Desk sitting

[SusieTee]

I sit all day at a desk, if I leave for lunch someone is always looking for me.  What can I do inside an office for exercise.  Sometimes literally hours pass before I get up.

[thericks]

I get up to refil my water bottle.  If I'm drinking my water then I have to get up more often to go to the bathroom.  I always take the long scenic route to the bathroom.  I can get 500 steps in on a bathroom break.  If I go to the copier, I'll walk in place while I'm waiting for my papers to print.  I try to park as far away from the building as I can.  When I go to the grocery store, I'll park far away too.  It's the little things that add up.  You can get those steps in.  

[aunderwood]

These are all great ideas.  However, what would your guys advice be for my situation?  I work as a receptionist and am the one on the phones for a real estate company.  Therefore, I can't be away from my phone at all as that is my job.  I do get an hour break for lunch that I try to take advantage of, but beyond that, I'm pretty much stuck.   I am the only one on the first floor, and everyone else is on the second floor.  If I ever leave my desk beyond my normal lunch break, I have to call another admin from the second floor to come and cover for me, and that gets old really fast.

[scoobie57]

You do have some constraints others may not.  However, if you use a headset or bluetooth, you could at least  move around the close area to at least move get the blood going in your legs.  Ideally you'd like to walk periodocally.  Assuming they understand you have to use the restroom ever so often.  Maybe you take the long way there, or go out of the way to get some steps until lunch when you could really devote some walking time in. 

[weimerj]

Seeing as how you're the only one of the the first floor, why not try jogging in place.  I do it at work when no one else is around and it's a great way to get some extra steps in. 

[GerriD]

Both ideas are great options plus I do running in place to keep the blood going and keep energy up.
I also get off bus two stops a head when weather is nice and walk it do the same on way home
At home in the evening I do the stairs a few times . If you make the choice to commit all ideas will come things you have not thought.
Pretend you are have to get the steps in now start problem solving 🙂 good luck

Sent from my iPhone

[Rabbitfish]

Aunderwood, I've been there and I hated that aspect of the job. When you do get your restroom breaks, definitely take the long way and add a flight or two of stairs if you can. Like someone suggested, if you can move around unseen, go for it! And when I worked in an office, I would get off transit way before my office, and do the same on the way home. It just so happened that at that point, traffic got super slow anyway so it may not have been *actually* faster to walk, but it certainly felt like it. Good luck!

[Robin67]

Can't wait to download fitbolt. Thanks for the info.

[Oryth101]

Top 5 Things I like to do!

1. Get a pull up bar for the door and every time you step out and back in, you do 3 pull up or jump pulls if you can't do pull ups. 

2. If you have arm rest on your chair do some tricip dips.

3. Get some resistance bands and do some curls and other stuff that you can get from http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/exercises-can-desk-using-flat-resistance-exercise-bands-5166.html

4. Push ups and set ups: Good old fashion excercise! 

5. A Yoga ball is great for alternative desk chair, But you'll look funny in it for several day when you first get start! 

Finally reward your self with a piece of Chocolate. YUMMY!

[6kr]

I doesnt get my step count up, but when I find myself sitting for hours i will do isometrics just to keep the blood flowing and even find myself sit walking. i have found even stretching keeps the blood flowing which gives me energy when I can get up.

[BelieveInMe]

I sit on an excercise ball, and I do 5 minutes of exercise on it every hour, if I have not moved from my desk.

[Jabrat]

Great ideas in here - especially the jogging in place

[Jabrat]

we take the stairs in between floors - up on the 24th floor

[patrish]

Your suggestion to do jump pulls every  time you go through the door made me smile. I had my first session with a personal trainer today, and told her I really, really, really want to be able to do 10 chinups. I have never done one in my life. Not even when I was 20 and very active. Now you have me wondering what my boss would say if I had a chinup bar installed in my doorway. Hmmm. I wonder if the kind that just hooks over the trim is safe. 

[Oryth101]

Good question @patrish about the hook pull bars are great. At first I thought my boss would say something. But instead I get wow, what that, good job, I enjoy health employees. So... I don't think anyone would mind. It also can be remove from the door to set aside. Now the safety of the pull depends on how much you spend on it. Remember you get what you pay for, so I would get one that would blow up your pocket but at least be sturdy enough to hold weight and not break down within a month. A good pull up bar is here which I linked http://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Heavy-Duty-Doorway-Chin-Up-Pull-Up/dp/B002YQUP7Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&.... I have my pull up bar at the door for almost 3 years and it still looks good. Take time and it will come to you, the first time you do pull up are extemely hard. But don't give up keep chucking away! Good Luck!

[londog]

Parking away from the building and taking the stairs are also my habits but my desk job is killing my steps. I can imagine the dangers of being stationary for longer period so I do make an effort to go out and walk when I can...sitting too much can be very tiring too! LOL!

[maggiemay1969]

I work a job where I literally cannot get up from my desk unless it is a scheduled break. Can't just get up whenever I want, not even for 5 minutes. 😞  I work 10 hour shifts and have 2, 15 min breaks, and one 30 minute break for lunch....And then it's an hour commute each way.  That's a whole lot of sitting!!!!  I've been having to get in my 10,000 steps before I even come to work doing 90 minutes on my treadmill and walking around the house.  Then, when I get to work,  I will use my short breaks to eat, and my lunch break to do 25 more minutes on the work treadmill....STILL feels like I sit way too much...Totally love my job but HATE that it makes me so sedentary.....(sigh)

[GerriD]

You are doing more than most that don't even have a sedentary jobs😄 you have worked and overcome your obstacles good for you!
Sent from my iPhone

[weimerj]

Sounds like you really have to work for those steps.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for the time away from the desk.  It's hard, especially when you're stuck for hours on end, but we just have to take advantage of the time we do get to sneak away.  Keep up the great work! 

[maggiemay1969]

it's very true....gotta squeeze in the minutes wherever I can...got to work a bit early today so there were 10 more minutes walking!  🙂  Wahoo!

[Nikos]

I setup a treadmill desk a couple of weeks ago and regularly do 20k-25k steps, without leaving the office.  I don't know if your work environment will allow for that, but if it does I can't recommend it enough.  This is the one I got, which is expensive, but you can also search online and see how you can make one by yourself:

http://www.lifespanfitness.com/workplacesolutions-treadmill-desk-and-bike-desk.html