tips for those of us stuck behind desks all day!
 

Hey everyone! I am looking for a few tips on things I can do at my desk to help me in my weight loss efforts. I sit at the reception desk so unfortunately I can't do anything that makes me out of breath or red in the face.

The only "office workout" I know is to isolate the rib cage and do circles or figure 8s without moving your shoulders or waist (only your rib cage). It can be a little challenging but a good core builder.


What tips do you guys have?

Can people see what you're sitting on? I bought an exercise ball, and I sit on it for 4 out of the 8 hours I'm at work. When nobody is around, I bounce on it to burn extra calories.

Additionally, if I don't have to send an e-mail or call someone, I won't. I'll get up and physically walk to their office or cube. If I need to go to the bathroom, I use one on another floor. Obviously I don't know your exact set up, but if you can think of creative ways to add movement to your day, that helps a lot.

Standing burns twice as many calories per minute as sitting does. I stand at my desk about 6 hours per day.

Jenny- I thought about using the ball at my desk but my work is strict on ergonomic standards to I have to go through some evaluations in order to have the ball approved. PITA right!? :) I might still go that route though.
And great tips on the walking. I never call anyone in my office and if anyone has a visitor I walk back to their office to let them know.

Warmaiden- I wish I could stand at my desk! Some of my coworkers in another department have standing stations and I LOVE them.

I just wish I had an office so I could dance around, do some push ups, lunges etc. I would love to quickly get my heart pumping and wake up a bit without going outside for a walk sometimes. Right now I am having allergy issues so I have been stuck inside more than usual. :(

I have a standing station that is effectively made from stacks of books, and my computer screen tilted up. Where there's a will, there's a way.

I say the evaluations will be worth it if you can use the ball, even part of the day! My GoWear Fit tells me I'm burning 3 calories a minute when I bounce on that sucker, and even sitting still on it is better than a chair.

Is there someplace private you can go for a few minutes? Think of it as a "smoke break", except instead of smoking, you're doing some lunges and toning up.

I assume that because you are the receptionist that you take messages for other people in the office. Can you physically deliver some of those messages in person? That would at least get you away from the desk for a bit of a walk.

I, um, walk. A lot. In the office. In the empty conference rooms and demo room that surround my desk. (Also receptionist.) When no one is using them, I can get 3-4 10 minute walks in a day. But I think I am both weird and lucky in that regard.

Before I figured that out, I was trying to get up once an hour and go down two flights of stairs and back up. I'd only be away from the desk for a minute or two, but I figured it would keep my heart rate from bottoming out for too long. Apparently, this is a big factor in weight. I forget the stats, but it doesn't take very long of not moving at all for the metabolism process to virtually shut down. Obviously not completely, but it drops by an astounding amount. And they found that all it takes is a walk to the kitchen and back to start it back up.

I know there a lot more chair exercises, but I can't remember any of them. Hopefully some others will know more of them.

Probably doesn't help your specific situation but might for others.

I really like to have a headset and pace while on conference calls.

Except for frequent bathroom breaks, I don't do much at work. But I squeeze in exercise before, during lunch and after work.

I take the stairs when I leave the office (6 flights) for lunch & to go home. I try to race the elevator for fun (it's slow). And often, I take a brisk 45 minute walk during my lunch hour, pick up lunch and eat it at my desk. Also, I try to avoid public transportation when I can and bike or walk to/from work.

I think I should do more activity at my desk, but I have been conditioned to be so lazy at my desk. Thanks for the inspiration.

I could definitely be more active at work than I am. I have a computer station like Warmaiden described. Mine is a Xerox box that sits on the second drawer down of my tall filing cabinet. But am I using it? :no:

I do not like to sweat in regular clothes, especially at work!! It's a problem, really. Now at the gym, every pore in my face opens up, but to do that at work? Yuck! ;) Even at home last night I took a walk in regular clothes and was hating the fact that I was sweating. It feels so gross. But throw on work out clothes and my attitude does a 180! I just didn't feel like changing last night and the weather was only 60 degrees...but humid.

I'll list the things I could be doing as motivation for others. ;)

I could:

Take a walk around the building at the top of each hour.

Go up two flights of stairs, down the long hallway and down the other two flights of stairs.

Pace

Thanks everyone! I am moving a lot such as running to offices, walking on my two 15 minute breaks and at lunch etc. but I am looking for things to do when I am stuck at my desk. I want to do more! I mean I could curl staplers or whole punches. I could probably do squats over my chair, then if someone one comes in it just looks like I was sitting down... well sort of! Hahahaa. I am sure there are some creative people out there. I know there are chair exercises like gold32 mentioned but I will have to do some searching to see if I can find them.

I have a set of weights sitting on my desk. Just ten pounders. But whenever I have a free moment, I do some bicep curls or tricep work.

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercis...iceworkout.htm

http://www.theexerciseballworkouts.c...ng-in-a-chair/