how to stay active with a desk job

I’ve always been an active person. I played competitive sports through high school and then participated in my fair share of intramurals during my college years. (Four-time undefeated champs of Inner Tube Water Polo for the win). But it always seemed easy to find time in between classes or after school to stay active. It wasn’t something I tried to do, it was just a part of life. Now since I’ve been out of school, working full time, and not worried about fitting into a wedding dress, its been more of a chore to find ways to keep moving since I sit at a computer nearly all day. A couple months ago I made a conscious effort to make time for exercising and figure out ways to fit it in throughout the day, so when Jawbone asked if I wanted to try out their newest fitness tracker, UP MOVE, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see just how well my strategies have been working.

Workout first thing in the morning

This one has been the biggest game changer for me. I wanted to get back into running but its always the last thing I want to do after work, so finally one day I thought I would try to do it before work. And though it sucks waking up an hour earlier, as soon as I step outside I wake up and I feel so much better for the rest of the day. Before doing this I would shower the night before, wake up as late as possible the next morning, and roll into work tired and requiring caffeine before being able to function. Even though I’m getting up earlier, I don’t need the caffeine to get going and it’s great to start out the day feeling like you already accomplished something! A body in motion tends to stay in motion, so if you start out the day moving, it’s easier to keep it up throughout the day.

Alternative Transportation

I’m lucky that I live close enough to my office that I’m able to bike to work in the warmer months. I know, I could bike in the colder months, too…one step at a time! But if you live close enough, consider biking or walking to work. It’s better for you and the environment. If that’s not an option, try parking farther away from the office.

Take advantage of the lunch hour

Most days I tend to eat lunch at my desk, but afterward I try to get out for a quick walk to step away from everything even if its just for 10-15 minutes. Don’t try to break a sweat, just a casual stroll to get some fresh air and a brief respite from a computer screen.

Track your efforts

Track your activity every day. Before using the UP MOVE I made a specific calendar in my Google Calendar for running and other exercise and I input it as an event after I did it. (Actually, I still input it in the calendar because it’s assigned to the “accent color” of my calendar color scheme and it makes it look pretty.) But it’s rewarding to see all those little events tally up over the course of a week or month. The great thing with the fitness tracker and the Smart Coach app that syncs all your activity to your phone, is that it tracks more than just one 3-mile run (like my calendar), but every step you take and, perhaps more importantly, how long you haven’t moved. It motivates you to reach a goal of 10,000 steps every day. It’s a good a feeling to have already hit 60% of my steps before 7:30am and it’s definitely made me more aware of my activity after that morning workout; I may or may not have walked in circles around our little temporary apartment at 10:30 pm one night because I still needed 500 steps for the day.

What are some ways you’ve found to stay active when most of the day is spent at a computer?

This post was sponsored by Jawbone in collaboration with Collectively. I was provided a Jawbone UP MOVE to try out, and all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog!