Building in exercise in a sedentary desk job

[Anonymous]

Use ankle weights to add in resistance for when you walk around the office. You can also use them do leg lifts while sitting at your desk.

[Anonymous]

I started taking a walk at lunch every day even if it’s only five or ten minutes. I also got a standing desk. And we are on 11th floor. Eventually I want to build taking the stairs in too.

[Anonymous]

I used to do a running commute to preschool, weather permitting. Preschool was 2.5 miles from my house. I'd toss my shower stuff and clothes in the basket and run my kid to school, then hit the gym to shower and commute from there. I'd run or walk the stroller home after work and pickup, depending on how I felt.

I bought a fitbit type device so I can see how much exercise I really get. In the evenings, I walk to a further metro stop so I can get exercise and avoid the craziness of metro transfer stations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Squats in the stall

Stairs in the stairwell or anywhere you can find them

Walk up and down hallways

Ask for a standing desk

Calf raises and arm swings wherever

Awesome suggestions, thank you. Do the standing desks really help? I feel like my knees and hips would get tired standing all day...

It will help marginally in terms of caloric burn, but it definitely helps with blood sugar. These standing desks are adjustable so you don't need to be standing all day. It's very important, however, to get appropriate padding on the floor if you have knee/hip/leg issues.

Wait, what? How does it help blood sugar? I have a standing desk that I hardly ever use because I'm just too damn lazy. But if you can't point me to evidence that it will help my blood sugar, maybe that will motivate me to use it!

[Anonymous]

I have dealt with that for years. PPs mentioned building in exercise, and for me that's what it's about in the office. Take the long route to and from the bathroom. Fill your water bottle at the cooler on the other side of the office. Re-map your computer to a printer that's a little further away. Take a five minute break and walk up and down two flights of stairs. Like you, I don't take lunch hours since I would rather leave earlier and get home to my family, so I'm not breaking a sweat during the day or anything but at least being conscious about getting up and walking around.

Every time you have a meeting, leave your desk five minutes early and walk the long way around the building to get to it is another strategy. Even if you bring your lunch, walk to the cafeteria and back with a colleague. None of this is designed to make you fit, obviously, it's just using precious minutes here and there to keep your butt out of the seat and moving.