WFH - How are you getting your movement in?

[ChadCMulligan]

I work from home and it's possible for me to accumulate less than 2K steps in a working day.

I've started going for a morning walk which comes in at 5K@55m with the pushchair but it's not something I'm fond of doing in poor weather. The kicker is that even with that I end up around 8-9K steps at the end of the day.

I need to find a way of consistently getting in 60-90 minutes of reasonable exercise, independent of weather that works around having a four and one year old. Gym is not ideal as the nearest one is a 25 minute drive so including changing time you're looking at 2.5 hours out of the day.

Hmm. I’m afraid I do the exact thing that’s tricky for you. I wake up at 5.30 and hit the gym at 7am 3 times a week, go after work once a week and once at the weekend. It’s a 20 min walk there (and back!) for me.

If I can’t get there for some reason, I do a You Tube workout at home.

(And I do 45 min classes at the gym - circuits, spinning and HIIT)

I bought myself a walking pad and I slot it under my desk and use it when im in meetings. I tried using it while I was working but found it a bit hard to concentrate on my spreadsheets.

I also use it when watching tv at night or I take a couple of 10 min breaks during the work day and jump on it.

I do Peleton using a non-Peleton bike and a cadence sensor. Means I can do a half hour class once kids are in bed.

I also walk as much as I can e.g. drop-off and pickup, going for a pint of milk etc.

If I have a training session or similar to attend where I can leave my camera off and won't need to speak then I go for a walk during the session. Oddly I've found I actually take more in that way.

I was very dissapointed once I got beyond the headline. I thought you were asking about finding time for a poo when you had back-to-back Zoom/Teams calls ;-) Which can be a problem!

Joking aside, I agree with @Careerdilemma - do you have the space for an exercise bike? We have a treadmill (which I sometimes do dull Zoom calls from) but they take a LOT of space (we have a garage).

Following as I’m in the same position.

I use the Courtney black app - it has real time workouts 3 times a week that are 45 mins. There’s loads of trainers on there but Sarah is good for beginners.

Other than that I try to get out for a walk at lunchtime and big walks at the weekend, but it’s not good. Some days I only do 1,000 steps!

I walk my dog daily which is about 4-5k and 4-6,000 steps depending on the route and then I try to gym 3-4 times a week. I also tend to get about 3,000 steps in just pottering around the house throughout the day x

Peloton for me

There's some good advice here

1. Definitely not getting a dog - I can see they get you out of the house but you can't eat them before you go on holiday.
2. Peloton - I do have a bike and smart trainer, and it's there mocking me. Despite enjoying cycling even with Zwift I find it hard to get the enthusiasm up for indoor training, especially in hot weather. Probably just need to HTFU and get on it
3. Walkpad - tempting

I think I need to find more reasons to go up and down the stairs.

I always use a bathroom on a different floor during the day.

I do a morning, lunchtime and after work walk- either an outside walk or a walking workout on the TV on YouTube, I like Get Fit With Rick but there are others or a dance class I do Shabam via my Les Mills subscription.

I try and stretch my legs and have a general stretch occasionally and I try and keep on top of housework as it all burns calories.

I have a cross trainer and spin bike but it’s too hot at the moment.

I don't, and it's really affecting my health. On an office day I do 7-10k steps plus a two mile cycle to the station each way. On a WFH day when I'm busy, I just walk around my house. I used to do four office days a week, now I do one 2-3 times per month.

I try to get out for a walk but it's hard to find the time in the day with childcare. Easier in summer, for sure.

I go for a 30-45-min walk before and after work - I call it my 'commute', it's a really handy way to mentally separate work and home life - and I try to go out again on my lunchbreak. Not so easy with a little one, though, I can imagine.

I hear you, though - if the weather's really bad and I don't go out, I only really end up moving between my desk, the loo, and the kettle, and can end up with a day's steps only numbering in the hundreds!

I go to the gym at 6 am!!! I appreciate this is easier said than done if yiu have small children.

That's the issue. The gym opens at six, which is when the youngest wakes up and the eldest needs to be up for seven for leaving at half seven.

It'll all be so much easier in a year when the youngest is in nursery.

@Watercoloursky

It's lovely when the weather is nice, it give me an hour or so walk with the youngest and she usually has a 15-20 minute nap during it. I usually see a few people to say hi to on the loop (joys of village life) and also get to have a good nose at what's happening in the area.

I have a lot of meetings where I am just listening so for those I use my Bluetooth headphones and potter around the house tidying up, putting away laundry etc - it's not an extraordinary number of steps but it helps.

I also take the odd break and do things like the Lucy Wyndham Read 7 min exercise videos

I do Pilates in my lunch break most days when WFH, loads of 10-20 video’s available on YouTube, so can fit that in and lunch even in a 30 min break. They are usually gentle enough that you don’t get all sweaty so feel that you need a shower before logging back on. I’m starting to notice I’m getting stronger and more toned

Parkrun on Saturday, an hour's karate on Sunday, 5k run on Wednesday, speed walk to and from the office on Thursday.

Plus all the normal running around after a 14yo.

I walk the school run two or three times a day, but it's only 900 steps!! I walk the dog once a day. I walk to the shop. I run once a week on a Sunday morning and do a pilates class one evening. I normally get to 10,000 steps.

I speed-walk round the block for 10 mins after dropping the kids off at school. That's it really. I can't manage anything mid day or lunchtime, as any break in my working day throws my concentration out. Would like to do more.

I have just bought a fold away treadmill. The handles come down so that you can put it away like under the couch or in the wardrobe or something.

Other than that I do YouTube workouts. I hate proper workouts though and never stick to them, but there's a girl on there called growwithjo who does walking workouts or dance workouts and they are more fun

I do short bouts of intensive exercise, HIIT and weights using youtube videos. When sitting at a desk soleus ankle pushups are great as they are the only muscle that directly removes glucose from the blood.