I think sitting at a desk is killing me

[thyme4change]

Every day I go in and sit at my desk all day and work.  Today, I took the day off and did stuff around the house.  Nothing hugely physical - stuff like cleaning out the filing cabinets and putting stuff away.  I also ran a few errands, did laundry, etc.  The difference in how I feel after a day of moderate activity vs. how I feel after a day of sitting at my desk is amazing.

Crap...I don't think I have any skills except things that require me to sit at my desk.

[souldoubt]

I'm a desk jockey as well but one of the perks of my job is the gym downstairs.  I work out 5-6 days a week which includes weight lifting and running yet I was a different kind of sore when doing projects around the house.  If I could I'd get one of the set ups so that I could work standing up at times because sitting for so many hours a day without getting up isn't good.  

[swamp]

I hear you. 

[chiver78]

ditto. I was embarrassed by how out of breath I was after the Washington Monument tour last weekend. other than hockey and pub league vball, I really don't do much anymore. I've been tying it to being stuck in my house, but especially after today's mess (don't ask here, not getting into it) I really need to figure out other ways to make myself active while I'm still stuck in my house.

[Lizard Queen]

Probably. If I were in your financial position, I would seriously consider just retiring.

On another note, I've been doing this exercise video, and feeling fan-effin-tastic after each time: Pilate's Conditioning for Weight Loss. (You can see it free on YouTube.) Ironically, it is nearly the exact same routine I did 20 years ago at the beginning of my modern dance classes in college, so maybe your daughter would be interested in it as well.

[resolution]

I keep toying with the idea of buying a stability ball to sit on while I work. I work from home and I miss even the little exercise I used to get moving around an office.

[wvugurl26]

There are several people at my chiropractor/physical therapy/rehab place that have conditions made worse by sitting at a desk all day. They recommend moving around every 30 minutes along with certain stretches.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

There are a few people I work with who have these: 

bouncy chair

[sarcasticgirl]

I have the same problem... Confirmed by my Dr.
It blows!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards

[teen persuasion]

It's pretty rare for me to be sitting down for more than ten minutes at a time, unless it is absolutely dead and I have nothing to do except updating our website/FB/pinterest boards.  I often wish they had just built a standing height circ desk, then I wouldn't have to keep pushing the chair all around to get to the scanner, in a drawer, back to the mouse tray.  Only typing is awkward while standing, so I'm constantly up and down, in and out of my chair.

I'll be getting my workout the next few days, we are having another booksale, so that means hauling flats of books up from the basement, hauling tables down from the meeting room and from other sections, and then putting leftovers back again.  We recruit volunteers, esp HS kids that need National Honors hours, but we still do a lot ourselves.  A few days ago I had a few football players helping me, and they were huffing and puffing by the time we'd brought up maybe a third of what is downstairs (but all we have room to stash early).  LOL, they need to learn to pace themselves, or build up better stamina - I made all the trips they did with a flat of hardcovers each time.  I brought up another 7 or 8 boxes today.  Also had the LP collection rotate today, so had multiple delivery bags to haul around, scan and shelve in addition to the regular ILL delivery.

This is why you wouldn't know my boss is in her seventies - she's usually trying to give me a break by doing it herself, and has been for decades.

[Deleted]

Maybe an under the desk peddler would help?

[jkapp]

I try to take a 20-30 minute walk after lunch to just get moving and some fresh air. That tends to help a lot, but during winter it ain't happenin' (not in NE Wisconsin, anyway)

So winters are pretty harsh for me at my desk job.

[Ava]

I'm in the same boat. I don't like sitting for so long, but I have to be sitting down at my desk to perform my job.
The local YMCA is five minutes away from my workplace. Most mornings I go there to either use the treadmill or swim before going to work. I feel infinitely better the days I exercise.
But I am sitting for too long anyway, and that's not good.

[Ryan]

People used to tell me that exercise makes you feel great, but I never really found my energy was all that great outside of right after the workout.  I'd workout, go to work, and then basically feel pretty tired as I sat away and slaved in front of the computer.

But I definitely feel a huge difference in energy levels when I'm just doing stuff with my kids all day (weekends) vs. sitting at a desk all day (weekdays).  When I've got a constant level of activity going throughout the day, I feel like a million bucks.

[ZaireinHD]

even though I had 2 one hour training sessions, a one hour USA Town Hall meeting, and a half hour conference call today at the office - I still was out and about walking around.

packages and mail gets dropped off at my desk and I went to deliver them. did inventory of coffee and supply room. went to Receiving department which is across campus twice today. my job has pretty much slowed down as well, because I used to be away from the desk doing something! though I am at my desk often I still have to get up and go to the printer on the other side of the floor, the break room to get water which is past the Xerox. the better mens room is on another floor.

[skubikky]

Same here.
I had a riding accident a few months back and working at the computer makes it very painful.
I get up a lot and stretch, walk at lunch, exercise, swim, and of course ride.
The more I'm away from my desk the better I feel.

[michelyn8]

I know exactly how you feel.  Until I took this position, I worked in places that I could get up and move around more and get outside some.  Since I've been here, I'm much more sedentary and anytime I have to do something remotely physical I can literally feel how weak I've become.  If I'm going to any kind of physical labor at home I have to make sure I have at least a day of doing nothing available to recover a little of my energy before I have to go back to work.

[ArchietheDragon]

anyone can dig a ditch.

[violagirl]

I finally did something when I was hiking up a slight but long hill with my friends and the pain in my lower back was excrutiating while everyone else seemed fine. 

I had a gym membership but wasn't going. So I replaced the gym membership with a personal trainer (we do two 30 min workouts twice a week via Skype which is cheaper than in person). Within about 2 months my lower back pain was gone. 

But I'd still find I have tension in my shoulder at work, so I started jogging 3 days a week after work. Not long just 30-40 minutes. But I feel fantastic afterwards! It helps with the stress and I just feel so good after I've been physically moving after sitting and staring at a computer all day. It also makes me less hungry in the evenings so its a win win. 

I do believe though that physical activity at lunch time or at some time during the day really should be a mandatory workplace practice. I know the gym I went to, there was at least one company that would bus their employees in for a workout during the day. They had an aerobics class, then they would get on the bus and go back to work. Ideally an office would have at least one shower in the bathroom. There would be many more people biking or exercising at lunch time if they didn't have to be sweaty all day. 

[thyme4change]

Aug 27, 2014 22:05:37 GMT -5 Ryan said:

People used to tell me that exercise makes you feel great, but I never really found my energy was all that great outside of right after the workout.  I'd workout, go to work, and then basically feel pretty tired as I sat away and slaved in front of the computer.

But I definitely feel a huge difference in energy levels when I'm just doing stuff with my kids all day (weekends) vs. sitting at a desk all day (weekdays).  When I've got a constant level of activity going throughout the day, I feel like a million bucks.

I also don't get this magical energy rush that everyone promised me if I worked out.  It is very annoying.

[ArchietheDragon]

Aug 28, 2014 8:17:17 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Aug 27, 2014 22:05:37 GMT -5 Ryan said:

People used to tell me that exercise makes you feel great, but I never really found my energy was all that great outside of right after the workout.  I'd workout, go to work, and then basically feel pretty tired as I sat away and slaved in front of the computer.

But I definitely feel a huge difference in energy levels when I'm just doing stuff with my kids all day (weekends) vs. sitting at a desk all day (weekdays).  When I've got a constant level of activity going throughout the day, I feel like a million bucks.

I also don't get this magical energy rush that everyone promised me if I worked out.  It is very annoying.

My offer of an illicit affair is still on the table.     

[Lizard Queen]

Aug 28, 2014 8:17:17 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Aug 27, 2014 22:05:37 GMT -5 Ryan said:

People used to tell me that exercise makes you feel great, but I never really found my energy was all that great outside of right after the workout.  I'd workout, go to work, and then basically feel pretty tired as I sat away and slaved in front of the computer.

But I definitely feel a huge difference in energy levels when I'm just doing stuff with my kids all day (weekends) vs. sitting at a desk all day (weekdays).  When I've got a constant level of activity going throughout the day, I feel like a million bucks.

I also don't get this magical energy rush that everyone promised me if I worked out.  It is very annoying.

I think that it depends on the type of workout. Most workouts, I'm just tired afterward.

[movingforward]

I think sitting at a desk is killing most of America.  I try to get up and stretch every hour.  I make sure I drink a lot of water which makes me get up and at least walk to the bathroom.  Our water cooler is downstairs so a couple of times a day I walk the stairs to refill my jumbo bottle.  I do workout 4-5 days a week which is great but sitting at my desk for 9-10 hrs straight each day is still not good.  My co-worker has a desk that can be raised so he is able to stand-up and work part of the day.  I have already put my name on it if he ever leaves. 

[thyme4change]

Aug 28, 2014 8:19:18 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Aug 28, 2014 8:17:17 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I also don't get this magical energy rush that everyone promised me if I worked out.  It is very annoying.

My offer of an illicit affair is still on the table.     

But there would be a pretty long plane ride to get there.  12 hours of sitting for 14 seconds of "exercise" doesn't seem worth it.

[ArchietheDragon]

Aug 28, 2014 9:03:07 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Aug 28, 2014 8:19:18 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

My offer of an illicit affair is still on the table.     

But there would be a pretty long plane ride to get there.  12 hours of sitting for 14 seconds of "exercise" doesn't seem worth it.

14 seconds of heaven... 

[NancysSummerSip]

Aug 28, 2014 9:04:23 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Aug 28, 2014 9:03:07 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

But there would be a pretty long plane ride to get there.  12 hours of sitting for 14 seconds of "exercise" doesn't seem worth it.

14 seconds of heaven... 

Fourteen seconds? Sheesh, you are out of shape, Arch. You'd last longer if you ran more.

I've got a desk job, too, but looking for a more active job. I get up once or twice an hour to stretch and walk around. I also work out every day, and that helps.