Hi @hoppermum – your post made me smile 😀 I now have an image in my head of someone jumping up from their desk every so often and climbing on and off a stool with a health and safety guy standing watching and all the while tutting and shaking his head.

Wonderful!! 😀 😀

You go girl!!

xx

@Hoppermum I also have a desk job and could stare at my computer all day however I never sit for more than an hour at a time.

One of the reasons is that I drink copious amounts of coffee and herbal tea all day, so that I have to constantly go to the toilet, which involves going down one flight of stairs.
When in the wash room I often do a few press ups against the wall and other vaguely muscle toning exercises for a minute or so.
I once read that a famous 50s film star used every opportunity to exercise her legs by raising one leg just an inch and hold it as long as possible. Quite intriguing and worth trying out.
I write internal e-mails just for the record and get up and discuss the matter with the recipients.
Sometimes I pretend our printer does not work and print my stuff on a printer down the corridor so I have to get up and pick it up.
Our office is a magnet for everybody to dump things so if I want to get away from the desk I start tidying up.
The most exercise I get is during my luncah hour when I go for a brisk 3+ mile walk up and downhill. I am very fortunate that I can walk in a nice and safe residential area. .

Hi Hoppermum.

Good on you! I LOVE it! I only work 10 hours a week and my job has me moving but I’m definitely gong to incorporate doing jumping jacks every half hour at home. 30 seconds of full out jumping jacks 😉

I’ll keep you posted on how I go.

I got a standing desk installed at my office cube, if you can get this I would highly recommend it. Not only is standing itself better for you, but I find I’m also more inclined to do other little bits of activity (like walk down to the printer and collect something as soon as I send it to print, rather than just making a trip down several hours later after I’ve printed off several things, so I’ll have 2-3 trips when I might previously have had just one). Aside from that, I try to take a quick walk at midday and also ALWAYS use the stairs for going between floors. Sometimes if I am feeling sleepy I will also just go and walk up a few flights of stairs quickly, it really gets your blood flowing.

I do a lot of studying at home and it’s so easy to get absorbed in whatever I am looking at, so every 45 minutes I get up and do some exercises just to raise my heartbeat and move my arms and legs around! Definitely feel more alert when I sit back down again and I can see a difference in my legs and upper arms. Goes to show you don’t need any fancy equipment or have to go to the gym!

Not sure if this is an option for you, but perhaps try standing while you work?