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How do you break out of your sedentary lifestyle?

I'm super sedentary; I move very little, your average couch potato, and if I'm just going about my daily routine I'll get only 1,000-2,500 steps per day. What I want to know is, how do those with sedentary lifestyles find the motivation to increase their activity level? Are there any tips or tricks that could be offered to me?

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396 REPLIES 396

@DanielleinDC wrote:

Since your Fitbit doesn't remind you, can you set an alarm on your phone or computer to make you get up at least once an hour?


just a little suggestion here from a Sabers fan 😜    ... please stop making logical suggestions 

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Oh, right. Sorry. Are we not allowed to be logical here?

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Hi Seatle Jumper - Jumping rope during commercials is a great idea. The only problem is I watch UEFA football and so there is only one break at halftime for 15 minutes. I only watch Seria A from Italy so I only get to see a couple of games a week.

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That's no problem, sometimes I get up and jump rope during the actual show and not just the commercials.

Sent from my iPhone
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@DanielleinDC wrote:

Oh, right. Sorry. Are we not allowed to be logical here?

 

Well it's sort of allowed but definetly to be avoided, especially when the application of said logic is uncomplicated .  You do see the point here ???     😉 

 

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You really don't have to break out of the sedentary lifestyle. I am pretty sedentary most of my days but I manage to get atleast 10k steps a day. All you need is a daily goal and achieve it. Then increase it little by little. I jog inside my house, jog in place, and use the treadmill to get 10k steps a day.

 

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I worked at a large call center and the sedentary life is all you have there. 8 hour days at a desk, minimal breaks cuz they need you on that phone! One girl brought an under-the-desk pedal contraption and she'd use it while working. I got one for under my desk at home because I was a big gamer. 8 hours working then come home to play on the computer 6 hours or so...there's not much more sedentary than that! I bought mine at a home health care place and sometimes Walmart or pharmacies have them. It's simply pedals instead of the whole stationary bike. I found I needed to stabilize it with a wall or heavy box behind it as I pedaled but you can sit in your computer/office chair or even your recliner. I'm too big for a bike and I have balance issues and seizure issues so it's not safe to go cycling. This helped.

Atlantic coast of Canada, 52 F, Fitbit Inspire HR.
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@_Lilac_ wrote:

I worked at a large call center and the sedentary life is all you have there. 8 hour days at a desk, minimal breaks cuz they need you on that phone! One girl brought an under-the-desk pedal contraption and she'd use it while working. I got one for under my desk at home because I was a big gamer. 8 hours working then come home to play on the computer 6 hours or so...there's not much more sedentary than that! I bought mine at a home health care place and sometimes Walmart or pharmacies have them. It's simply pedals instead of the whole stationary bike. I found I needed to stabilize it with a wall or heavy box behind it as I pedaled but you can sit in your computer/office chair or even your recliner. I'm too big for a bike and I have balance issues and seizure issues so it's not safe to go cycling. This helped.


Great idea, sounds like a safe place to start with ... just consistant and be patient with yourself (i find the patience thing the hardest) ... it does get better, your activity level and strength will increase, you'll be able to do more,  your activity level and strength will increase, you'll be able to do more,  your activity level and strength will increase, you'll be able to do more ... you get the idea 😉   

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Yup, Walking the Dog is great!

 

I also began walking before work because after work I knew I would not do it!

 

However, now that I am in a decent routine and increased my walking substantially,  I feel guilty because i ma having some dental surgery and cannot be active for a few days. Its actually bothering me that I wont be able to do this for a few days.

 

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I hate it when a routine is interrupted that you worked hard to develop. Can you walk in place maybe while watching tv. Boring, I know but you would still be moving. Just a thought.

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That is a thought. All I know is that they said after the oral surgery you should not be active for a couple of days. 

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@Maltie wrote:

All I know is that they said after the oral surgery you should not be active for a couple of days. 


After oral surgery, you won't want to be active for a couple of days. I can tell you from experience that surgery does a number on you. I had oral surgery a few years ago and wrist surgery last year; it also does a number on your appetite. You just don't want to eat.

 

I hope your surgery goes well. Get lots of rest and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

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I, too, hope your surgery goes well.

Sent from my iPhone
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I was taking that to mean walking or jogging outside. Your body will tell you how far to push yourself, too. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Sent from my iPhone
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Is music the only thing you listen to? You said you focus on the music, but songs are short. If that's what works for you, then great! For me, audiobooks are fantastic, and sometimes podcasts about things I'm interested in, or hosts I like (I'm into This American Life on NPR, for example, but there are podcasts for a wide variety of political and social outlooks. 

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@Thyla wrote:
I am ridiculously active now but a few years ago I was 10kg and on a walking stick and everything just *hurt*. I started by just walking around a bit during commercials on the tv. If a song came on that I liked I got up and danced about like a drunken teenager. I then built up to a 20 minute walk in the mornings and then built on that. There is a pretty famous diet book here in Australia called the clothesline diet, the woman who wrote it started by doing laps of the rotary clothesline (google hills hoist if you don't know what that is) in her backyard. Every day just try to do a little more. I celebrated my 51st birthday weighing in at 67kg and deadlifting 100kg (1.5 times my bodyweight) and nothing has ever felt that good. I started it all at age 45.

Congrats on working your way to activity, as well as some awesome achievements!

Yours Truly,Geoffrey
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@NattieGrl2016 wrote:

I can totally relate. I have an office job, I sit on my butt all day long, to the point where I get cramps and pains in my legs. I need to move more...So I got the fitbit. I thought I moved a lot more than I do but apparently I might hit 5000 steps on the weekdays and maybe 10k on the weekends...I lack motivation but I know I need to find it! 


I'm not sure what tracker you have, but if you can set your tracker to buzz you every hour you don't reach a minimum step quota, that might be a good way to get some steps in. I have mine set for 250+ steps every hour from the 9-5 on weekdays. It helps to let me know I am getting a lot of steps if I don't get buzzed all day. Plus if I do get buzzed, it's pretty good motivation because I like to see the bar all green by the end of the day for taking enough steps in those hours.

Yours Truly,Geoffrey
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@cinzianelson wrote:

Last I checked, spending money and staying in shape are two separate things 🙂 I go to the cheapist gymn in town for 2 - 2.5 hours a day. I don't pay for a trainer. The problem is I am a software engineer and sometimes I get so focused in on writing code that I don't realize I have not moved in over an hour. I used to write drivers for embedded devices for example slot machines. I am just aggravated that FitBit does not take this seriously. My guess is they have no way to update the firmware. I am seriously looking at other vendors becuase in addition to this problem the pedometer is not accurate either. 


Perhaps just using your phone to set an hourly reminder will serve just as well. I mean it's not going to be the same as the Fitbit giving you a reminder, but effectively it is the same.

Yours Truly,Geoffrey
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Just getting my FitBit One and exploring the FitBit WebSite motivated me big time! 

 

I'm lucky because I work on the 2nd Floor and we don't have an Elevator.  But to get my 10 Floors every Day, I had to start going up and down several times for each Trip down.  After awhile, I managed to get up to 30 Floors every Day but I was only getting in about 8,000 Steps.  (And at 5'2", I have to go 12,000 to get in 5 Miles!) 

 

I joined a couple of Groups and discovered that all of my Floors didn't count.  So those 10,000 Steps became really important to me.  I reduced the number of Floors and started walking around the Factory, trying to get those 10,000 Steps.  I made it.  Every so often.  Increasing all of the time.  Now, it's 5+ Miles (almost) every Day.  And I still get in at least 10 Floors.

 

It's hard some Days.  Like today.  But when I do goof up, I don't let it get me down.  I KNOW that Tomorrow's another Day!

Saint Helens, Oregon; 5'2", 72, FitBit Charge 2 (Retired FitBit One 13 April 2017)
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When we were kids often ask parents ,,WHY ? " ! Even so, folks, why go? Why walk? Or, worse, to go walking every day! Several thousand steps! Or tens of thousands of steps! Is an important reason that matters and be understood by everyone from school children to elderly people or diabetics or heart problems? IT IS! No one told us that this reason is important but it's so simple! We each have two important systems in our bodies: the bloodstream and lymphatic system. The blood that nourishes the body with nutrients is our ,, kitchen " and has a pump, which is the heart! The lymphatic system is dealing with cellular debris, toxins is ,,sewage" of the body, and does not have PUMP! Thus the lymph moves slowly and anyone suffering from swollen lymph nodes, suffer in fact because that does not move, it does not have a motor! Physical movement is the engine of lymph! The answer, my friends, is physical movement! How? At first less! Then gradually aware of how many toxins we eliminate, we go more! I started with 5K twice a week. Since I entered on the Fitbit Family at the end of June this year I reached an average of nearly 40k per day! Unbelievable ! But true ! Starts at 4:30 am.And later a few times, I started fill before starting my work day! If I do not start early, I did not increase! It was hard until I found brisk walking shoes! Because I wear big shoes! But came from USA! And now go with growth! Once I understood, I passed more easily from ankle pain. And now it hurts a lot less! I'm (still) heavy, but make steps toward health every day! Sweat and clean lymph of cellular debris ! Let's be healthy! Let's walk together on the road to wellness and a fulfilling life! Sincerely, Marian
steps to health with my Blaze 101
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