So, I got a job working at a dog kennel. I will be the receptionist in a month or two but first they want me to learn everything since I've never worked at a place like this. Most of my days will be 12 hour days and I was informed today I'd work the next 7 or 8 days. Which fine with me!

The problem is after walkign dogs, bathing, grooming, feeding and all the other things that go along..after 12 hours I don't think I'm going to run home to exercise for an hour like I've been trying to do most days of the week.

Do yall think this type of work- not much sitting will kind of make up for it?

I'm just being honest with myself and I don't want to do zumba or 30 day shred and go to work or come home and do it lol. On my days off though, I will.

I think it'll be fine- and besides that if you are exhausted how great would that workout be? If I were working 12 hour days there is no way I'd be working out also- I'd be too tired!

buttercup85- It sounds like your new job is very physically demanding. I think you will do great, even without your normal workout, especially if you keep your eating in check. My husband works a very physical job and always drops 10-15 lbs in the summer when he has to work 13 hr days. and he's not overweight. Congrats on your new job!

Well maybe i will play the devils advocate here..

I, myself used to work in a hospital in food delivery. I used to deliver patient trays to 5 floors to all the indiviual rooms..I walked over 20,000 steps at a brisk walk in my job and i worked for 12 hours a day on my feet walking..

I used to do all that and manage to take my 280 pound frame from a 12 hour job to the gym and work out 6 days a week in the evenings.. A typical day would look like this

6:00 am rise
7:00am-at work begin
7:00pm-finish work...hop on bus and eat protein shake and nuts on bus ride
7:20pm-arrive at gym
7:30-9pm-treadmill,upright bike,elliptical,swim and end in hot tub for a few minutes.
9:15pm-take bus home
10pm-make meals for next day,set out work clothes and bed time.

So to answer your question: Is it possible to fit in exercise even after 20,000 steps of brisk walking over a period of 12 hours of a work day? YEP..

Can you do it even if you weight 280 something pounds? YEP

Will working your job only make up the deficit for not working out after work?? Possibly..your job might have you walking around, but inless you are consistently walking in your job, your not going to reap the arobic activity of it..and also, your body over time, will get used to it..See..exercise is supposed to be OVER and ABOVE what we do on a daily basis.. So if you are doing the same thing every day in your job..your body will get used to it and you will have to up the amount of work you do to get it out of that rut it went into.. Pleae dont get me wrong though..if your overweight and doing any activity, you WILL reap the benefits of whatever moving you are doing..After 20,l000 steps at work for me and then working out..i was averaging a loss of close to 15-20 pounds per month cause of all the exercise..but remember..to fuel your body too..dont do too much and then not eat enough calories..thats key

My 2 cents:

Don't look for excuses to not exercise. Reach your goal weight! Do it in a healthy manner! - PLUS, exercise will HELP you be able to maintain your busy work schedule.

And congrats on your new job!!!

I personally would wait until your training period is over and then hit the gym when your job description of receptionist ties you to a desk all day.

Hmmmmm. I actually have first hand knowledge here. My very first job ever was working in my family owned dog kennel.

I know this is a little gross, but will you be shoveling their kennel runs? Because that can be pretty heavy and demanding work. I remember being sore the next day at times. Also, will you be carrying their water buckets back and forth, or do you simply run a hose or facet to their water buckets? And, how big is the kennel? How many runs are there?

My family kennel held up to fifty dogs. I would say if you were scooping all of those runs that would be a decent workout for the day.

But, if they've got a hose out cleaning system for the runs (I *am* assuming the runs are concrete) then it may not be as much of a workout as you would like. I'd wear a pedometer and see how much you're moving. It's definitely a lot of movement which is never a bad thing. And, back when I worked the kennel I was definitely skinny as a rail!

However, none of it is going to get your heart rate pumping to where it should be for cardio benefits. So, ideally you would still fit in some cardio time. Are you in charge of exercising the dogs? Can you put them on a leash and run them? My kennel was in the country and we whistle trained the dogs. They came back on two blows so the exercising them part was simply opening one run at a time and giving the dog 10 minutes of free time. (We were surrounded by farmland.) But, if this is a kennel where people pay you to keep their dogs I would suspect they must be exercised on leash. That gives you some serious cardio opportunity.

It all depends on exactly what you'll be doing.

Wow, a receptionist at a dog kennel. I'm getting old. That was called our house phone when I was a kid!

I worked at a dog kennel for nine months in 2003. The kennel at full capacity could house 100 dogs. We were constantly short handed and I often worked alone. I fed, bathed, exercised, washed dog bedding, cleaned inside cages and outside runs ( both scooping and with a hose) and even gave medications. The work was non-stop and grueling. I easily dropped twenty pounds while working there without dieting or doing any other exercise.

Unfortunately I lost the job (the owners made a deal with a local vet and hired a friend of his wife to be live-in help) and gained all the weight back.

Working out while working takes a lot of finesse. I agree with the previous poster who recommended keeping it casual until you are better known around that office. First impressions are really hard to change!