How do you stay fit while having a sedentary role?

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BroadConfusion6563@reddit

i am to lazy to move,i only want to lay in my chair

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top_of_the_scrote@reddit

Dieting is the main thing

I'm lucky we have a gym at work, I hit that up every morning for 30 mins but I just lift (bench, curl, lateral/forward raise, overhead press) do 3 sets

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i go all around town to play volleyball bcos sitting at my desk can fill me with a seething rage that only pounding a ball into the ground or sacrificing my body into the floor to dig up a ball can satiate

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Comprehensive-Pin667@reddit

Easy. I exercise every day. It's possible even with a full time job and a toddler. On days when I'm at the office, I bike to and from the office (12 km each way). Almost no time loss because it's about as fast as it would be by public transport, and it's exercise.

On days when I'm not at the office, I go for a 5 km run. It's not much, but it can be done under 30 minutes so it's not too costly in terms of time.

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t0rt0ff@reddit

Warrior diet is a miracle! And do at least something a couple times a week.

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camelCaseCoffeeTable@reddit

Go to the gym lol. A standing desk won’t make you fit, it just helps with spine issues by standing. A treadmill desk will help a bit, but generally the advice is to get your heart rate up higher than walking a few times a week. You gotta run or go to the gym to stay “fit.”

Now, that’s not to say walking is useless. But you asked about staying fit, and simply walking won’t make you what most people consider to be “fit.” For that, you’re gonna need to lift weight and get yourself at least jogging a few times a week.

Anyone should be doing this anyway though. The number one predictor of longevity is VO2 Max, which comes from aerobic activity. Being strong is the number one way to improve aging. Combine the two and you’re doing everything you can to live a long and healthy life.

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v0gue_@reddit

Lifting is so important in your middle aged years to bless your later aged years with good mobility.

I completely agree, people need to get to the gym more. There is no secret to staying fit while having a sedentary job. You have to do cardio and you have to lift even if it's just calisthenics.

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-ewha-@reddit

Would swimming be a suitable replacement or does it have to be lifting?

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v0gue_@reddit

I'm obviously not a doctor, physical therapist, or athletic trainer, but I'm going to say no with a big caveat on the word "replacement". Swimming is mainly cardio. You can probably sub running with swimming. If you were a hardcore swimmer, as in doing multiple laps everyday, then yeah I wouldn't stress to much about lifting, but you can't just casually work out with swimming and think you are getting every type of exercise you need.

If you really want to fully target everything important into a single workout, you want to row on a rowing machine. That. Shit. SUCKS.... but if you spent an hour every other day rowing at a moderate pace, your don't need to think about lifting, or cardio, or any other targeted exercise

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-ewha-@reddit

Yeah I know to take it with a grain of salt and research, thanks! I’m really surprised about rowing tho. I didn’t expect it to train so many muscles groups. I though it would mostly be the upper body.

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turtleProphet@reddit

Crucially it does not take much. 3 sessions a week, a little care with diet, and you won't recognise yourself in a year.

Plus once you make time for 3 sessions, it's not a big difference to add another one, start an upper/lower program and go full meathead.

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OkMemeTranslator@reddit

Crucially it does not take much. Three full-body sessions a week

That is much for some people, either mentally or time-wise (e.g. if they have kids).

The good news is, just one full-body seasion per week has a major effect on an untrained body.

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pontymython@reddit

I'm so glad you said this, 1 a week is a challenge for me but I've been hitting it a bit this year. There's always something more urgent at work, or tempting on the computer (as a hobby) or I was late to bed the night before because of X so now my schedule is disrupted so now I couldn't possibly gym etc etc

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svettarn@reddit

Major key to building the gym habit is showing up despite all the other things. Even if you didn't get much sleep before or whatever. Sure the workouts won't always be great, but if you just keep showing up every week, eventually it'll become part of your routine and identity. When it becomes part of who you are, you'll naturally start optimizing for having better workouts, so you'll be going to sleep earlier, eating better etc, almost subconsciously. At least that's been my experience and I've heard the same from others.

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turtleProphet@reddit

100%

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Vetches1@reddit

Just curious, is there a full-body plan you recommend? I can of course search around but figure no harm in getting someone who actually has a bit of insight on it instead of Google Gemini or whatnot, hah.

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PureRepresentative9@reddit

You're totally completely correct

You do NOT need to turn into a professional athlete spending 8 hours or more a week in the gym.

The VAST majority of benefits happens in those 3 sessions you're talking about.

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Rain-And-Coffee@reddit

Resisting training, ex: pull-ups aren’t lifting

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theDarkAngle@reddit

There was an article on r/science recently showing the connections between cardiovascular health and longevity were much weaker than previously thought. It showed stuff like cv health being correlated with things that shouldnt really have anything to do with cv health, such as increased risk of death by automobile accident.

The takeaway being, it's actually probably both cv health and general mortality are influenced by common underlying factors (with the most common guess being poverty, but the data isn't suggestive of anything in particular).

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camelCaseCoffeeTable@reddit

For me, one study isn’t enough to overturn dozens of other studies that have shown massive correlations between the two. As with everything in science, new data can cause you to rethink. But there’s far, far more evidence showing that high VO2 Max is correlated with longer lifespans.

And VO2 Max isn’t exactly cardiovascular health, it should be noted. VO2 Max is about how much oxygen your blood can carry. Heart health is a part of it, but it’s also heavily related to adaptations within your blood itself

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iamapinkelephant@reddit

The one disagreeing would be a meta-analysis which by definition is looking at multiple studies.

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theDarkAngle@reddit

oh i didn't mean to suggest it should be overturned. Just throwing it out there it just might not be as strong as once thought.

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Pleasant-Memory-6530@reddit

This seems... very weird?

As I understand it, a lot of early deaths come pretty much directly from poor cardiovascular health (i.e. from heart disease).

Do you have a link to the study by any chance?

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theDarkAngle@reddit

here's the reddit thread, it's linked there: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1kn73ru/comment/msi4hym/

Title just says "physical fitness" but it clarifies this as "good cardiorespiratory fitness" in the article and while it doesn't dispute there being a statistical link between fitness and cv disease and such, what it suggests is that the relationship may be more correlative and less causal than previously thought.

“We found that people with high fitness levels in late adolescence had a lower risk of dying prematurely, for example from cardiovascular disease, compared to those with low fitness levels. But when we looked at their risk of dying in random accidents, we found an almost similarly strong association. This suggests that people with high and low fitness levels may differ in other important ways, which is something that previous studies have not fully taken into account,” says Marcel Ballin, associated researcher in epidemiology and lead author of the study.

However on re-reading it, I think I slightly misunderstood the claim. I was thinking of it as a case of "we thought A -> B, but given that A is also correlated with C, we believe there may be a hidden factor D that causes all of A, B, and C". But actually I think the idea is more like "... a hidden underlying factor D that causes A and C, but A still causes B so they're all correlated".

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musty_mage@reddit

I'd recommend sports over the gym every time. Swimming, tennis, badminton, football, basketball, or even cycling. They not only keep you fit, but also develop your body control and hand-eye coordination and in the case of team sports are also social and strategic.

Just lifting weights at a gym is boring as shit

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_jjerry@reddit

Ideally you do both… lifting is the only thing that fixes my back pain 🥲

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musty_mage@reddit

Swimming long distance did wonders for my back. Like kilometres at a time

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_jjerry@reddit

Great call, I’ll have to give that a try

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camelCaseCoffeeTable@reddit

To each their own. I love lifting at the gym.

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musty_mage@reddit

True dat. Do what works for you.

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jakesboy2@reddit

A good way to think about it is listing/cardio isn’t some extra thing you’re doing for your body for bonus health, it’s what your body is supposed to be doing.

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camelCaseCoffeeTable@reddit

100%. Humans are, I think literally, the best long distance runners on the planet. We evolved to run, it’s what we do as a species. I got into running about 2-3 years ago, and while I’ve always been into fitness, I’ve found running both makes me feel the best and gives me the best endorphin rush or any form of exercise. Your body rewards you the most for doing it I’ve found

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Lfaruqui@reddit

A treadmill desk definitely helps more than a bit

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camelCaseCoffeeTable@reddit

If you just wanna move, a treadmill desk is fine. But if you wanna be fit, as most people interpret the word, you need to do more than simply walk. You gotta raise your heart rate, and a treadmill desk won’t accomplish that. Depends what OP is looking for, but the question specifically used the word “fit”

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jdealla@reddit

Diet, weight training, and getting your steps in.

There’s a lot to unpack re diet. Most people aren’t eating well and are eating too much.

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Lothy_@reddit

I don’t.

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PensiveProgrammer@reddit

I work from home and started walking multiple times a day

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joshak@reddit

You can lose weight by calorie counting. Using a desk treadmill can help on the margins (you can’t outrun/outwalk a bad diet). If you want to get fit though you need to be doing regular cardio and ideally regular resistance exercise.

For me that means getting up at 5am every morning and walking to the gym or going for a 45 minute run depending on the day. For you it could be whatever you enjoy just try to do at least 30-45 mins a day. It takes 3 weeks of daily effort to build a routine. Once you have built a routine it becomes exponentially easier to keep the momentum. Running sucks for a long time but eventually you will build base capacity and it will start to feel much easier, especially when you get those runner endorphins. Everyone feels out of place in the gym when they first start. No one is looking at you or judging you we’re all too busy judging ourselves. Once you’ve been going for a few weeks it will become a lot more familiar and comfortable. If you can I recommend getting a PT at first of going to a group fitness class so you can get taught the proper form.

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Dreadmaker@reddit

I haven’t seen anyone recommend this in this thread, so here’s mine: yoga. Specifically vinyasa yoga. I do it every day for 30 minutes-ish. You don’t need to go that hard through - twice a week is so much better than nothing.

Yoga requires next to nothing - nothing if you’re comfy on a carpet, but a yoga mat is helpful. Otherwise, you’re good. You don’t need all these machines, or even to go to a gym, or anything like this. There are many, many certified yoga instructors and channels on YouTube that have excellent material for any level, including complete beginner.

When I started doing yoga, I really had zero exercise going on. I was aggressively sedentary. Not overweight at all - just not a lot of calories in or out, maintaining healthy weight, but just fuckin’ sore for no reason. Like, hurt your back getting out of bed no reason. Or walking a short distance and getting knee pain out of nowhere. Little stupid injuries all the time due really to just being weak - not moving ever.

Well, I’ve been doing it for a year now, and it’s been transformative for sure. No more little stupid injuries, and I’m really pretty toned now. Lots of muscle definition, closing in on visible abs for the first time in my life, and also so much stronger and more flexible all around. Huge quality of life increase. And all this for just about 30 minutes a day of working out at home.

Vinyasa yoga isn’t easy. There’s potential to do some gentler routines and variations, but that shit is tough when you start out and requires a deceptive amount of strength in a lot of muscles you don’t ever use if you’re not trying. But it’s easy enough to try and work through, and like I said, there are so many mixed level routines on YouTube to experiment with and see, you can get there pretty quickly, and the newbie gains are super motivating.

That’s actually the best part - a year in and I’m still getting ‘newbie gains’ regularly, because you work towards new and harder positions. So at first something that seems impossible becomes available over time, and you can see the progress daily, which is why I think I’ve stuck with it so long. It’s also super highly variable, and the fact that just about every routine is different is, to me, a lot more interesting than just lifting stuff. Also more practical - you’re going to spend more time bending over and picking things up and twisting and reaching to get random stuff in your kitchen than you will just deadlifting things on a daily basis, and yoga really helps with all of the ‘random’ movement you do.

So, I’m biased, but I have really loved yoga, and I would encourage anyone to give it a shot - it really hits a lot of muscles and systems almost nothing else does. I would recommend checking out Charlie follows on YouTube, and specifically her 30 day beginner challenge if you’re all the way new. It’s not particularly difficult in the grand scheme of things, but it will be hard if you’re altogether new - but you’ll get there.

Good luck!

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the300bros@reddit

Reduce/eliminate junk food. Gym, lots of walking or biking. It helps if you start exercising when you’re young. Later on you get benefits from that even if you go long periods without the gym imo

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StackOwOFlow@reddit

reserve 30 minutes in the morning for an outdoor run, maybe to get coffee etc and then another later in the day for other exercise

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snipe320@reddit

Work out 3 days a week minimum. Should ideally be 5+.

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thedeuceisloose@reddit

2 to 3 hours of lifting a day.

Your job is not needing to be done 24/7, you can make time

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Hot-Sheepherder301@reddit

Nobody has 2-3 extra hours a day

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NowImAllSet@reddit

Saw the title, thought "you exercise." Read the post and skimmed the 225+ comments...and, yeah. You exercise. It's not rocket science.

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jakesboy2@reddit

Walking pad sounds like a great idea. I could even see a stationary bike too.

I personally use either the morning after daycare drop off or lunch time and lift + run for 5-6 days a week.

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syklemil@reddit

A decent /r/bikecommuting habit can do a lot. I used to have ~20 mins by bike to/from work and that was pretty pleasant. Now I have ~10 mins and more home office and notice I'm in worse shape. (Of course, I'm also older.)

But I'll also second the people mentioning the gym. You can get started on the old /r/fitness staple of Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5 or whatever is popular over there these days and grow from that.

Generally resistance training and intervals will give you the most bang for your minute.

It's also very easy to eat more calories than you expend, and being overweight makes everything feel heavier, because you're literally heavier. Lugging around extra kilos can be exhausting in itself, before we even get started on the effect it has on your biology. The simplest adjustment there IMO is to avoid drinking calories, since they're the ones that it's easiest to overindulge in without feeling full. I also try to avoid keeping calorific snacks at home because I know I'll go munch on them; unfortunately for me the wife seems to have buying those as a hobby, is unwilling to stop, and I can't bring myself to throw them out to avoid eating them either.

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niowniough@reddit

password locked snack cupboard

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syklemil@reddit

Yeah, we have a friend couple who have like a locked treasure chest, I've been talking about getting one but not followed up on it.

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bluetista1988@reddit

My office is ~50km from my home but there's plenty of bike routes along the way. We don't get a long biking season in Canada but I've been challenging myself to up my distance so that I can start biking in, even if it's just one way once a week and taking the train back in the afternoon.

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syklemil@reddit

I live in Norway, so while there absolutely are many places in Canada that are way more brutal than here, I find that /r/wintercycling is fine if you know how to, say, dress yourself for cross-country skiing (which every Norwegian is barely not legally obliged to be competent at; but generally use layers and be slightly chilly when you start; you're gonna literally warm up), and get some studs for your bike.

My current winter bike has somewhat bigger tyres than my summer bike, with studs, and a hub dynamo for lights, and a belt so I don't have to baby the chain as much with all the gunk, including road salt, that it gets exposed to in winter. But with climate change winter in Oslo is also pretty short; I'll consider it "winter" if we're consistently at a temperature where there's a real chance of ice and snow (in practice slightly above zero since you can hit some patches of surprise ice), and for that we're down to basically january and february as guaranteed winter months, with december and march as more "maybe I can use the summer bike" months.

Back when I was a kid we'd get bouts of snow from october to april. These days I expect bare ground until december, and something like one final snowdump in april that melts immediately but still manages to troll everyone for a day.

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liquidpele@reddit

Walking desk! It's a tredmill with a desk on it. You can't "work" while walking, but all those meetings... the 3 hours a day you would just be sitting there... might as well walk!

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TheTrueXenose@reddit

Standing desk with treadmill and 6 km runs twice a week.

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TheOnceAndFutureDoug@reddit

OK, a couple things:

First, exercise is not a factor in weight loss or maintenance. This is exceptionally well studied. Fun fact: There was a study done a few years ago involving a hunter-gatherer tribe and they discovered the metabolic rate of the average villager was about the same as your normal American meaning they burned a similar number of calories a day despite Americans living broadly sedentary lives vs these villagers that ran 15-20 miles most days.

So if your goal is to manage your weight it's simple: So long as there are no underlying medical issues just eat better and less. It really is that simple. Oh and don't let people tell you your metabolism slows down in your 30's. It doesn't happen until your late 50's early 60's. People just stop trying.

Second, exercise is super important for your heart health and that is why you do it. Walk 15-30 minutes each day. Try to move around. But you can do silly hacks that do work. Have a glass of water at your desk so you have to refill it multiple times a day. Take 15 minute walks. Running is fine but consistent movement throughout the day is better.

Just know the walking desks are a gimmick and there's not a lot of actual research around them. But what we do know is they may have a slight negative impact on productivity.

So yeah, it's really not complicated and there is no shortcut: Eat better, eat less, go for walks, lift some weights 1-2 times a week to get the majority of the benefits from that. If you need more than that it's because you have explicit health goals and at that point you're talking to professionals, not random people on Reddit.

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scottyviscocity@reddit

I'll be sarcastic for a minute... Go. To. The. Gym. Eat. Less. Calories.

Honestly though it's not that complex. A calorie deficit with any amount of exercise will do it. I eat about 300 calories less than my target and do weight lifting 5 days a week. This is more than necessary but I like the routine and opportunity to get the energy and stress out. Try going three days a week and just lifting. No cardio at first cause that is what people hate.

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suboptimus_maximus@reddit

So I’ve spent the first two years of my retirement solving this problem after leaving with a lot of tightness in my hips, neck, shoulders, back. I realize time is at a premium with a demanding career but with time to burn I’ve found yoga and Pilates are the best for undoing the mobility problems caused by all the sitting.

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travishummel@reddit

I do pushups while I wait for my tests to run.

I used to do them while I waited for my code to be approved, but I got too strong /s

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ramenmoodles@reddit

Is this a serious question? Most office jobs are sedentary, only way around it is to do some activity outside of work

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De_Wouter@reddit

Whatever you do, do something. Not having time is no excuse because it's not about time, it's about focus and energy of which you will get more, so you are more productive for less time.

Best is to do some cardio and some resistance training, a few times a week. (for general health, energy and all that). Of course, your diet is important to, you just can't eat that much as a generally active person.

Also, all small things of activity you can introducde in your day, do so. Take the stairs, go with a bike or so to work if possible. Take a smaller drink so you have to move more to the kitchen and back or what not.

Personally I'm not a big fan of standing desks. Especially when you need to really focus ann all that. Best OK for less mindful intense work.

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cjthomp@reddit

because it's not about time

Sometimes it is, though.

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femalien@reddit

You’re not wrong, there are absolutely going to be some people who literally do not have time to consistently exercise unless they prioritize exercise over sleep. And when you already only get about 6 hours, that’s tough. Many folks, especially parents of young kids, are literally go-go-go from the time they wake up until they go to sleep, and not with leisure activities that they are choosing over exercise, but caring for others who depend on them.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to sneak in some time to walk the dog here and there but saying that literally everyone has time to exercise is a gross oversimplification.

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garenbw@reddit

I wonder what kind of life that is that you literally don't have any down time? Sounds awfully pointless. What are these folks doing during those 8h outside of work?

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femalien@reddit

Pointless? No. Exhausting? Very. I’m a senior dev and also a mother of 3 kids, two of whom have special needs (not severe disabilities, but needs that require frequent appointments with doctors, therapists, and specialists). My husband also works full-time. We live in a car-dependent suburban area where it takes 10+ min to get anywhere, and doctor’s offices, activities, etc can be upwards of 30min away. My kids aren’t in a ton of activities but they each have something that involves lessons/practices weekly plus whatever games or performances. Then they also get invited to birthday parties, need rides places. Plus actually spending quality time with them and connecting with them as people. Supporting them after a hard day, helping with homework, helping practice music/sports, taking an interest in their hobbies and activities, cooking, cleaning, laundry, groceries for a family of 5. Planning all their birthdays, parties, holidays, vacations, making sure they have clothes that fit and that they will wear, proper seasonal attire, school supplies, snacks, lunches, haircuts, and on and on and on. Standard chores…mow the lawn, clean the toilets, take care of the pets, house and car maintenance, etc…some days maybe we’ll have an hour free, other days maybe we’ll decide to let the laundry sit for one more day so we can watch an episode of a show or something. Even the time I spent writing this is while I’m waiting for a kid to finish a bath and really I should be folding laundry rn

And I’d wager there are plenty of others out there who have even less free time than I do.

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Pleasant-Memory-6530@reddit

If you have young kids it's incredibly easy to get exercise in. You just take them to the park/beach/whatever and you'll get a nice cardio workout trying to stop them killing themselves, followed by a decent strength workout carrying them home when they run out of energy.

Getting a rest is the tricky part.

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garenbw@reddit

It's about prioritization. You always have time, you're choosing to use it for something else.

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cjthomp@reddit

"You always have the time, you're choosing to use it for something else"

That's your privilege talking.

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garenbw@reddit

Tell me your excuses then.

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cjthomp@reddit

I don't need one, I have a situation that allows me to have time.

But not everyone has that.

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darkapplepolisher@reddit

Focus/energy is really the bigger limiting factor there.

Swing a kettlebell around during a call-in meeting, or during your ~5-10 minute breaks. Your office work environment disapproves of exercise equipment on the premises? Improvise something.

You're never time-constrained on taking breaks, since breaks net positive on productivity.

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Gwolf4@reddit

Thumbs up for the kettlebell, one does not need to do full swings routine, maybe just 5x2 in the 10 minute break would be wonders.

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DigmonsDrill@reddit

Whatever you do, do something.

OP, write this is big letters and put it on the wall.

Do not dither about finding "the best" exercise. People dither for years about this. Just as long as it's not injuring you, do something.

The hardest thing is going from no activity to some activity. Once you are doing some activity, you can do incremental improvements from there.

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cgoldberg@reddit

You can sit on an inflatable ball and use one of those weird under-desk pedal things. 🤷‍♀️ I've seen it done.

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kmai270@reddit

I go rock climbing

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dawesdev@reddit

go outside and just start running

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morgo_mpx@reddit

Gym and I purchased a flat treadmill. They are like $100 and I do 30mins on that daily. Also way h your diet as this is the biggest contributor

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prodsec@reddit

Work out, watch what I eat and go for walks.

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jsnctl@reddit

Brazilian jiu jitsu, between 2 and 5 times a week

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Reptile00Seven@reddit

I go to the gym 4 days a week and play tennis on one of the off days

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nsxwolf@reddit

You don’t. I once had a job that involved 2 miles of walking a day as part of my commute. As soon as I got a different job I gained a ton of weight.

If you’re not already doing it, you’re just not the kind of person that can stick with something like that.

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thelochteedge@reddit

I lift weights 4x a week and try to get in a daily 20-40 min walk with the dog. I’d love to use our treadmill but the guy would attack me if he saw my feet moving like that haha.

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Buff_Lightyear@reddit

As a physical therapist turned software engineer it depends on your goals and what you mean by "fit".

If it's just generally being healthy the good news is the amount of input required can be significantly lower than you think to achieve that. A combination of a little strength training and a little cardio each week is all it takes from a time investment standpoint (of course nutrition plays a big role but that doesn't necessarily take more time)

I think this is a solid video explaining how little you can do and still make strength gains https://youtu.be/xc4OtzAnVMI?si=gOGwX_WxJJm0zu_-

I work remote and currently I do 2-3 20-30 minute walks with my dog eag day (1 before work, 1 at lunch, 1 after work if weather is good). And most mornings I do a lifting/cardio session after I walk the dog.

But you can be "fit" with significantly less. Dog or not if you have the ability to do some short walks around your work schedule I think that's an excellent place to start, sprinkle 1 or 2 minimalist lifting sessions in a week, don't eat like an absolute asshole, and you'll see improvements over time.

Most important thing is accepting "anything" is more than "nothing", it's still worth doing "something" even if it's not "everything". This is something I still work on convincing myself coming from a competitive powerlifting background, but just start small and be consistent. Once the habit is there you can build off of that.

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BigDk@reddit

Why’d you change from PT to SWE? I’m curious about PT as a SWE.

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Buff_Lightyear@reddit

There's a handful of reasons I'll try to list more briefly, but feel free to follow up if you want more info.

My job was more being a salesman trying to convince people to exercise than solving problems, the more logical biomechanical model of evaluation and treatment (which I liked, being more logically minded) is progressively being found to be less accurate than the biopsychosocial model (more about emotional/psychological/socioeconomic influences than biomechanics - felt like I lost a lot of ownership with this where if the patient is getting better my reasoning helped that, if they didn't get better that's on me to improve, vs. my interventions account for ~20% of the outcome and the rest is out of my hands), insurance companies decrease reimbursement every single year hamstringing any ability to negotiate for higher compensation unless you're willing to burn yourself out and see a shit ton of patients at once - which most companies force you to do anyways because the profit margins are so low in physical therapy, limited growth potential unless you want to become the devil you hated as a staff clinician and move into more of a director/corporate role where you force the clinicians into worse working environments year over year.

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BigDk@reddit

Well said. Thanks for your insight.

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Buff_Lightyear@reddit

If it's something you're interested in I'm not trying to say every single PT shares that sentiment, there are of course people who truly love being a physical therapist, I'm just not one of them.

Downside is in the US it requires a doctorate for new grads so you're looking at 3 years of grad school on top of any health/bio prereqs you're missing, tuition which can vary from 15k/year (very competitive public schools) to 40k/year still extremely competitive, and lost wages during that time.

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jackjackpiggie@reddit

I walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week and lift weights 3 days out of the week.

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Soccham@reddit

Commit to workouts before the workday and/or get a treadmill

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TScottFitzgerald@reddit

While it's good to get most of your workout before the work day, it's also advisable to move your body periodically, even if it's just a little bit every few hours. Basically being stationary for long periods, whether it's standing or sitting, are both bad.

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angrysaki@reddit

So what you're saying is I should get up to go get snacks more often? Got it.

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darksparkone@reddit

Drink water. Run to bathroom. Warm up a cattle on the way back. Repeat.

Provides both minimal movement and a decent water supply!

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neurorgasm@reddit

Mooooo

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slyiscoming@reddit

Minimum 3 times a week. I also got into photography and do regular photo adventures.

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leeharrison1984@reddit

If you're time constrained, it's hard to beat a row machine. 20m on a rower is probably the best bang for buck ratio if your goal is overall fitness.

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Constant-Listen834@reddit

You ain’t gonna be healthy only rowing 20min a day

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leeharrison1984@reddit

If someone is currently doing nothing, it's a huge step up. Other than flat out running, nothing burns more calories and is fairly gentle on the joints.

I do 20m of kettlebell training 5 days a week and I'm perfectly fit at 40. Not jacked to the tits, but I'm not trying to be either. Consistency is the key, longer workouts just mean you achieve goals faster.

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Constant-Listen834@reddit

Sure it’s better than nothing but it’s also not enough to be considered healthy

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delarhi@reddit

Your link literally says "at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity" which across seven days is about 21.4 minutes per day.

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Constant-Listen834@reddit

Yea and that’s more than 20m per day

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nonasiandoctor@reddit

I can't seem to row without crushing my balls

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NON_EXIST_ENT_@reddit

skill issue

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nonasiandoctor@reddit

I mean yeah I guess

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lastPixelDigital@reddit

only 20 meters a day! /s

I agree, rowing machines are solid.

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DigmonsDrill@reddit

I put my rowing machine on the second floor so I get an extra 12 feet.

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leeharrison1984@reddit

Lol, 20 minutes but yeah 😄

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slavetothesound@reddit

Or a tonal. Way better strength training sessions than I expected and so insanely convenient. Found one used on marketplace for half price.

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leeharrison1984@reddit

Cable machines in general are good as well. Low risk of injury as long as you use sane weights, and they are super versatile. Resistance bands are a cheap alternative, but cardiac load can be an issue in relation to the amount of work done.

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TheAnxiousDeveloper@reddit

Do we need to leave a message every time? And if we change gym, do we need to pull all the past updates from the previous gym?

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runitzerotimes@reddit

Make sure you don't get locked in to a specific vendor.

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TheAnxiousDeveloper@reddit

Jokes aside, that's exactly why I don't go to gyms. Where I live, almost all gyms sell only with a yearly subscription. I don't want to waste that amount of money just to find out after a month that I do not like it.

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ColdPorridge@reddit

It’s an investment in health. Most have trial periods. But I cancelled my gym membership because now I just run and workouts on the equipment in the park.

Doesn’t have to be the gym but everyone should be doing something. If you’re not, expect to fall into poor health and die early. Sorry to be crass about it, but the end of the line is much closer for those who are not taking care of themselves. It’s also never too late to start.

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runitzerotimes@reddit

Best investment I ever made was a pair of adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench.

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DogmaSychroniser@reddit

I'm so lucky my work buys this thing called multisport that I can just use to go to the gym or bowling or almost anything for my one daily use.

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PragmaticBoredom@reddit

Also, you don’t need to hit the gym every single day. 2-3 days per week is great. Even 1 day a week can make a big difference over time if you do it consistently for years.

I think a lot of people are intimidated because they think you need to be crushing it in the gym 5X per week and posting your CrossFit WOD or something. You don’t really need to do much to make a big difference over time as long as you’re doing something consistent.

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creaturefeature16@reddit

Yup. I run 2.5 miles each day, usually in the morning or after work.

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ivan0x32@reddit

I'm not currently fit, but recently started investing into getting (somewhat) fit again:

Diet changes to cut out processed garbage entirely (almost, still use some sauces and breads/tortillas).
Bought a VR headset and been fucking myself up every morning with Pistol Whip, shit's amazing for working out by the way, highly recommend. It probably doesn't look that intense from outside, but doing endless dodge-shoot-reload moves will absolutely knock all wind out of you. I'm playing on easy and only stock levels, but its already super intense.
Somewhat related - trying to sleep more than 6 hours a day, its really hard with PTSD/depression, but still trying.

Maybe its less about "fit" and more about "healthy" and optimized for mental performance.

I don't know yet about a standing desk, have never tried it and heard its pure agony in the beginning, but maybe its also worth trying.

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valadil@reddit

Standing desk. Work out on your lunch break.

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bentreflection@reddit

Sign up for a marathon and get training

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RemarkableFlow@reddit

This is the way. For me, there's nothing more motivating than having a race on the calendar to train for. It adds structure and goal orientation to your exercise - crucial ingredients for success

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szescio@reddit

Running+gym, works wonders for back issues and stress as well

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birdparty44@reddit

Standing desk, brisk 2km walk after lunch. Planks and bird dogs in the evening. Additionally biking and swimming as I can but often only ends up being about 2x week.

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autophage@reddit

I go for walks.

Sometimes I go before work. Sometimes on my lunch break. Sometimes after work.

Sometimes I walk during work. I have a treadmill desk but I haven't used it in years; rather, whenever I have a meeting where I mostly won't need to look at the screen, I ask the facilitator if it's OK if I go for a walk during the meeting. (I don't do this in cases where I will want cameras on - but I'm in a fair number of meetings where I mostly just need to listen with my ears, and for those, walking while on the meeting is really nice. Also keeps me awake and engaged.)

I also do other things - bicycle, unicycle, shovel snow in the winter and mow with a scythe in the summer. I volunteer to help with events, which means I'm lifting heavy items occasionally. But really, the main thing is that I try to get out and do something more days than not.

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autophage@reddit

Back before my job went fully remote, I would sometimes have a meeting scheduled with someone and I'd ask if we could do it "as a Sorkin" - meaning, "let's go for a walk (around the building or around the block) while we have this discussion".

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cholantesh@reddit

But how did you find people to hand you documents for you to skim 'n sign?

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Elegant-Avocado-3261@reddit

Find an enjoyable sport to play, it's a good way to meet people and stay active while making cardio enjoyable. I play a lot of volleyball and have been for 6-8 years now at a decently high level but you can also do pickleball, basketball, ping pong, tennis, running, whatever floats your boat.

Also, hit the gym. Work on your posterior chain. You'll have a lot more longevity if you do so.

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bwainfweeze@reddit

Take breaks, get the blood pumping during those breaks. Not just good for your legs and arms and heart, also good for the noggin.

Blood flow can’t discriminate particularly well in the human body. Most mammals can’t. More blood to your biceps also means more to the brain.

There are species of seal who can control blood flow to the skin to help insulate their cores in freezing temperatures, but that’s a relatively limited sort of control (in or out) and a rare evolutionary trait to boot.

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MysicPlato@reddit

Swim 2-4x week ~75-90 min

Lift 2x a week ~ 45 min (before swim)

Run 4-5x a week (35min-1.5 hours)

I can't imagine not doing those things after sitting at my desk for 8-10 hours.

Before getting into software I was a swim coach so I walked ~20k steps a day at the pool, now some days I barely hit 5k (especially on my non-rund days)

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YugoReventlov@reddit

I don't 🙈

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BickeringCube@reddit

I drink a lot of water so I have to pee a lot - at work I use the bathroom on another floor and take the stairs
I lift 3x a week (I am very consistent with this)
I try to get the recommended 150 minutes of cardio a week (I am not so consistent with this)
about half the time I do a 15 minutes yoga or mobility video before bed

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Fartstream@reddit

Workout first thing in the morning when my willpower isn't emptied by 3 hours of meetings and 4 hours of coding.

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Gwolf4@reddit

Standing desk does nothing to being fit, i can help you with ergonomics but for being fit no way.

20 min of elliptic in my home, i have a magnetic mini one, works fine, the intensity would depend on how hard you go, basically you can go from just walking to running while impacting your joints less than a real run, i also do kettlebell swings.

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twinklytennis@reddit

Do sports you enjoy. Personally, I hate going to the gym but I love tennis, ballet, and running.

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chillermane@reddit

literally just get up and do something, this is not complicated

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47KiNG47@reddit

Dog

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seatangle@reddit

First, make sure you don’t work a job that takes up too much of your time or has you too stressed out and exhausted to do other stuff. A job is never worth damaging your physical or mental health.

I get bored easily with exercise so have to make it fun and/or necessary. I started biking, not just as a hobby but as a means of transportation (so even if I don’t feel like exercising, I still need to be active to get around). Also, bouldering — I notice people who work in STEM fields are often into climbing. It’s exercise plus strategy.

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canadian_webdev@reddit

I go to the gym on my lunch (I'm here now). I work remote so I'm fortunate enough to.

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MagicalPizza21@reddit

I'm not particularly fit, but biking to work helps. Sometimes on WFH days I'll go for a ride after dinner.

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Mr_Loopers@reddit

Bike to work. Even if you WFH, use that fake commute time, and bike to work.

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agumonkey@reddit

google fit as a mind trick to track my move, daily walks, 10k steps or less depending on health
warmup routine in the morning
removed sugar, pastry, sodas and 90% of premade meals

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kazabodoo@reddit

Walking pad. Best investment ever. I can do throughout the day 3-4 sessions, 15-20 min each and by dinner time, I have done 10k steps. I usually do it when I have a pipeline running and that takes about 10-15 min to build

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steeelez@reddit

It’s easy to treat it as a trade-off when work is in crunch time but for most people I know it’s a multiplier (myself included). That hour I spend away from work to take care of my body gives me 90 minutes boost through increased mental clarity and focus, something that would have taken 3 hrs cut in half. Consistency is key, don’t injure yourself.

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Bolwo@reddit

Try out a few sports, join a club, enjoy it. Surprised how many answers say to join a gym. If you do a sport it doesn't even feel like exercise.

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hubilation@reddit

it's a commitment you have to make to yourself outside of work. you absolutely have to make time for this. in my opinion, running is the best bang for your buck in regards to time versus results. a 45 minute run in Zone 2/3 should burn about 5-600 calories.

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Murky_Citron_1799@reddit

Get a hobby that is active. Ride bike to work.

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Tango1777@reddit

No, those things are not made to make you fit, how do you expect to be fit by standing still? I hope you are kidding. Threadmill is a better choice, because it is cardio and walking can easily add extra 100-200 kcal burnt in a day, which may be meaningful value for daily calories intake.

But in general the answer is to live your life, do sports, have hobbies, do stuff outside of computer and your desk. As simple as that. It doesn't really matter what kinda job you do, because job is not for keeping you fit, it's for making money. Anything you do outside of work is what shapes you, in that case shapes literally.

In the most extreme case you can have 0 physical activity and don't get overweight, it's only a matter of enough daily calories. But you'll quickly realize if you start counting that when you do nothing, your calorie 0 (neither gaining, nor dropping weight) is rather low and you'd have to eat very healthy, high volume, low calorie dense, low glycemic index food in order to stay full without calories excess.

It's complicated, but if you follow simple general rules like have physical activities and eat healthy food within your daily calories limit, you will stay reasonably fit. I am not talking athlete, but just not overweight/fat.

The hardest part is to understand that the reason you have such issues is not because of work, stress, kids or whatever other factors, it's only because you have bad habits, poor knowledge of nutrition, you are lazy and have barely any physical activities. Real ones, walking is nice, but it's an addition, not the core physical activity of your life. Once someone realizes that and starts changing his lifestyle then it's the beginning of a great journey. Worth it, because it's not easy. Most people fail. If someone is spoiled by 15-20+ years of living unhealthy life, one just cannot drop those bad habits over night. I say 1 year is enough time to get your shit together, learn about health, nutrition, get used to sports, get better at a few enough to enjoy them and realize that healthy lifestyle is not a punishment.

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McChickenMcDouble@reddit

My commute is a 35 minute walk downhill in the morning and then a 40 minute walk uphill in the evening. I should do more, but there’s a very noticeable difference in my focus and energy on days when I have to drive for whatever reason.

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leftoverBits@reddit

I (stereotypically) rock climb. It loosens my back and shoulders, and keeps me flexible and mobile. And i only do like 2-3 hours total a week to see the benefits

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Dalcz@reddit

I go to the gym 3x/week at lunch time And if I need to go in the city I walk instead of taking the bus

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uppers36@reddit

I’m lucky enough that my workplace is chill and flexible and doesn’t micromanage so I just take an hour to do a workout whenever I get a free moment in the day

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HoratioWobble@reddit

Under desk treadmill, standing desk and I have a wall mount folding rack.

Then gym.

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QuantumCloud87@reddit

I live in the middle of nowhere and there’s no decent gyms nearby. I saved for years before we moved here and put a modest set up in my garage. I can get a decent workout in about 45 minutes with no waiting for equipment.

But even without weights etc you can just do Ken bodyweight exercises, stretching and running with nothing but trainers and some floor space somewhere.

I’ve always struggled with the whole “get up and move every X minutes” because I find I just get in the zone and don’t move.

An exercise ball to sit on, or standing desk, can go a long way too if you have the space/money.

Honestly paying for a gym membership is worth it though if you can find the time to go and are actually consistent. But you can do a lot with not very much if you get creative.

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Frillback@reddit

Not an option for everyone but I moved to a walkable neighborhood. In addition to gym time, walking to the grocery store, doctor, and local restaurants add up. On a daily basis I can get several miles of steps in doing my daily activities outside exercise.

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heyheyhey27@reddit

I got a standing converter and treadmill desk, and it was the best ~$1000 I've ever spent.

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jondySauce@reddit

Depends on your goals but I just decided to start doing dumbbell/bodyweight supersets during my lunch break. It's quick and effective for muscle growth and some cardio. I also have a walking pad that I need to use more often.

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siqniz@reddit

By going to the gym

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TakeOutTacos@reddit

I don't have a routine or anything, and I'm overweight and in bad shape, but I walk to and from the train station to work 3x a week. That's 1.5 miles each day. I drink water with probably 17 or so of my 21 weekly meals. I try to get a good night's sleep.

I have bipolar disorder though, so I need to do all this stuff regularly to maintain balance, regardless of work.

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Adorable-Fault-5116@reddit

Work less long hours behind a desk.

Go to the gym. Or go for a run. Or pick up a sport. Or even just go for long walks.

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biofio@reddit

I workout pretty much every day. Lifting, yoga, climbing as some examples. I try to stay moving a bit during the workday too just so I don’t get so stiff. Like getting up from my desk fairly often, walking to get lunch.

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skidmark_zuckerberg@reddit

Bought a mountain bike and ride 3-4 times a week, about 15-20 miles each outing. But you can go to the gym, take long walks, run, anything. I’ve never been a gym guy, but rather prefer to do an active sport. Easier for me to want to do it if it’s fun. But everyone is different.

There’s nothing you can do about the fact that jobs like this mean your ass is sitting in front of a screen 5-8 hours a day. Standing desk, sitting desk, treadmill desk— whatever. The job is extremely sedentary and you’ll suffer long term by not making time to be active before or after work and on the weekends. It doesn’t have to be everyday, but for me a good rule of thumb is to make sure you’re doing something active at least 4 days a week, ideally it would be M-F and then do whatever you want to relax on the weekend.

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NoCardio_@reddit

I work from home, so part of my daily routine is to run on the treadmill for about an hour in the afternoon.

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Bstochastic@reddit

Depends on your situation. I work remote with Life Time fitness being a 5 minute drive. I start be work day early on account of infant so there is no problem with a one to two hour "lunch" to go get yoked (/s re: yoked)

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kevinossia@reddit

I lift really heavy objects over short distances several times a week.

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buttons_the_horse@reddit

I love moving in all kinds of ways. My advice: try stuff. Just like learning software -> allow yourself to suck at something, but just enjoy the process.

Some things I've tried: spin classes, lifting heavy, running (don't love it), cycling outdoors (Great in spring/fall), indoor climbing, yoga, boxing, sports like basketball, softball, tennis, pickleball. Try classpass or see what the local gyms have.

Staying in shape is hard if it's a chore, but if you're just moving and doing stuff you enjoy, it's a helluva lot easier. Most dev's I know work in the 6-10 hr range. Even with kids/spouse/life, that still affords 1-2 hrs to do prioritize your health each day.

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beeskneecaps@reddit

Peloton bike eod ftw

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TheophileEscargot@reddit

There are no magic shortcuts. The more time you put in, the better the results. But there is a kind of logarithmic curve with diminishing returns against time. If you go from nothing to doing 10 minutes a day, you get huge benefits, which diminish if you work up to hours per day.

If you're pushed for time and space, the 5BX plan might be worth a look. Immensely popular in the 1950s, it involves doing just 11 minutes of exercise a day. It has a very gradual progression: you work your way up different "charts" of different exercises, gradually increasing the number of reps, eventually moving onto a new chart of more difficult exercises. You can start even if you're wildly unfit.

It's also known as the "Canadian Air Force Exercises". It was commissioned by the Canadian Air Force for their ground crew living on air bases in the North of Canada. So they had no gym, limited space, and couldn't go out for a run without coming back with fewer fingers than they started off with due to frostbite. This was the solution to keep their bodies from falling apart and still be able to fight the Cold War.

https://archive.org/details/5bx-plan/mode/2up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Canadian_Air_Force_Exercise_Plans

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diablo1128@reddit

Staying "fit" is about exercise, eating well, and getting a good nights sleep. Stop eating processed foods and drinking soda all that time. Once in a while is fine, but not everyday.

When you shop for food in the supermarket stay along the perimeter as that is where the fresh produce, meats and dairy are located. The middle aisles should generally be avoided out side of basic things.

In terms of exercise you don't have to be some gym bro. The key is consistency. My daily routine is:

30 minutes of Yoga in the morning before work
45 minute walk after lunch
30 minutes of kettle bell weights at night
I make sure to get at least 10K steps in every day

I know you are going to say, well I don't have time for all that. I find rarely people just don't have time, it's more they don't want to do it. Life is about tradeoffs, you could go for 1 hour walk or you could sit around and play video games for 1 hour.

If you choose video games then fine, but don't say you didn't have time to exercise. You just didn't want to do it.

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progressgang@reddit

Remote work from my MMA gym and train 3x a day

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metaphorm@reddit

long walks daily. I walk about 5 miles after work each day. It's not even about fitness, just the basic need to be able to move my body and get some non-screen immersion in the senses and the environment.

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HansProleman@reddit

Exercise? I don't know how else to answer this - it's unambiguously good for you, both physically and mentally. It is worth prioritising.

If you're talking about ergonomics/posture, then a sit/stand desk is cool and I'd struggle to overstate how worthwhile investing in a good desk chair is.

Treadmill desks are fine if they work for you. I don't think I could concentrate. But if you want to be fit they can only be a complement to, rather than a replacement for, more intense exercise.

Floor sitting is also cool (and floor desks are a thing), but would be a long-term goal if your hip flexibility is as busted as most desk workers' is. Flexibility work (whether that be purely functional or yoga, qigong etc.) helps greatly.

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jcradio@reddit

Standing desk for the work day, wireless headset to walk around sorting calls, and in the gym minimum three days a week.

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drew_eckhardt2@reddit

You exercise in the morning before going to work.

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Pale_Squash_4263@reddit

For me, I just found a physically activity I don’t hate doing. In my case it’s biking. I try to bike on my lunches when I’m in the office. However, it doesn’t work in the winter for obvious reasons. But I think a little bit goes a long way

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Spooderman8191@reddit

You gotta work out, I work out at 3 times a week and honestly you just have to find time. Something that helped me was joining group classes you have to pay for so that you have incentive to go and not be lazy. It’s very easy to fall back into the rhythm of ahh I don’t need to go this week I’ve done it it’s a constant battle

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mothzilla@reddit

1 bug = 1 push up.

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cjthomp@reddit

Stay fit?

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RoxyAndFarley@reddit

I do stuff outside of work hours, personally. I hike, kayak, run, swim, do woodworking, walk and play and wrestle with my dogs, etc. Basically just living an active lifestyle before and after work. I work from home so it’s much easier for me to fit activities in before and after, and even on my lunch hour.

Getting up from the desk for a 5 min walk-about every hour or so helps a lot too from a blood circulation standpoint.

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TScottFitzgerald@reddit

You're asking how to be active while at work or just in general?

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MossRock42@reddit (OP)

In general.

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TScottFitzgerald@reddit

Walk for 60 minutes a day (this is advised to most people but esp to sedentary profesions)

Try to set up a routine you can stick to - this should involve a mix of weight lifting and cardio esp as you age, but if you don't have prior gym exp you can start with mobility/flexibility and bodyweight exercises you can do at home

Try to avoid using the car or subway unless necessary

Move throughout the day and don't let your body be stationary for long - regardless of if you're sitting or standing. The key thing is to move.

But if your company offers things like standing desks and ergonomic chairs that would be great as well. I don't think treadmill desks are all that useful though.

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htom3heb@reddit

Weight lift, walk my dog.

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ilmk9396@reddit

at the office: i go on a long walk for lunch

at home: dumbells by my desk

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bulbishNYC@reddit

Working from home. With time I became more productive and can do my workload in less hours, so I have time to do some biking and even kayaking in nearby lake during the day.

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faintdeception@reddit

I noticed that sitting for 12+ hours a day was catching up to me when I got sent home for the pandemic and found my daily activity reduced to basically moving from one chair to another as I switched from my gaming machine to my work machine, and back.

Between that and the drinking things were getting out of hand.

I stopped drinking every day and lost like 20 pounds, started taking about a mile walk whenever I could, every day if possible (but realistically a few times a week), lost another 10 or so.

Being outside all the time led to me wanting to be outside more, broke out my old dusty mountain bike and put hybrid tires on it and a shopping basket, and now I use that to run errands and occasionally take longer rides on the weekends. All told I think I lost around 60 pounds since my peak pandemic weight and I'm trying to get to 175 now.

The tl;dr is that you can do it by making little life changes, slowly over time, they snowball.

P.S. I still drink, but instead of 4 beers a day, it's like 2 a month.

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pacman326@reddit

I am a triathlete as a hobbyist lol

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nerf_caffeine@reddit

Working out outside of work hours. Taking the stairs whenever possible, walking whenever possible.

Take 5 minutes away from desk a do a short workout every now and then. If you’re in an office setting and not at home, step away for 5-10 minutes to private room (do some squats, etc).

Get a desk walking pad. Ive worked up to use it for about 2-3 hours of the work day - walk anywhere between 5k-8k steps on it while working productively

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MaleficentRefuse3529@reddit

Going for walks during lunch/breaks. I joined a gym and took group classes 2-3x a week.

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zerocoldx911@reddit

Hit the gym before start working

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rcls0053@reddit

100 push ups, 100 sit ups, run 10km each day

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DisastrousFruit9520@reddit

I can answer this from the pov of someone with 15+ year experience who has only just started putting effort in to offset the job's sedentary style.

Disclaimer: I wfh, you obviously would need to tweak timings based on where and how you work.

One think I do is walk, a lot. If I have a block of meetings where I don't need to share my screen, I'll and talk, maybe time it so that I can walk to town and sit at a coffee shop etc. I take a weighted bag so that the walking is as effective as I feel capable of.

If there's no meetings I do about an hour's walking at lunch anyway.

Next on my plan to escalate my excersize is to join a pool/gym and start going most mornings after the kids are in school but before I have to start working.

I've managed to drop a lot of weight (80lb+) doing this and watching what I eat. Once the weight starts coming off it becomes a lot easier to keep it up, as your energy levels improve.

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halting_problems@reddit

a kettle bell is great, its working well for me. it’s probably the easiest access to a good exercise. Its strength and cardio all in one, you can get a high intensity work out in your office.

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Pelopida92@reddit

I try to go to the gym everyday.

What else were you expecting? Just curios.

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chuckdacuck@reddit

workout

yoga

golf

standing desk

stretch throughout the day

work less

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jonas_namespace@reddit

Work out after or before work and don't eat bad food? It's not hard if being fit is part of your routine

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Vegetable_Wishbone92@reddit

...go to a gym/bouldering/run before or after work? I'm not sure why you expect your job to pay your bills and keep you in shape at the same time.

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ntzm_@reddit

Cycling to stuff instead of driving helps a lot for me, and bouldering

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toplexil40@reddit

I bike to work, depending on how many days I work from home, it adds up to 5 hours of bike per week. But the main thing is I live and work in a city surrounded by mountains and I am addicted to rock climbing, ski touring and alpinism. It takes most of my free time and money but I am in great shape 🙃

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sunny_tomato_farm@reddit

4am gym.

Home gym( just a treadmill, bench, and dumbbells) for when I miss that workout.

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break_card@reddit

Exercising regularly…

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a__snek@reddit

My starting point is as someone who grew up playing video games to escape the world and likely have an under-developed cardiovascular system as a result.

I second getting a treadmill. It's the single largest impact change that i've made for health (I've tried a number of things - stretching, lifting weights 4x a week, running, trail running, hiking). I have an under-desk treadmill that cost about \~$350. I've put \~2,000 miles into it over the last 2 years - mostly just walking while attending meetings during the week or while reading on the weekends. It weighs about 35lbs so when i don't need it - I just rotate it to stand up on it's side.

It's helped remove most of my back pain and helps with digestion. Humans evolved to be upright for the purpose of walking/running long distances. Parts of our circulatory and digestive systems have adapted to require us moving around to be effective.

I really can't understate how much this has impacted my health. If you're making software engineer salary - I would recommend just getting one to try it out. Walk a mile or two a day for a month and see how you feel. What have you got to lose?

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Fancy-Nerve-8077@reddit

I try to find little gaps in the day where I can squeeze in a set or 2, like when code is deploying I know I have about 20ish minutes

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Infiniteh@reddit

Each set takes you 10 minutes? Are you doing 2 sets of 120 reps?

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Fancy-Nerve-8077@reddit

It’s pretty informal to be honest. I may pair a set of pull ups and a set of dips. I may only do a set of squats. Since my schedule can be unpredictable, so are my sets. I just make sure to get reps in and try to be efficient with the time. I’m not winning any bodybuilding competitions anytime soon don’t get me wrong but I’m no slouch.

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Hziak@reddit

If you’re remote, a treadmill desk is super helpful even if you can only walk on it for meetings. You only need to walk at a brisk pace over time, not sprint when you’re on it, too.

If you’re looking for a workout you can do very quickly but still feel like you’ve done a lot - Rowing machines are great for this. A lot of people are pretty cooked within 15-30 minutes on a rower and it’s a full body workout with cardio. Very much in contrast to a stationary bike or treadmill where you need like an hour+ for it to be noteworthy. Also zero impact and it’ll loosen up your back from being seated all day coding…

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ButterPotatoHead@reddit

I've never been able to concentrate with a treadmill desk or whatever.

I work out 3-4 times per week, walk the dogs the same amount, and play golf occasionally as well.

My workouts are a scheduled group class which helps because I can schedule and plan around it. I block out the time from my work schedule.

You simply have to make it a priority and do it.

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bstaruk@reddit

In America we learn in middle school that the key to staying fit is eating well and staying active, so that's what I do.

I eat big sweetgreen-style salads almost every day for lunch, and I walk my dog for a couple miles every day. On weekends, I spend as much time as possible outside.

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renainou@reddit

i think standing desk alone wouldn't be enough. I have one and i tried to stand for a couple hours per day while working but my body never got used to it

now a treadmill would be a good idea. However, it's not like you can or should walk the entire time you work on the treadmill. Maybe 1-2h depending on how healthy/strong your joint is. Also it's just walking, i think a treadmill you can run is a lot more expensive. I can walk comfortably on every day for 1\~1.5h. Maybe i could do more but i can't walk and work at the time, it's too distracting for me

find time to exercise, even just 15 mins per day (for 4-6 days/week) for resistance training. Start small and manageable. I used to dislike exercising but after a while, i no longer dislike it and can do persistently. I like doing some version of calisthenics/body weight exercise (pull up station/bar + ring, push up). I can do it at home anytime. Just don't overdo at the start otherwise you'll get irreversible injury like me.

but more importantly is probably your diet. Eat healthy and well-balanced meals, whatever that means. For me, it's no snacks, don't buy snack, don't have snack in your pantry. If you must have some snack, try healthier options (good protein bar, nuts, fruits). Your main meals are important too but mine is not the best so i can't give any advice here

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wrex1816@reddit

Before work, during lunch, or after work.

Did this need more direction, same for every adult.

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dontspookthenetch@reddit

It is simple. Take every opportunity you can every day, all day to get extra exercised in, even if o ly 30 seconds a time.

Do body weight squats, jump, bounce, pusbups, mountain climbers, run up stairs, walk for your lunch break, etc.

After work (or before) hit your daily work out. No excuses, no exceptions. We're all tired. Do it.

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bstaruk@reddit

I WFH full time and while I'm not particularly fit, I maintain relative fitness by eating healthy (I make "sweetgreen" style salads for lunch), walking my dog 2x daily for about a mile, and spending as much time as possible outside on the weekends.

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DodoKputo@reddit

Gym 3x a week. I take a 40' walk around the park during lunch break, too

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blackmustard02@reddit

Hip strengthening !

I play a lot of team sports so the excessive sitting and then running long distances gave me a bunch of hamstring / groin / ankle problems, but since I started targeting all those glutes it's much better and seems to combat the sitting. Everything else is just according to your goals.

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SagansCandle@reddit

If you don't choose to take time for your health, you'll be forced to make time for your illness.

Carve out time every day. Make it a habit. Dedicate yourself to it.

Find a physical activity you enjoy. If there is a hell, I'm convinced it looks like Planet Fitness and is full of treadmills. Nothing's worse than being on one of those things for an hour. Find a sport or physical hobby (like cycling) - something that you enjoy and will motivate you. Fill in the gaps with the gym.

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Hannib4lBarca@reddit

The same way most people who have office jobs do.

I go to the gym in the morning, go for an hour walk during my lunchbreak, do a 15 min walk for a coffee break. A short walk to the shops to get groceries in the evening for dinner and that usually has me at around 10k steps.

I go into the office once or twice a week and that's a 25 minute walk each way. Between that and the lunchtime walk, those days I can hit 13k+ steps easily.

All while keeping track of what I eat.

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CobaltLemur@reddit

I used to get up and run around every 15 minutes but it really confused the dog.

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GravelWarlock@reddit

Lift weights 2-3 times per week first thing in the morning. Ride a bike 4-6 times per week.

Once a week, try to fit in a lunchtime short but intense bike ride. After work, a longer bike ride or a hike. During the work day, take a few short walk breaks. Like a 15 minute walk around the neighborhood or work campus. Weekends - chores around the house, and a much longer bike ride.

Basically my hobbies are all outdoor activities since I'm at a desk all day.

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adambkaplan@reddit

I got a dog and my baseline activity level went way up. Even on days I go into the office I’m walking a lot more than I used to.

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trivial-color@reddit

Sleep well, go to bed same time every night, get 8hours of sleep, by a tracker like whoop to help do this. 100% more important than anything else you will do for your health
Eat well, don’t eat heavy foods before bed, start buying good oils (evoo, Avacado oil for cooking) eat a ton of greens, fiber, clean meats like chicken fish) cut out junk food.

After that you should be feeling good and realize that part of the reason you never wanted to exercise is you were stuck in fugue state from lack of sleep and terrible diet which hurts sleep quality and takes energy instead of giving it.

Exercise lightly every day, this means walking at least a couple miles and/or stretching. This should only take 15-30 min.

Go to the gym or do a high intensity sport/activity 3-5 times a week >150- 200 min, stretch out for 20 min 2-7 times a week. Get into looking up workouts for posture help, back help, knee and other joint support.

Small things at the office that are nothing if your aren’t doing the above steps but do help optimize - standing desk, switch between sitting standing. Get a small weight to lift and/or walking pad for during the day. Get into ergonomics for your desk setup.

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kenflingnor@reddit

I lift five days a week before I start my work day. Working from home makes this much easier than it used to be for several reasons, but I have a home gym in my basement which helps. Even before I started working fully remote, I’d take an hour out of my day to go to the gym. I also go on plenty of walks during the evenings/weekend with my wife and kid.

I eat reasonably well and focus on putting good food into my body. However I still enjoy myself and take a day (sometimes 2) each week to be a little looser with my intake.

I take frequent breaks during the workday to get up and stretch, go to the bathroom, grab some water or a snack in the kitchen, go say hi to my wife and kid etc. I have a standing desk, but I honestly don’t use it that much, usually just during meetings but not all the time.

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No-Presence-7334@reddit

I go to the gym 3 to 4 days a week and walk around a mile each day.

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mailed@reddit

Kettlebells immediately outside my courtyard door.

Look up Brett Jones' Iron Cardio, find a coach to learn the lifts. An adult male who builds up to easily doing that workout with double 24kg bells has nothing to worry about.

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Noobsauce9001@reddit

In my busiest days at a startup (upwards of 80hrs a week, 7 days a week), I had a set up that allowed me to use a stationary bike while still (relatively) comfortably typing. I’d bike for an hour or two a day while still getting work done.

For body building, there’s a YouTuber called Jeff Nippard who made a “min-max” lifting routine. I.e where is the sweet spot between lifting the least each week while getting the most gains? That ended up being an hour at the gym twice a week.

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SatsStacker69@reddit

Standing desk with a walking pad and a ruck sack/weighted vest has done me wonders.

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Additional-Map-6256@reddit

That's the secret, we don't!

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TimmyPy@reddit

I found myself 10+ kilos more weight half a year ago and decided that I would go to the gym at least twice a week. The biggest challenge for me is to do it after work because it feels like "I waste my time doing the most boring **** I've ever done in my life in my free time". The weirdest but effective solution that came to my mind is to go there before work. In this case, I don't feel like it's my free time. It's just a morning routine that I should do before my job.
I don't believe I can do "home training" or jogging. I need a place where I understand that there is no way back, we're here and we should do at least something. Even 30 minutes on a treadmill is a good result. Now, I've lost 5 kilos and feel much better, and finally it has become a real routine that doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes I even wait for the next day because I will go there and jump on the rope

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jbdroid@reddit

Wake up Monday thru Thursday at 5:30 work out for one hour. Eat. Start work 7 leave at 3

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vivek9191@reddit

Look up Kboges on Youtube. His philosophy of doing a push, pull and leg excercise 1/2 set per day at medium intensity for 5- 6 days per week is incredible. you can do it in a single session or do it during work time it you are doing remote. For e.g do 1-2 sets of pushups before starting work and during work you can do 1-2 sets of pullups and at eod squats. On days time pressed just do a set or it could be a rest day. This has been working for me personally. For cardio you could get a stationary bike and do cardio for even 10 minutes a day.

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devhaugh@reddit

Gym 3-4 times a week, run twice a week and at the very least walk so I get 10K steps a day

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Repulsive_Constant90@reddit

I stand 8 hours a day. Pretty much never sit.

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lghtdev@reddit

You have to make time for it otherwise all your hard earned money will be drained with health issues, I've seen too many people in this industry overweight, with high blood pressure, diabetes, stressed.

Having a high paying job means nothing if your heart give out when you're 50.

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god_is_my_father@reddit

When I lived by the sea I’d head down for a swim on my lunch break. In a dense city where I am now I’m doing BJJ. Evidently so are many of you. I’m always taking time off to do hikes and kayaking, etc. Staying active is part of life and you gotta get after it. There are so many active events like adult sport leagues and pick up games, roller rinks, etc

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scufonnike@reddit

Get a full size treadmill. You will thank me for your new found ability to run, or walk large inclines. Rip a piece of plywood in half and throw that bitch on top. There’s your new desk. I’m up to 6ish miles a day minimum and feeling great.

Grab a pull up bar that goes on your door. Do some whenever you walk by, cardio is good but strength training make feel like big gorilla. Gorilla strong, much code while stronk

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MudMassive2861@reddit

Hit the gym 5 days even if your production is down.

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propostor@reddit

My job is WFH so I could be almost entirely sedentary if I choose to be.

Fortunately I live next to a national park, so I take my dog out into the hills several times a week.

Also I use occasionally use a calorie tracking app, because even with my regular hill walks I can easily gain weight if I'm not careful.

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SellGameRent@reddit

If you want to truly be fit, standing and walking isn't the answer. If you try aiming for 2 hours of zone 2 cardio and lift weights to hit each muscle group 2x per week, you will see massive improvement in how you feel within just a few months

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Letsgettribal@reddit

If you works from home take all meetings in which you are a passive listener from an exercise bike or tread mill. If you don’t have the space for or you can’t afford those things you can do body weight exercises like burpees, push ups, or squats.

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Conscious_Analysis98@reddit

I dont

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PickleSavings1626@reddit

I get my workouts during meetings, walk my dog after my shift is over, and lift weights for maybe 20-30 min during my shows. Light exercise but it works.

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DoubtPast2815@reddit

Buy a road bike and a rack for your car. Twice a week. Big enough runs. Gym and weights in the winter. 3 sessions a week. No excuses

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HiddenStoat@reddit

Find something you enjoy and then do it.

There isn't an easy technological fix for this, and you can't spend your way out of the problem.

The only solution is to get off your ass and do something. Could be team sports like football, could be individual activities like rock-climbing or running, could be going to the gym, but you have to actually do it.

There are no cheats or shortcuts.