
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JessaWannaEatEverything wrote: »@NorthCascades - why are you against bicycle desks? Just wondering
I just think they're silly, I doubt you'll get your money's worth from it.
A bike lets you put as much or as little as you want into it. You can sprint and race, or you can coast - which means not pedaling at all. But you have to do at least some work to get home. With the desk thing, you don't have to do any work with it, you can sit all day and not use it. So it's up to your motivation, which comes and goes. For sure, you're not going to work so hard at your bicycle desk that you're sweating and having trouble concentrating on your work.
Also, how many calories you burn on a bike depends on how hard you push down on the pedals and how fast you turn them. At the level of effort that's appropriate for being at work, it's going to be very few calories and do nothing for your cardiovascular fitness.1 -
I'm in the same situatuon. If you think you get too much sitting why on God's green earth do you go home and sit in front of the television?
Skip thr tv and walk, run, go to the gym. Just move.2 -
I just try and get up frequently and walk around. I drink a lot of water (2-3 liters during my typical 9.5 hour work day) so I do actually have to take a lot of bathroom breaks. We also have a lot of meetings so I try to take a less than direct path to the meeting room. My office building is laid out so that the main corridors form a loop. Every time I get up to do something I try to make at least 1 complete circuit. If I had an office I would probably try to work in some stretches/exercises but I have a cube that opens to a busy area.
Luckily I live close to work and take the bus. I get about 2 miles walking in just going to/from the bus stops. I also take my dog on walks 1-2 times per day. I also live/work easy walking distance to several stores and a dominos pizza. Unless I'm going to be getting a lot of stuff (or just really heavy stuff) I'll walk.
I also recently got a misfit shine (fitbit competitor) which has been encouraging me to move more, especially on weekends when it's easy to be sedentary. I never really realized JUST how little I typically move on weekends.
I used to go down/up 3 floors to use the bathroom, but we moved buildings and I would now have to go down/up 7 floors O_o Not happening...
Management has attempted to get standing desks, but the order has been hung up in purchasing/contracts for almost a year. *sigh*1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I'm in the same situatuon. If you think you get too much sitting why on God's green earth do you go home and sit in front of the television?
Skip thr tv and walk, run, go to the gym. Just move.
I work out before work and at least go on a long walk with the dogs after. So I'm totally okay with my guilty pleasure. I just used to have a job that let me walk all day, so this has been a big change for me.0 -
I just try and get up frequently and walk around. I drink a lot of water (2-3 liters during my typical 9.5 hour work day) so I do actually have to take a lot of bathroom breaks. We also have a lot of meetings so I try to take a less than direct path to the meeting room. My office building is laid out so that the main corridors form a loop. Every time I get up to do something I try to make at least 1 complete circuit. If I had an office I would probably try to work in some stretches/exercises but I have a cube that opens to a busy area.
Luckily I live close to work and take the bus. I get about 2 miles walking in just going to/from the bus stops. I also take my dog on walks 1-2 times per day. I also live/work easy walking distance to several stores and a dominos pizza. Unless I'm going to be getting a lot of stuff (or just really heavy stuff) I'll walk.
I also recently got a misfit shine (fitbit competitor) which has been encouraging me to move more, especially on weekends when it's easy to be sedentary. I never really realized JUST how little I typically move on weekends.
I used to go down/up 3 floors to use the bathroom, but we moved buildings and I would now have to go down/up 7 floors O_o Not happening...
Management has attempted to get standing desks, but the order has been hung up in purchasing/contracts for almost a year. *sigh*
Just looked up the MisFit, and it looks awesome! How long have you had it?0 -
Watch your Game of Thrones and Walking Dead on the treadmill. I put the big flatscreen in the kid's basement rec room on a swivel mount and got some headphones so I can watch tv while walking on days I don't run outside.2
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Nearby gym during lunch time? Is a park or lake near your job? Personally, I have a stationary bike in my bedroom so when I come home from work and watch tv, I watch it while on the bike. I also have an hour lunch. 30 mins of that I'm in the gym.0
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JessaWannaEatEverything wrote: »Like a lot of people I'm at a desk 8-10 hours a day. On top of that I have an hour commute both ways, so 12 hours a day before watching Game of Thrones or Walking Dead.
I'm looking for tips/tricks to stay fit at the office.
Things I've done so far
-I bought a sit/stand desk, and a wobble board
-Go on walks when I can
-"car crunches"
Also, has anyone tried the bicycle desks? Under-desk Elliptical? Other random things people are trying to sell to us office peeps?
What is a wobble board?
I have a standing/sitting adjustable desk as well. Plus I have a gym with shower/locker room in my office so I workout almost every day at lunch. But I am very interested in anything else I can do...0
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