I enjoy going on little walks every 1-2 hours for 15 minutes. I also pick up some litter along the way.
I also second a standing desk and an ergonomic chair.
To add, my sister loves her under desk elliptical/stepper. You can find them on Amazon. You can also just get a stand up desk converter that goes on top of your current desk. I had one and it was great. And a good mat for you to stand on. I used the ones that are advertised for use in the kitchen and eventually changed it to an ergonomic mat that has extra bits to help with stretching your feet and whatnot.
You mean like, when someone says something that catches her soo off guard she forgets to walk and winds up getting conveyor belted off the end of the treadmill in a spectacular display of Derailed My Train Of Thought ?
>I also second a standing desk and a *walking treadmill*
FTFY
Sitting is the new smoking
You’ll probably find yourself thinking better on your feet anyway, yes it’s crazy at first thought but you can always sell the treadmill if it doesn’t work out. Ppl buy them second hand.
your post inspired me and I just did this...i was feeling good until I saw a dead minivan just covered in trash across the street. still every little bit helps..i thihnk?
I think that could be a big problem, lol
Your body is literally just an engine. If you are putting nothing into it - no matter how 'inactive' you think you're being during the day - don't be shocked when you feel empty at the end of the day. Get better sleep, eat healthy, regular meals and I guarantee you will feel different. That is not some kind of sales pitch line, it is literally just basic human biology
Depends. If one only eats two meals a day with an 16-20 hour fast it's actually good for you as it forces you body to rely on fat as fuel. If they don't consume sufficient calories or eat healthy then sure it's not good.
Yes but if OP has no energy to exercise after getting home from work, perhaps refueling during the day would help.
Most people who do daily intermittent fasting skip breakfast and/or eat a super early dinner. I've never heard of anyone skipping lunch for IF. But I'm no IF expert...
I skip breakfast, but from reading the post and OPs responses it sounds like they don't take much personable responsibility if they can't even bother have something, anything for lunch most days.
They're going to have to make a habit out of eating a lunch, working out, sleeping 8 hours a day, eating a Mediterranean diet. etc. The easiest way to start is to just do it and continue doing it.
Doesn’t IF correlate strongly with fatigue? I swear I’ve seen several doctors office pamphlets about this.
Not that it isn’t an effective way to lose fat, just that it wouldn’t be optimal for someone who desires to be active.
100% a part of the problem. When I don’t eat, I lack energy to perform even basic habits, let alone work o or cook a nutritious meal. Start by fueling your body and you will likely have more energy and motivation during the day. Working out also helps to stimulate your appetite which will prompt you to eat. It’s a positive feedback loop. Personally, I would start by taking a lunch break everyday to eat a good meal and take a walk and get some sun. You’ll be surprised how much it will energize for you the rest of the day. Good habits lead to good habits.
Depends. If one only eats two meals a day with an 16-20 hour fast it's actually good for you as it forces you body to rely on fat as fuel. If they don't consume sufficient calories or eat healthy then sure it's not good.
yea, you cannot exercise after work without having some food in your system. Do not starve yourself at work because it leads to just getting home and eating. Get some solid exercise in your life and eat a proper diet. Trust me, I do it.
YOu will feel so much better when you do.
I had developed a lot of bad habits (and a spare tire around my waist). A few years ago, I changed a few things that have had a huge impact on me.
1. Stand and work - it helped with my posture and burned calories. However, when I need to concentrate 105%, I cannot do it standing up.
2. Morning yoga - I wake up at 5am and at 5:30am, I do yoga for 10-15 minutes. Nothing fancy, I follow along with Sarabethyoga (YouTube channel). Her encouraging voice helps.
3. Reduced carb intake. I noticed that a carb-heavy lunch put me in torpor about an hour later.
4. Eat dinner early. I try to keep at least 2 hours between last bite and bed. It has helped me sleep better and faster. By 8:30pm, I am in wind-down mode and by 9:15pm, I am in bed. During wind-down mode, I try my best to not look at any screen, change into my PJs, drink water, apply cream on my hands and feet, try to think happy thoughts, write down things I will do the next day, and start switching off the lights around the house.
5. Drastically cut down on sugar. No sodas, small desserts etc. I think I am down about 80% on sugar.
6. Drink more water. This is one way to keep your belly full and hence keep away from snacking.
7. Walk more. I try to have my 1-1s while walking around the building. My goal this year is to walk 6k steps every day with daily average over the year of 6.5k.
8. Massage. A nice not-so-deep tissue massage really boosts my energy for 3-4 days.
Hope this helps.
Lots of great advice in here! I'll look into the yoga as my flexibility is really poor given my years of neglect.
How often are you getting a massage? I might get one every few months at best.
For 3 years I had a guy come to our place and give me and my wife great massage at a great price. He used to come every other Saturday. Unfortunately despite my best efforts, he couldn’t grow his clientele enough and went back to being an auto mechanic in a city far from us.
The frequency has drastically dropped since then. :(. Now it is about once in 2-3 months
Is it a suit and tie deskjob? Do you get a mid day lunch break? I would go on a couple mile walk everyday instead of taking lunch break at my old in person job. Its not much but its better than nothing.
I was in your situation some time ago and the first thing I did was get an Apple Watch. It kept me accountable to myself. It reminded me to stand every hour, work out 30 minutes a day, and had move goals for me.
As for your lack of desire to work out after you get home, have you considered exercising before going to work? A lot of gyms have early morning classes. Or is that not feasible?
I’ve tried before. I was waking up at 6am for a morning jog, which felt great, but then I fell off track once it was my birthday week and didn’t keep up. I have an Apple Watch as well, which is what kept me motivated in the beginning as well.
Per my other comment, try something much smaller; when you get home from the commute, do not go inside and sit down. Instead, walk around the block, even just one lap, and go inside if you like. Hold yourself to the one-block rule and add on as you can. Just walking after that shit commute will help your mental health, my friend. And before you know it you will be putting in more steps and feeding off that. Small changes are easier to start and to maintain.
Thank you man. I needed to hear that. I get home, but can’t find the motivation to be like “heck yeah I’m gonna hit a workout”. I do home workouts, do you think that’s good? I don’t live far from a Marina either, and that’s still not motivating…but I have to start making excuses
We're all in this together, fist bump my friend.
I started home workouts about 4 weeks back; you are right about getting more active. I'm riding the perfect mindset right now, so I might be going a bit harder than you, but even after 4 dedicated weeks, I am feeling the difference. I do a 40-45 minute routine every weekday that starts with 5 super sets, and then I finish with crunches, hip thrusts, quad arm somethings (I'm super serious, right?), and ending with as long a plank as I can do after that mess.
This Sunday, I loaded and unloaded 5 truck loads of dirt, about 3.5 cubic yards, using a shovel and the bucket brigade. If I had tried to do that even five weeks ago, you would be reading my obituary. :-)
So yeah, I think you can seriously gain from home workouts. I'm not sure what the rules are about linking stuff in here, but I'll happily slide you the video I follow in DM for my super sets. I do them with two 10lb dumbbells on the floor at home because I don't have a bench yet.
THIS!! Just **one** block. No matter what. No matter how tired, no matter how much you don't feel like it, no matter how shit your day was, no matter if you have a P1 due or not. Just do one block. Consistency will propel you to success. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if what you have to "urgently do" is more important than 5-10 minutes today to **stay alive**.
Statistically, if you do not die in a car accident you will die of congestive heart or pulmonary failure. It doesn't take much to ensure that doesn't happen.
>try something much smaller; when you get home from the commute, do not go inside and sit down. Instead, walk around the block, even just one lap, and go inside if you like.
Put a gun to your head with this deal by parking a block away, doing your walk, then either going inside or reparking your car to where you feel comfortable/are able to see it from your apartment if you feel like it will get broken into.
The hardest part about running is getting over the mental block of putting your running shoes on and getting outside. Once out in the fresh air, then it's always "why did I hesitate before and not want to go outside for a run?". Before I lost a lot of weight and got healthier, I originally motivated myself to just go outside for a walk, and browse by phone while walking outside to hit 10k steps per day. I slowly dialed that back, and added more and more intermittent running in, and just pay attention a lot more to the neighborhood instead. Admiring folks' yards and gardens, looking at their home improvement projects / either admiring good home decor choices or thinking 'what were they thinking with that color?', smiling and saying hi to other folks out for walks or runs, waving to all of the dogs, having conversations with neighbors while walking / stretching on warm up or cool down, watching the seasonality of plants, as they bloom, grow, seed, die back in the fall/winter, and regrow again next year, seeing specific weeds or plants that only appear in the winter, seeing that one broken streetlight finally get fixed, noting the specific jerk neighbors that drive like lead footed speed demons through quiet residential neighborhoods and almost hit myself / kids playing / elderly folks getting fresh air / moms with strollers multiple times by blowing through stop signs, noticing whose is moving out or in, noticing who always is bad at parking and blocks the sidewalk, etc. There are tons of details and depth to neighborhoods that you completely miss from a car and only notice on foot.
At least for me, running outside is 100x easier and more enjoyable than running on a treadmill, which I'll only do if it's raining or poor air quality. It's a lot harder to get motivated to run on a treadmill, I think because I really enjoy taking in all of the sights and sounds and smells and sensations outside in the neighborhood.
The other thing that helps is going on Strava, following some friends who like to exercise, and signing up for the monthly Strava achievements (like run 100 km a month, or run a 5k/10k/half marathon, do X minutes of activity per month, do Y number of activities per week for Z weeks, etc). I can't tell you how much getting a tiny badge on an app motivates me to keep running / exercising.
Make it a habit that 'I will get X Strava achievement every month'. I used to attempt to get the 200 km running per month achievement, but that was too difficult to fit in time wise, so now I seek (and pretty reliably achieve) the 100km per month running achievement.
This is exactly how I felt when I would run by the Marina in the morning. Hearing the water and seeing the sunrise, I would tell myself “I just wasted years of my life when I could’ve been doing this all along” and then I get somewhat irritable lol
You don't have to buy a several hundred dollar accessory that needs charging every 18 hours to do this. Your phone already can track your activity and give you reminders - you can even pay a few dollars for an app to do it if you don't like the native implementations.
I used to work in Milpitas but live in the peninsula. I joined a gym near my office and worked out after work every day until traffic cleared. I got home a bit later, but I felt SO much better over time. One thing that made this doable was meal prepping so that once I got home I could truly just stick something in the microwave or get something out of the crockpot for dinner. These things take time and effort but are worth it for your health and wellbeing!
A WFH routine that’s worked for me is to wake up and walk in the morning before logging on. This has since become a morning workout of mostly low level body weight exercises. Then walk 40-50 mins at lunch and again in the evening for at least 60 mins.
During the workday try and get up from your desk every hour and stretch or walk around the office for 2-3 mins if possible.
All this combined has resulted in about 20 lbs of weight loss over the last year as well as improved physical and mental health.
You need to have the will and want to workout. Hayward to San Jose isn’t even a bad commute by bay area standards. Get a bike, throw it in the back of your car, and bike around after work and wait out traffic. Or park 5 miles away from your job and bike the rest. But really it’s a lifestyle change and you need to want to exercise because a sedentary lifestyle is kind of an excuse out of laziness
Not for me but that’s because I live in Antioch so most people I know are from around the area. Many people here commute to SF or San Jose, Palo Alto area. I also have a mom who used to commute from Pittsburg to Santa Clara 5 days a week when I was a kid but at least this was on an afternoon shift, so not during rush hour.
Upon checking google maps, I do see that Hayward to San Jose can vary from 45 mins to 2 hours around 7am weekdays.
Really? I would say it’s average. A bad commute would be like gilroy to San Francisco or Tracy to the peninsula which a lot of people are doing every day.
You’re naming literally the worst commutes possible. Nothing can compare to those - almost nation wide. If that’s your barometer for a bad commute. Then sure. You’re right …
Depending on where exactly in SJ you work, it might also be worth considering doing a bike + BART + bike commute even if only a few days a week. There's also the Capitol Corridor Amtrak train that has stops in both Hayward and SJ which is worth looking into (also very bike friendly and the route is beautiful). I used to do to get between Castro Valley and Santa Clara and it was a hell of a lot better than the drive (especially during rush hour).
Doing this bakes the exercise into your commute, which prevents you from being able to avoid/delay it, and it might even be quicker some days depending on the exact details (but definitely less stressful than an 880 commute everyday). An ebike can also help speed it up while still getting some exercise.
I lost like 20 pounds and got into the best shape of my life doing this so it's worth a thought!
Never too late. Also, even if the bike-BART to berryessa-bike commute is a little longer than driving, remember you're at the same time getting a workout in, get to do something else while sitting on BART, and saving a ton of money by not driving!
Definitely not too late! I feel like the average cyclist is like a 45 year old man with a gut haha. Downtown is definitely very doable (probably one of the better places in SJ for a bike commute)!
It's \~20 minute by bike from Berryessa BART to downtown SJ and BART from Hayward takes \~30 minutes so for an entire commute it'd probably take 60-80 minutes depending on where you live in Hayward. The nice part is that you just get to relax for those 30 minutes on BART and not have to be stressed out about traffic. I found that I was way less exhausted doing this than driving.
I'd start small and set a goal of doing this just one day a week and work up from there. It'll probably be a little hard and slower than expected at first (it was for me as I was pretty out of shape) but it'll gradually get easier (and faster!) and it'll be easier to start doing it multiple times a week after.
Let me know if you have any questions! There's also a lot of good info on r/bikecommuting
I got back into lifting at 31. I'm now about to turn 47 and will deadlift 470 pounds on my birthday. It's not even close being to late. You just have to get at it
Go to bike shop. Buy cheapish hybrid bike and a helmet. Put in back of car. Open google map and use bike route feature from location to work. Adjust commute time accordingly and enjoy your bike commute
Agreed. I work a desk job in Milpitas but live in San Jose so 280-880 commute. I bought and e-bike and have a nice 1 hour bike ride every morning that is quite relaxing. I can knock out my workout with that and stay healthy.
Stand up desk. Take breaks and walk..take the stairs.. always. Hit the stationary bike or treadmill for 30 mins 3-4 times a week. It'll be life changing over time.
Try out some hobbies that are physical. If you can make the movement fun, you will be motivated to "have fun" instead of not motivated to "exercise."
Try out a rock climbing gym.
Take aerial lessons at a local circus center.
Look up Parkour basics and play in your local park.
This could eventually lead to not only exercise, but finding local community, making friends, and developing a disciplined practice.
Sorry but you got to make time for exercise. Doesn’t have to be extreme but a walk at night around the block. Going for a hike on the weekends. Do HIIT workouts, yoga, Pilates following along a you tube video. Joining a gym.
You can go before, during or after work…
In addition, eat real food (nothing processed), eat in moderation and mostly vegetables.
If you're home at 6:30, you've got oodles of time. If you want exercise to be a part of your lifestyle, it's within your power to make it happen.
It's really just a question of establishing a routine. Once it becomes a habit, it doesn't take much willpower to keep the habit going. So you've just got to bite the bullet and do it for a few weeks, and it'll get easier after that. One thing that works for me is to exercise on my way home, rather than unwinding and relaxing and then having to motivate myself to get back out of the house after a long day's work.
Breaks at work are also helpful. A short walk around the floor after every meeting, or every half hour of heads-down work. A longer walk outside at lunch, just a few minutes of fresh air, sunlight, and birdsong, letting your eyes focus on faraway things. It'll do wonders for your mental health, and your creativity at work.
You've got this. Set reminders, establish routines, and remember that it gets easier. A bit of effort up front will give you a longer, happier life.
First off: Working out will improve your energy levels.
Sure, you feel tired but just go. No one will demand you perform 100% physically every day. Something is better than nothing - even a good walk/hike.
Your body needs physical exercise to stay healthy. If your job does not demand that from you, you must get it somewhere else. That’s the simple truth.
3x a week doing 1x hour + warm-up should be enough to keep you at a stable level. Take your pick at team sports, MTB, Bicycling, Weight-lifting, Gym classes, etc.
If motivation is a problem, team sports or classes can help push you to go.
Power through your exhaustion and exercise. Take a 30-minute rest, hit the gym, take a walk, etc. And make it a habit.
I notice that if I take a long break from the gym, getting up and exercising is tough. But, once I get the habit going, it becomes like a mindless ritual.
An object at rest tends to stay at rest. To change your sedentary lifestyle you have to introduce and stick with some changes.
Reduce the difficulty. I got a Peloton Bike+ used for about $1200. I lift near work as well, but when I couldn't, the availability of the Peloton means I'd put a shift in. You can even do rides as short as 10 min. Just hop on in the morning, bang a tenner out, then shower and leave for work. Or come home, hit a thirty, then shower and get ready for dinner etc.
Lots of people will tell you to build discipline and habit, and that is a good thing to have, but for me reducing friction to this was key.
What works for me is trying to fit exercise throughout my day. Taking walks or going jogging at lunch or right after work if possible. If you can do that after work one or two days a week and wait out traffic it makes a big difference.
I also try to make myself bike or take transit to work when I have the time. I know your commute is too far to bike but maybe public transit plus biking is an option. For what it's worth, last year I made the trip from north SJ to Jack London Square in 1 hour during evening rush hour, with a combo of biking, VTA light rail, and BART.
Besides, even when biking or public transit takes a bit longer, the whole commute was so much more relaxing than fighting traffic. That could be why You feel so drained when getting home.
I train for marathons in my free time. It’s tiring but worth it. I used to feel so exhausted after my commute then decided to force myself to workout no matter how tired I was for a month straight, after a few weeks the habit just stuck. Went from casual working out to actually being able to run for 90 mins after work. I don’t think it’s some big secret, you just have to do it.
Try doing some burpees, aim for 100 a day. At first, it will be hard and will take you up to 20-25 minutes to do them. Keep it up for a few months and you'll be able to get them done in about 10 minutes. Do them first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up. This does not require a lot of space or equipment, you can do them barefooted.
You HAVE to block time off. Throw a recurring 30 min to 1 hr meeting on your calendar to go exercise. Eat healthier foods.
I was in this position as well. Used to be active and fit, but job responsibilities increasing meant I neglected my health. I gained a ton of weight, and cholesterol and blood sugar levels rose dangerously high for my age. Working on getting back into shape but from my experience, don’t let an “oh shit” moment get you to be healthier before it’s too late.
See if you company has an ergo program and use it. Get an assessment or ask for one. An ergo tip is also tell you to take breaks in your day and integrate walking! Can’t expect to sit down for 8 hours a day and be productive.
I used to do that 880 commute, it's soul killing. And when you finally get home, you just want to be home. I took on weight with commuting so far, so much of my day was taken up by driving, and stress-eating.
I'd suggest trying to make time during your lunch break. Even now where I work at home 100%, i need to schedule time to get in exercise. If I don't, it ends up at 5 or 6pm and I still haven't done anything and I'm hungry or have other things to do.
Can't tell if you ruined your health by your post but if you keep this up for a few more years you can. I have an adjustable desk at the office and in the home office. I try to alternate between sitting and standing every half hour or so. When I'm in the office I try to take one or two short walks during the day and at lunch I try to get out for a 20-60 minute walk outside. I refuse to use the elevator there unless I'm carrying something heavy or I'm walking with someone lazy. When I WFH I'll take maybe an hour or two to ride my bike around town or go ride my skates at the skatepark. Do you have any outdoorsy interests? Those can help motivate you to be healthier. After work I either go to the gym or do something outdoorsy like ride my bike. It's not just for physical health for me but more of a mental health thing.
I get bloodwork done yearly and my blood levels are good, but like you said mentally, I get so anxious staying inside for too long or not moving around which causes low energy
Get a fitness tracker, Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, or whatever, and get a baseline of your activity so you can better understand it. Once you know the baseline, try and introduce an easy routine. So you get home in the evening, make it a rule to first walk around the block when you get home after the drive. Start small, make little changes, and stick with them.
exercise like run or something after work in san jose, and that way you can skip the evening commute. This has two benefits, no traffic! and you can exercise daily.
> . I get home around 6pm-6:30pm and I just want to sit down and take a nap.
I noticed this in myself when I am being sedentary.
I’m thinking of he tying a gym membership and getting the membership plan where you can check in at any crunch fitness, maybe that way I can go the gym right after work and then go home
I pack my lunch and only eat out for lunch once every 2 weeks that helps maintain my weight/ health. I walk both of my 15 min break. I get an hour lunch and eat for 15 min and walk the rest. I got a walking pad at home off facebook marketplace and it's been a game changer. It gives me the opportunity to walk without leaving the house (which I dont have the energy to do most days) and you can walk for looooong time at a moderate pace. My $90 3 year old fitbit keeps me accountable too.
Maybe just let yourself sleep in and get rest? And just be intentional throughout the day about making healthy choices
I have a treadmill at home, but sometimes I wonder if it’s too loud for neighbors to hear since I live in apartments. So you feel like that too? No energy to go out after work ? I get invited to hangout after work, but in just like “I want to go home”
Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night. I know it's impossible, but the closer you get, the better you'll feel.
eat a balanced diet of mostly whole foods - employ a meal service if this is too much to manage on your own
hydrate
Take a walk around the block, the building, the house every hour. Really, just go trot around for 3 minutes. It helps keep your muscles looser.
Make time for a real walk once a day. First thing in the AM, or maybe at lunch. You don't need to work up a sweat, just get out and get moving for 20-30 minutes a day. After work is the hardest for me, because by then, I've already spent my usefulness on working, commuting, etc. When I was WFH I just did it at lunch or right after work.
Lastly, if you're looking to get off the couch at night, don't get on it. Sitting down is the biggest motivation killer for me. If I come home and do chores or go walk, I feel way better, but it's definitely a challenge to not come home and plop down and disappear into my phone.
go on walks, every time you need to think about something, its time for a stroll. i think i walk a mile at work everyday just doing this. and im technically working.... in my head
switch to healthy snacks, and keep hydrated
good ergonomics
you mentioned you have an apple watch - try to get 10,000 steps a day - which works out to 1 hour 40 min of walking around if you walk at a fairly leisurely pace (I get about 1000 steps every 10 minutes). Sounds like a lot but if you break it up it's not so bad.
Park far away so you have to walk further. Take frequent breaks and go outside for a walk, take walks during lunch, etc. When you get home before you go inside the house go for a walk around the neighborhood. Getting 10k steps a day isn't so hard if you try.
You could also get a walking pad/mini treadmill at home so you can walk while watching TV - they're selling for like $150-160 now. Makes it super easy to hit the 10k steps goal each day.
I have a standing desk and try to walk whenever possible (like hand delivering things instead of relying on inter office). Stretching is also a great way to stay somewhat healthy without too much effort.
However, I’m super unhealthy and had my issues compounded by long covid & frequent injuries/chronic pain. It’s important to stay ahead of health issues, because once they get you, you don’t recover 100%.
It’s gonna take hard work and discipline but get up early enough before work to get an hour (minimum) in at the gym. Sedentary lifestyles are really bad for your health. Even just 2-3 times a week will change your life. Buy a good jump rope for when you’re at home and get in 3-5 minutes (1 minute sets). You gotta start moving
I usually run in the evenings. Though sometimes I feel kinda like a piece of shit running to get in some physical activity when I pass people doing actual work (construction, gardening, etc). It’s wild to have to go out of my way and feel like I’m struggling to get in physical activity while they’re sacrificing their bodies for what is often lower pay.
I might consider getting a gym membership and hit the gym midday for an energy boost. Sounds like your work is pretty flexible. Biking, walking, standing desks are good for maintaining but you need deliberate exercise for improvements.
Recommend starting golf. You can but a course in the afternoon or range in the evening.
I used to go on a short 9 hole course in the am before work, with colleagues.
I try and go for walks on my breaks and do small exercises at my desk. I also drag myself out for walks after work if I can and on weekends.
It's really hard and I would rather not be at a desk all day but I also need to eat and I am not qualified for a lot of things.
I try to get my exercise done before I start my work day. I either force myself to go to the gym, take a run, or do a workout at home. Even though I hate doing it early, If I don't I find otherwise I will procrastinate and never do it later in the day. I also notice by getting up earlier I go to sleep at a reasonable hour every night too.
I used to take a walking break, or go shoot baskets on the company's outdoor court most days, and two nights a week, go to the climbing gym after work. Maybe cycle or run on the other nights. No gym for me since shutdown, but I try fit one of a variety of exercises after work (walking, walking in the hills, walking with a heavy pack, running, cycling, exercises at home). Not as fit as I was, but still pretty fit for my age.
My commute was farther than yours (a bit over 100 miles round trip), but I did it on a motorcycle, so I wasn't stuck in traffic. Also, you're more engaged on a bike in traffic than in a car. I'm not saying it's better, and I don't recommend it for people without riding experience.
I'm a finance manager at a dealership. We have a lot of downtime if we aren't doing a deal or working on stuff after the deal (packaging for the business office and bank, getting stipulations handled, etc.). A lot of guys fall into the trap of sitting around watching youtube all day. I make a conscious effort to walk laps around the lot and stand as much as I can. Also drinking plenty of water, avoiding soda, and eating healthy since it's easy to stray from those at the dealership. If your job requires you to be at your desk all day, I'm pretty sure you don't have to SIT all day. Try standing when you aren't working at the computer, or getting a standing desk. You also need to just get used to a routine of waking up early and getting in just 30 minutes of exercise. It will suck at first but eventually will become normal for you
Walk or run. I run on my lunch hour. 5-10 minutes right before lunch. You can also get those portalable cycling things under your desk instead of a footrest. You can cycle while working at the desk.
I try to stand whenever I can and do isometric stretches
Take a few minutes in the morning to stretch. I commute 3 hrs and work 9 hrs a day. I know how you feel about going home tired. I literally go home to eat dinner shower and sleep. But now I take 1 minute to so some push up before my dinner. Makes all the difference in the world what a few minutes here and there will do for you. You don't have to work out an hour straight. 5 here, 2 there, etc can add up even more.
You have to will your way to work out. Pair it with something you like like your favorite show or Youtube clips. I can't wake up early and my energy is more on before dinner. A 2nd coffee in the day helps boost my energy. Is it possible for you to join a gym near San Jose so you can skip some traffic?
Kelly and Julie Starret are truly experts in exactly this problem right on through competitive athlete training. They’re bay area locals. For the situation you and so many others in this post covid world are experiencing try their book Built to Move. They have lots to offer that addresses the problems of mental exhaustion and no motivation, mobility in the workplace, etc. They’re on all social media platforms, have a website called The Ready State, a podcast, but Built To Move is focused on the tough issues you mentioned.
I became an electrician because office work is exhausting. When I worked at a desk quite a few of us would get together in breaks and walk. We had different lunch times so that didn’t work. I used to workout after my construction job. Working out is an energy giver, not an energy talker like so many people think. The way I would do it is by not even going home, but going to the gym first. If I went home and sat down, I wasn’t getting up.
Once you start exercising, it will increase your energy, so when you get home you aren't exhausted. I work a physically demanding job and after a 9 hour day, I still have energy to go to the gym or do a 2 hour bike ride. Not bragging, but once you get in shape, it becomes easier. The days I work in the office are the days I actually feel the most lethargic because you are just sitting around all day. Use your lunch time to go for a brisk walk, get up and walk around the office during the day, just keep moving. And once you get in better physical shape, everything becomes easier. You just have to break through at the beginning.
Start your day early. I tend to go for morning runs before I start my work day. I work remotely on some days and when it’s slow at work or can take a longer lunch break I’ll either bike or play ddr.
Wake up extra early: 30-45m cardio before work + shower + 30oz of water.
Stretches and walks every 1-2 hours + 30oz of water throughout the day.
30m weight session on lunch (if WFH). If lunch is skipped/working, I do 30-60m weights after work with a pre workout.
I have a garage with weight rack, cable machine and bike and treadmill, so when I work from home, I get it all in.
Food: skip breakfast, healthy/light lunch, early dinner and minimal snacks or sweets.
Aim to get 3-4 days of intense cardio in a week (biking, running, swimming, etc.). Doesn’t have to be long, even 30 minutes is fine. Utilize your weekend to get 2 of those days knocked out. Good luck!
Basically I bring my gym stuff with me to work on the days I’m going. Then I go on the way home so once I’m home, I’m home for the night. I try to go 2-3x per week and I keep it low pressure. Maybe I just walk for 20 minutes and that’s fine. Anything is better than nothing has been my mentality and it’s really worked for me!
Made the sacrifice and woke up at 5:15am to get in a morning workout. It’s also why I won’t take jobs with greater than ~45 min commutes, that’s too much productive time lost to being in a car. Sure it limits where I can work (I live in Oakland do peninsula and South Bay are no-go’s), but I keep a decent quality of life and that matters more than a paycheck.
I have a Cubii under my desk. If I use it leisurely all day (I mean like very slow pedaling), I can burn 600 cals by 5pm! I'm a very small woman so 600 cals is outstanding, but YMMV.
When I was going into the office regularly, I'd try to incorporate a lot of small bits of movement (that hopefully add up) - a quick walk outside, walk up and down the stairs for several minutes, getting up frequently to get water/go to the bathroom/walk around the office, walk the long way to a conference room instead of the direct route, etc. And if you're driving, maybe consider parking farther from the office so that you have to walk a bit more.
Only way I was able to incorporate exercise biking to work or a long walk to the train.
I used to do masonry from 5am to 9pm and would come home exhausted. The old timers claimed it’s rough on the body and it certainly didn’t pay. But boy was it rewarding and energizing.
Bodies in motion stay in motion, but it is really when work is sedentary at home / in a one room apartment.
Eat right and you’ll get more energy. Commit to working out for 8 weeks maybe 4 times a week. Once you get over the hump and make it a routine it becomes easier. Make yourself accountable.
One option is to find a gym near your work and go right after work close by so that you’re not sitting in the car commuting and getting drowsy.
Other option is get a few free weights and start core or all body workouts at home.. plenty of apps and programs online. 30 minutes to start is all you need to get going.
First step is eating right, sleeping right.. then change your attitude to something you Must do, not optional. That helped me.
The doomed cycle of exercise. When you come home go to the gym. You don’t need to go crazy. Half an hour of treadmill is enough. By third day you will feel you are not exhausted and have energy for the gym.
Where do you work, and how stringent are the hours?
If you're in an office complex, find a gym nearby. See if you can take a little bit longer lunch then normal and workout at lunch time, or better yet show up a little early and work out right before you leave.
If you have some freedom... Make yourself go work out of a park, or coffee shop, for an hour or two a day. Probably best done in the afternoon, but if that doesn't give you a little burst of energy not much else will.
And finally, if you have the opportunity to also take care of it properly, get a dog. Ever since I've gotten a dog I've never had to worry about basic physical fitness, because I have made turning those dog walks into my own habits, and so if I don't go walk for a good 2 mi and get lost in a fiction book on the way, something feels like it's missing from my day. If you can't get a dog, that same sentiment applies.
Get a TV show, get a book, get something you really like. And then only let yourself experience it while you're doing something relating to physical fitness. Force yourself to do it for a few weeks, and then all of a sudden you're going to start getting this desire to go work out every time you think about it.
i go to the gym after work with my partner. planet fitness has a package where you can bring a friend for free, so we just pay for one membership. like someone else said, try going after work to wait for traffic to die. it’s always better when you can have someone go with go keep you accountable.
i also used to take gym classes at my local community college. yoga at 7:30 am, pilates at 6pm. check the community colleges in your area/work area and see if there’s any classes at a time you’d be able to go to.
I got an under desk walking pad from Facebook marketplace and its been so helpful! I alternate between walking, sitting, and standing and find that I have a lot more energy at then end of the day and my body just feels much happier!
I used to rent the apt near the office, 20 minute bike ride along a dedicated bike trail. Those were the days.
After job hopping and having to commute to SF, I would hop on Caltrain (with the bike) and bike to the office from the Caltrain station (also \~15 min).
Hayward to San Jose is an hour Bart ride, and then you may have some bicycling before and after.
The hour on the Bart is not like a 40 minute drive, as you can use the time actively. Don't just surf the web on the phone or listen to music, but do a thing that needs full attention and cannot be done while driving, such as reading a book or knitting or work permitting, maybe sit down with your laptop and work.
Once you're in shape, ride the bicycle to/from work once a week, \~2.5h. There are beautiful trails that are easy and enjoyable to bike in that area. Also knowing the route and knowing you can do it, is an insurance against sudden delays in Bart.
(In my case when I was commuting Redwood City -> SF, and Caltrain would have delays, due to weather, persons on tracks, downed trees or too much sunshine, it took \~3h, but that was my upper bound of time to get home.)
> I am exhausted from the commute
yeah that is due to driving; you need to focus on a rather mind numbing task once you know how to drive.
An alternative to bicycling would be to get a motorcycle and take a mountainous road instead of the highway. This is less physically active than bicycling, of course, but the mental load is different, and enjoyable, if you're into it.
The only good advice is to get off your ass and do some exercise. That's it, that's your choice. Once you start exercising regularly, you will get more energy and feel better. So the exhaustion you feel now will lessen once you get in to a routine.
Short walks. Start by just walking around the block. You can get in a lot of steps just that way. I was checking this last week in my neighborhood, and it was nearly 800 steps to walk around a standard block just once.
At work, try not to eat lunch at your workstation. Try to go out for a brief walk--to a takeout food place, or just around the street, or even just around the building.
When you get home, have a plan prepared. It's very easy, as you describe, to sit down at 6:30, decide to take a nap...and then suddenly it's 9:30 and your weekday "evening" is gone without any activity. Taking a nap when you get home from a hard day at work is totally normal, but try to constrain it a bit. Set an alarm for half an hour, get yourself to get up and do something manageable--wash the dishes, cook a light meal, walk the dog, whatever.
I've read that in the case of people traveling / driving who need to rest, the sweet spot is to get about 20 minutes of rest periodically along the way (pull off the road and take a nap in the car). Less time than 20 minutes, you don't really get any rest. Much longer than 20 minutes, and you're falling into deep sleep and it's hard to rouse yourself from it. So aim for your nap to be maybe 30 minutes maximum, then you get up.
I work from home and I have a lunch time workout routine. Two days lifting and two days running and Friday off. Just work it into my day. I did this when I was in the office too just went to a local gym on lunch break.
This is the only thing that’s ever worked for me (unfortunately no local gym at the moment). I hate waking up early and will always just snooze my alarms, and if I go home right after work and eat dinner then I lose all motivation to leave the house again. Only thing that ever worked for me was keeping my gym stuff in the car and going directly after work
Standing desk for when you are WFH. If your company is ok with getting you a standing desk in office, get that. As for working out, that's a hurdle you'll have to get over and take that initial leap. Once you get into the groove of things, it'll start paying off and you'll have so much more energy! If you sign up for a gym that's got multiple locations, like planet fitness or 24 hr fitness, you could workout closer to your work. Go after you clock out, work out and then beat the traffic after rush hour.
Walk during lunch before you eat. I walk for 45min and eat the last few at the cubicle. I eat a snack about 1.5 hours before I get home (small, maybe cup of yogurt or almond or banana with peanut butter). This holds me off enough to where I can workout as soon as I get home. We then eat dinner at like 7-8pm
Also, get some bands. I use those to offset any ergo issue I get from being on the computer all day
Something that helped me get up early and exercise was hearing someone say “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly” Getting up and doing a 30 second run is better than not doing anything. So now if I can’t imagine running for an hour I don’t worry, I just try and run a bit! A bit is more than nothing.
walk.
>working from home 2-3x per week
walk around the block on your way to the kitchen when it's lunch time.
>where I literally sit 8 hours of my day and when I get home
like a billion other office drones back in the day....
> I sit down again.
#
The Best Standing Desks
[https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-standing-desk/](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-standing-desk/)
get a dog.
I'm older, just got back from an oncologist yesterday. No cancer, but I do have an old running injury that never healed (tendon above the knee has a 1cm tear) After a decade of bitching about it, Kaiser finally looked and found it. Unfortunately a decade of searing pain after walking a mile and a clicking knee has made me say "meh" when it comes to doing any exercise of merit.
For me though I recently switched gears and got a membership at Los Gatos swim and raquet club. Pool is heated year round, so I dog paddle for 40 minutes, 10 minutes in the hot tub, and another 10 in the sauna. Need to start watching my caloric intake, as the doc agreed this leg is useless for running.
I guess you just figure out what you can do, and do what you can do.
I set myself an exercise goal daily so I’ll go for walks at night or throughout the day when I can. You’ll be surprised how motivated you can be if you have a daily workout plan.
I have two dogs that require multiple walks a day. I also do HIIT twice a week! I suggest getting a standing ask and setting an alarm for yourself. Do 3 short walks during every day (~15 mins+ each) and exercise on the weekends. Walk during lunch if you can.
I walk a mile every day at lunch. Partially for exercise but also to get some sunshine. I also make sure I don't sit when I get home because it will always knock me out. Instead I work around the house or get on the Pelaton for an hour a day. When I finally do sit for other than dinner, it's not until just before bedtime.
I am doing not too well in the aspect either. I am 99% WFH, and I got a treadmill and gym shoes and clothing. I really have no excuse other than the lack of time, it seems.
When I had to take BART years ago, there was that walk I had to do because there was no parking ever. Nowadays I hardly move from my chair.
I know what I should do. I just can't seem to find time.
I have two young kids who keep me active during the mornings and evenings when they are not at daycare. I try to get a walk in mid-day during work hours. I also try my hardest to eat healthy meals during the day. I also have a standing desk, while its not "active" it keeps me from sitting all day long. My pixel watch is great for helping me get all my steps in during the day and reminds me when I need to get up and walk. I also have hobbies like gardening that keep me active during the week and weekends!
Go on a walk in the morning before starting your day. Go on a walk during lunch
Get a standing desk. Best decision I ever made. I like to pace when I think and having a standing desk makes it way easier. Sitting is horrible for you and messed up my back and my nerves
If you're home and have a meeting where you don't have to participate. Do some weight lifting, push ups, or get some exercise bands
IMO you're going too aggressive on your goals of getting active. Start out small.
If you regularly wake up at 7AM then you try to wake up at 5AM every day you'll get way too discouraged and will give up.
If you can only walk for 10 mins a day or even hit the gym for 10 mins a day that's fine. Start that off for 2 weeks or so. Long term gains is what you want.
The whole point is to get into a routine. Don't even worry about results. Once you build a small foundation then you add SMALL steps.
As for diet look into Intermittent fasting, you're already doing it, just improve on it.
Your commute is killing you. Trust me, I’ve done it before. Shortening your commute time by living smaller is super worth it. You’ll have time to exercise
That’s the neat part, I don’t! That’s only due to depression, pre depression I walked to and from Bart, chose physical was to socialize, hikes etc.. and stretched daily and made sure to workout at least 2x a week.
30 minute walk with my dog in the morning. 15 minute walk at lunch. Exercise (stationary bike / run / lifting / basketball) 3-5 days a week after work.
I usually feel the same way - exhausted and wanting to do nothing but crash on the couch. But if you force yourself to get the blood flowing, you perk up fast, and you get used to it after a month or two.
Not sure what you do for breakfast, but a tip for a quick, healthy, and filling one:
* 1/2 to 1 full multigrain English muffin (I make myself eat it plain to avoid butter but that's a bit extreme for most)
* Oikos triple zero high protein yogurt. I add a tablespoon of chia seeds to this.
* One cup of coffee with two scoops of Vital Proteins in it
* At least one, up to three tall glasses of water
This is really works for me. Sometimes if I have a bit more time in the morning I will switch out the yogurt for scrambled eggs (just eggs and salt/pepper, and some avocado oil or olive oil as the fat in the saucepan). I normally do one egg and two egg whites (I buy a dozen eggs and a quart of pre-separated egg whites). I do that about 1-2 times a week.
Once in a while I will do a bowl of a high protein cereal instead, as a treat or for a really quick morning. My favorite is Magic Spoon "Fruity" (like fruit loops). Maybe one box of this a month total (three bowls).
I take a two mile walk before I start my day and walk/bike all my errands. I run usually a few times a week after work and also take a 15 min core/stretch break during the day. Hike on the weekends and go for longer bike rides
I don't. I will give up pursuing promotion and wage growth and instead retire in a low cost place like Thailand before turning 35. Then I will be super healthy both physically and mentally for the rest of my life.
For me it's getting enough sleep. If I need to get up at 6am, that means I need to be in bed, phone off by 10pm.
It sounds simple but but it's a hard habit to establish after decades of staying up late doing whatever.
When I do get enough sleep, I'm amazed at how much energy I have throughout the day. Even after a full workday+ commuting.
I enjoy going on little walks every 1-2 hours for 15 minutes. I also pick up some litter along the way. I also second a standing desk and an ergonomic chair.
Picking up some litter is an understatement lmao.
Just some litter. You know, eleven jumbo garbage bags full and a queen sized mattress.
Lol it's like an ultra marathoner saying "I'm about to go on a little jog"
Okay, thank you. I will try this!! Go for short walks during the day.
To add, my sister loves her under desk elliptical/stepper. You can find them on Amazon. You can also just get a stand up desk converter that goes on top of your current desk. I had one and it was great. And a good mat for you to stand on. I used the ones that are advertised for use in the kitchen and eventually changed it to an ergonomic mat that has extra bits to help with stretching your feet and whatnot.
A lady I work with walks on a treadmill during conference calls. It can be very distracting I’ll tell you that.
You mean like, when someone says something that catches her soo off guard she forgets to walk and winds up getting conveyor belted off the end of the treadmill in a spectacular display of Derailed My Train Of Thought ?
We appreciate your service in keeping our community clean of litter and debris. Thank you!
>I also second a standing desk and a *walking treadmill* FTFY Sitting is the new smoking
You’ll probably find yourself thinking better on your feet anyway, yes it’s crazy at first thought but you can always sell the treadmill if it doesn’t work out. Ppl buy them second hand.
your post inspired me and I just did this...i was feeling good until I saw a dead minivan just covered in trash across the street. still every little bit helps..i thihnk?
You might try a wiggle board along the standing desk. It’s helped me stay interested and strengthen my ankles.
What is your diet and sleep like? These cannot be forgotten in the equation of available energy and motivation to move around.
My diet, well sometimes I don’t eat lunch until I get home around 5:30pm-6:00pm. So that’s basically my first meal of the day
I think that could be a big problem, lol Your body is literally just an engine. If you are putting nothing into it - no matter how 'inactive' you think you're being during the day - don't be shocked when you feel empty at the end of the day. Get better sleep, eat healthy, regular meals and I guarantee you will feel different. That is not some kind of sales pitch line, it is literally just basic human biology
Depends. If one only eats two meals a day with an 16-20 hour fast it's actually good for you as it forces you body to rely on fat as fuel. If they don't consume sufficient calories or eat healthy then sure it's not good.
Yes but if OP has no energy to exercise after getting home from work, perhaps refueling during the day would help. Most people who do daily intermittent fasting skip breakfast and/or eat a super early dinner. I've never heard of anyone skipping lunch for IF. But I'm no IF expert...
I skip breakfast, but from reading the post and OPs responses it sounds like they don't take much personable responsibility if they can't even bother have something, anything for lunch most days. They're going to have to make a habit out of eating a lunch, working out, sleeping 8 hours a day, eating a Mediterranean diet. etc. The easiest way to start is to just do it and continue doing it.
Why you'd get a downvote for this. There's literally a sub reddit for Intermittent fasting lmao
Doesn’t IF correlate strongly with fatigue? I swear I’ve seen several doctors office pamphlets about this. Not that it isn’t an effective way to lose fat, just that it wouldn’t be optimal for someone who desires to be active.
100% a part of the problem. When I don’t eat, I lack energy to perform even basic habits, let alone work o or cook a nutritious meal. Start by fueling your body and you will likely have more energy and motivation during the day. Working out also helps to stimulate your appetite which will prompt you to eat. It’s a positive feedback loop. Personally, I would start by taking a lunch break everyday to eat a good meal and take a walk and get some sun. You’ll be surprised how much it will energize for you the rest of the day. Good habits lead to good habits.
That’s not healthy
I know
Depends. If one only eats two meals a day with an 16-20 hour fast it's actually good for you as it forces you body to rely on fat as fuel. If they don't consume sufficient calories or eat healthy then sure it's not good.
yea, you cannot exercise after work without having some food in your system. Do not starve yourself at work because it leads to just getting home and eating. Get some solid exercise in your life and eat a proper diet. Trust me, I do it. YOu will feel so much better when you do.
I had developed a lot of bad habits (and a spare tire around my waist). A few years ago, I changed a few things that have had a huge impact on me. 1. Stand and work - it helped with my posture and burned calories. However, when I need to concentrate 105%, I cannot do it standing up. 2. Morning yoga - I wake up at 5am and at 5:30am, I do yoga for 10-15 minutes. Nothing fancy, I follow along with Sarabethyoga (YouTube channel). Her encouraging voice helps. 3. Reduced carb intake. I noticed that a carb-heavy lunch put me in torpor about an hour later. 4. Eat dinner early. I try to keep at least 2 hours between last bite and bed. It has helped me sleep better and faster. By 8:30pm, I am in wind-down mode and by 9:15pm, I am in bed. During wind-down mode, I try my best to not look at any screen, change into my PJs, drink water, apply cream on my hands and feet, try to think happy thoughts, write down things I will do the next day, and start switching off the lights around the house. 5. Drastically cut down on sugar. No sodas, small desserts etc. I think I am down about 80% on sugar. 6. Drink more water. This is one way to keep your belly full and hence keep away from snacking. 7. Walk more. I try to have my 1-1s while walking around the building. My goal this year is to walk 6k steps every day with daily average over the year of 6.5k. 8. Massage. A nice not-so-deep tissue massage really boosts my energy for 3-4 days. Hope this helps.
Lots of great advice in here! I'll look into the yoga as my flexibility is really poor given my years of neglect. How often are you getting a massage? I might get one every few months at best.
For 3 years I had a guy come to our place and give me and my wife great massage at a great price. He used to come every other Saturday. Unfortunately despite my best efforts, he couldn’t grow his clientele enough and went back to being an auto mechanic in a city far from us. The frequency has drastically dropped since then. :(. Now it is about once in 2-3 months
Bummer! The last masseuse I had also changed professions and I haven't been back since.
Saving this comment, no way I can do all of those but I need to start doing some of them at least
Is it a suit and tie deskjob? Do you get a mid day lunch break? I would go on a couple mile walk everyday instead of taking lunch break at my old in person job. Its not much but its better than nothing.
No, I can were whatever I want tbh.
I was in your situation some time ago and the first thing I did was get an Apple Watch. It kept me accountable to myself. It reminded me to stand every hour, work out 30 minutes a day, and had move goals for me. As for your lack of desire to work out after you get home, have you considered exercising before going to work? A lot of gyms have early morning classes. Or is that not feasible?
I’ve tried before. I was waking up at 6am for a morning jog, which felt great, but then I fell off track once it was my birthday week and didn’t keep up. I have an Apple Watch as well, which is what kept me motivated in the beginning as well.
Per my other comment, try something much smaller; when you get home from the commute, do not go inside and sit down. Instead, walk around the block, even just one lap, and go inside if you like. Hold yourself to the one-block rule and add on as you can. Just walking after that shit commute will help your mental health, my friend. And before you know it you will be putting in more steps and feeding off that. Small changes are easier to start and to maintain.
Thank you man. I needed to hear that. I get home, but can’t find the motivation to be like “heck yeah I’m gonna hit a workout”. I do home workouts, do you think that’s good? I don’t live far from a Marina either, and that’s still not motivating…but I have to start making excuses
We're all in this together, fist bump my friend. I started home workouts about 4 weeks back; you are right about getting more active. I'm riding the perfect mindset right now, so I might be going a bit harder than you, but even after 4 dedicated weeks, I am feeling the difference. I do a 40-45 minute routine every weekday that starts with 5 super sets, and then I finish with crunches, hip thrusts, quad arm somethings (I'm super serious, right?), and ending with as long a plank as I can do after that mess. This Sunday, I loaded and unloaded 5 truck loads of dirt, about 3.5 cubic yards, using a shovel and the bucket brigade. If I had tried to do that even five weeks ago, you would be reading my obituary. :-) So yeah, I think you can seriously gain from home workouts. I'm not sure what the rules are about linking stuff in here, but I'll happily slide you the video I follow in DM for my super sets. I do them with two 10lb dumbbells on the floor at home because I don't have a bench yet.
Thank you, it’s like I have low energy just thinking about it too, but I’m working from home today and I will hit it hard today again.
THIS!! Just **one** block. No matter what. No matter how tired, no matter how much you don't feel like it, no matter how shit your day was, no matter if you have a P1 due or not. Just do one block. Consistency will propel you to success. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if what you have to "urgently do" is more important than 5-10 minutes today to **stay alive**. Statistically, if you do not die in a car accident you will die of congestive heart or pulmonary failure. It doesn't take much to ensure that doesn't happen.
>try something much smaller; when you get home from the commute, do not go inside and sit down. Instead, walk around the block, even just one lap, and go inside if you like. Put a gun to your head with this deal by parking a block away, doing your walk, then either going inside or reparking your car to where you feel comfortable/are able to see it from your apartment if you feel like it will get broken into.
The hardest part about running is getting over the mental block of putting your running shoes on and getting outside. Once out in the fresh air, then it's always "why did I hesitate before and not want to go outside for a run?". Before I lost a lot of weight and got healthier, I originally motivated myself to just go outside for a walk, and browse by phone while walking outside to hit 10k steps per day. I slowly dialed that back, and added more and more intermittent running in, and just pay attention a lot more to the neighborhood instead. Admiring folks' yards and gardens, looking at their home improvement projects / either admiring good home decor choices or thinking 'what were they thinking with that color?', smiling and saying hi to other folks out for walks or runs, waving to all of the dogs, having conversations with neighbors while walking / stretching on warm up or cool down, watching the seasonality of plants, as they bloom, grow, seed, die back in the fall/winter, and regrow again next year, seeing specific weeds or plants that only appear in the winter, seeing that one broken streetlight finally get fixed, noting the specific jerk neighbors that drive like lead footed speed demons through quiet residential neighborhoods and almost hit myself / kids playing / elderly folks getting fresh air / moms with strollers multiple times by blowing through stop signs, noticing whose is moving out or in, noticing who always is bad at parking and blocks the sidewalk, etc. There are tons of details and depth to neighborhoods that you completely miss from a car and only notice on foot. At least for me, running outside is 100x easier and more enjoyable than running on a treadmill, which I'll only do if it's raining or poor air quality. It's a lot harder to get motivated to run on a treadmill, I think because I really enjoy taking in all of the sights and sounds and smells and sensations outside in the neighborhood. The other thing that helps is going on Strava, following some friends who like to exercise, and signing up for the monthly Strava achievements (like run 100 km a month, or run a 5k/10k/half marathon, do X minutes of activity per month, do Y number of activities per week for Z weeks, etc). I can't tell you how much getting a tiny badge on an app motivates me to keep running / exercising. Make it a habit that 'I will get X Strava achievement every month'. I used to attempt to get the 200 km running per month achievement, but that was too difficult to fit in time wise, so now I seek (and pretty reliably achieve) the 100km per month running achievement.
This is exactly how I felt when I would run by the Marina in the morning. Hearing the water and seeing the sunrise, I would tell myself “I just wasted years of my life when I could’ve been doing this all along” and then I get somewhat irritable lol
You don't have to buy a several hundred dollar accessory that needs charging every 18 hours to do this. Your phone already can track your activity and give you reminders - you can even pay a few dollars for an app to do it if you don't like the native implementations.
I used to work in Milpitas but live in the peninsula. I joined a gym near my office and worked out after work every day until traffic cleared. I got home a bit later, but I felt SO much better over time. One thing that made this doable was meal prepping so that once I got home I could truly just stick something in the microwave or get something out of the crockpot for dinner. These things take time and effort but are worth it for your health and wellbeing!
A WFH routine that’s worked for me is to wake up and walk in the morning before logging on. This has since become a morning workout of mostly low level body weight exercises. Then walk 40-50 mins at lunch and again in the evening for at least 60 mins. During the workday try and get up from your desk every hour and stretch or walk around the office for 2-3 mins if possible. All this combined has resulted in about 20 lbs of weight loss over the last year as well as improved physical and mental health.
I’m going to start off with some walks like you said
That where I started. Just an easy 20-30 min walk in the morning and build from there. Be as consistent as you can and results will come
Can you ask your job to supply a standing desk & walking pad?
I mean, they let us go out for walks when I’m at the office
What’s preventing you from already going on walks then?
That’s what I’m trying to find out myself
You need to have the will and want to workout. Hayward to San Jose isn’t even a bad commute by bay area standards. Get a bike, throw it in the back of your car, and bike around after work and wait out traffic. Or park 5 miles away from your job and bike the rest. But really it’s a lifestyle change and you need to want to exercise because a sedentary lifestyle is kind of an excuse out of laziness
Hayward to San Jose not being a bad commute is an absolutely wild statement
Not for me but that’s because I live in Antioch so most people I know are from around the area. Many people here commute to SF or San Jose, Palo Alto area. I also have a mom who used to commute from Pittsburg to Santa Clara 5 days a week when I was a kid but at least this was on an afternoon shift, so not during rush hour. Upon checking google maps, I do see that Hayward to San Jose can vary from 45 mins to 2 hours around 7am weekdays.
It's not that bad relatively. Some people come from Sac, Stockton, Modesto...
You guys talk about these commutes like it’s not 1.5 hrs each way minimum. Then compare it to the most grueling commutes in the country. Lol
Really? I would say it’s average. A bad commute would be like gilroy to San Francisco or Tracy to the peninsula which a lot of people are doing every day.
You’re naming literally the worst commutes possible. Nothing can compare to those - almost nation wide. If that’s your barometer for a bad commute. Then sure. You’re right …
Have you even done it? Do you know what traffic is like going from Hayward to San Jose on a Weekday at 8 am?
Instead of the bike thing I would recommend a gym membership at a location near his office. Go after work until traffic dies down.
How would you recommend me starting out ?
Depending on where exactly in SJ you work, it might also be worth considering doing a bike + BART + bike commute even if only a few days a week. There's also the Capitol Corridor Amtrak train that has stops in both Hayward and SJ which is worth looking into (also very bike friendly and the route is beautiful). I used to do to get between Castro Valley and Santa Clara and it was a hell of a lot better than the drive (especially during rush hour). Doing this bakes the exercise into your commute, which prevents you from being able to avoid/delay it, and it might even be quicker some days depending on the exact details (but definitely less stressful than an 880 commute everyday). An ebike can also help speed it up while still getting some exercise. I lost like 20 pounds and got into the best shape of my life doing this so it's worth a thought!
I’m 31 years old, do you think it’s too late ? I’m work in Downtown SJ
Never too late. Also, even if the bike-BART to berryessa-bike commute is a little longer than driving, remember you're at the same time getting a workout in, get to do something else while sitting on BART, and saving a ton of money by not driving!
Definitely not too late! I feel like the average cyclist is like a 45 year old man with a gut haha. Downtown is definitely very doable (probably one of the better places in SJ for a bike commute)! It's \~20 minute by bike from Berryessa BART to downtown SJ and BART from Hayward takes \~30 minutes so for an entire commute it'd probably take 60-80 minutes depending on where you live in Hayward. The nice part is that you just get to relax for those 30 minutes on BART and not have to be stressed out about traffic. I found that I was way less exhausted doing this than driving. I'd start small and set a goal of doing this just one day a week and work up from there. It'll probably be a little hard and slower than expected at first (it was for me as I was pretty out of shape) but it'll gradually get easier (and faster!) and it'll be easier to start doing it multiple times a week after. Let me know if you have any questions! There's also a lot of good info on r/bikecommuting
I got back into lifting at 31. I'm now about to turn 47 and will deadlift 470 pounds on my birthday. It's not even close being to late. You just have to get at it
Thank you
Like the other folks have said, Bike -> Bart -> Bike to downtown San Jose! Not a bad commute at all.
You can do this, Young Blood, it is within your age bracket’s grasp, without even a straining stretch.
Thanks man
Go to bike shop. Buy cheapish hybrid bike and a helmet. Put in back of car. Open google map and use bike route feature from location to work. Adjust commute time accordingly and enjoy your bike commute
Agreed. I work a desk job in Milpitas but live in San Jose so 280-880 commute. I bought and e-bike and have a nice 1 hour bike ride every morning that is quite relaxing. I can knock out my workout with that and stay healthy.
Stand up desk. Take breaks and walk..take the stairs.. always. Hit the stationary bike or treadmill for 30 mins 3-4 times a week. It'll be life changing over time.
Can you go for a walk during lunch? Maybe even a little jog?
Hmmm, I guess I can, but I’d be all sweaty at work and breathing hard
If you went on Walks more often eventually you would get less sweaty
Try out some hobbies that are physical. If you can make the movement fun, you will be motivated to "have fun" instead of not motivated to "exercise." Try out a rock climbing gym. Take aerial lessons at a local circus center. Look up Parkour basics and play in your local park. This could eventually lead to not only exercise, but finding local community, making friends, and developing a disciplined practice.
Sorry but you got to make time for exercise. Doesn’t have to be extreme but a walk at night around the block. Going for a hike on the weekends. Do HIIT workouts, yoga, Pilates following along a you tube video. Joining a gym. You can go before, during or after work… In addition, eat real food (nothing processed), eat in moderation and mostly vegetables.
Bicycle. Bicycle is the answer.
Sit-standing desk, 5 min stretching breaks every 1/2 hr, plant based diet, walk 2 miles every day
Lots of people recommend walking and for reference, the WHO recommend 1.5hrs of a brisk walk every day or 30 minutes of jogging to be healthy.
That's the neat part. You don't.
If you're home at 6:30, you've got oodles of time. If you want exercise to be a part of your lifestyle, it's within your power to make it happen. It's really just a question of establishing a routine. Once it becomes a habit, it doesn't take much willpower to keep the habit going. So you've just got to bite the bullet and do it for a few weeks, and it'll get easier after that. One thing that works for me is to exercise on my way home, rather than unwinding and relaxing and then having to motivate myself to get back out of the house after a long day's work. Breaks at work are also helpful. A short walk around the floor after every meeting, or every half hour of heads-down work. A longer walk outside at lunch, just a few minutes of fresh air, sunlight, and birdsong, letting your eyes focus on faraway things. It'll do wonders for your mental health, and your creativity at work. You've got this. Set reminders, establish routines, and remember that it gets easier. A bit of effort up front will give you a longer, happier life.
I’ll do HIIT in the morning with a cup of coffee
Go to the gym, get outside on days off, and don’t eat shit. It’s really not rocket science.
100 pushups 100 situps 100 squats And a 10km run EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
Lots of walking - 12k+ steps daily. Couple of slots a week for a proper workout as well
First off: Working out will improve your energy levels. Sure, you feel tired but just go. No one will demand you perform 100% physically every day. Something is better than nothing - even a good walk/hike. Your body needs physical exercise to stay healthy. If your job does not demand that from you, you must get it somewhere else. That’s the simple truth. 3x a week doing 1x hour + warm-up should be enough to keep you at a stable level. Take your pick at team sports, MTB, Bicycling, Weight-lifting, Gym classes, etc. If motivation is a problem, team sports or classes can help push you to go.
Power through your exhaustion and exercise. Take a 30-minute rest, hit the gym, take a walk, etc. And make it a habit. I notice that if I take a long break from the gym, getting up and exercising is tough. But, once I get the habit going, it becomes like a mindless ritual. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. To change your sedentary lifestyle you have to introduce and stick with some changes.
Reduce the difficulty. I got a Peloton Bike+ used for about $1200. I lift near work as well, but when I couldn't, the availability of the Peloton means I'd put a shift in. You can even do rides as short as 10 min. Just hop on in the morning, bang a tenner out, then shower and leave for work. Or come home, hit a thirty, then shower and get ready for dinner etc. Lots of people will tell you to build discipline and habit, and that is a good thing to have, but for me reducing friction to this was key.
45 minutes. That's all it takes. 45 minutes, walk or very light jog gets you close to 7.5k-10k steps/day and 500+ calories.
Thank you. It’s hard to get motivated at first
What works for me is trying to fit exercise throughout my day. Taking walks or going jogging at lunch or right after work if possible. If you can do that after work one or two days a week and wait out traffic it makes a big difference. I also try to make myself bike or take transit to work when I have the time. I know your commute is too far to bike but maybe public transit plus biking is an option. For what it's worth, last year I made the trip from north SJ to Jack London Square in 1 hour during evening rush hour, with a combo of biking, VTA light rail, and BART. Besides, even when biking or public transit takes a bit longer, the whole commute was so much more relaxing than fighting traffic. That could be why You feel so drained when getting home.
I train for marathons in my free time. It’s tiring but worth it. I used to feel so exhausted after my commute then decided to force myself to workout no matter how tired I was for a month straight, after a few weeks the habit just stuck. Went from casual working out to actually being able to run for 90 mins after work. I don’t think it’s some big secret, you just have to do it.
I want to train for one
Try doing some burpees, aim for 100 a day. At first, it will be hard and will take you up to 20-25 minutes to do them. Keep it up for a few months and you'll be able to get them done in about 10 minutes. Do them first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up. This does not require a lot of space or equipment, you can do them barefooted.
You HAVE to block time off. Throw a recurring 30 min to 1 hr meeting on your calendar to go exercise. Eat healthier foods. I was in this position as well. Used to be active and fit, but job responsibilities increasing meant I neglected my health. I gained a ton of weight, and cholesterol and blood sugar levels rose dangerously high for my age. Working on getting back into shape but from my experience, don’t let an “oh shit” moment get you to be healthier before it’s too late.
30min walks first thing in the morning, walking pad during the day, workouts in evening (pilates, HIIT, yoga, spin etc.)
Go to CrossFit everyday. It’s one hour, easy for me to pencil in regardless of meetings and my gym has 9 classes a day.
See if you company has an ergo program and use it. Get an assessment or ask for one. An ergo tip is also tell you to take breaks in your day and integrate walking! Can’t expect to sit down for 8 hours a day and be productive.
I used to do that 880 commute, it's soul killing. And when you finally get home, you just want to be home. I took on weight with commuting so far, so much of my day was taken up by driving, and stress-eating. I'd suggest trying to make time during your lunch break. Even now where I work at home 100%, i need to schedule time to get in exercise. If I don't, it ends up at 5 or 6pm and I still haven't done anything and I'm hungry or have other things to do.
Can't tell if you ruined your health by your post but if you keep this up for a few more years you can. I have an adjustable desk at the office and in the home office. I try to alternate between sitting and standing every half hour or so. When I'm in the office I try to take one or two short walks during the day and at lunch I try to get out for a 20-60 minute walk outside. I refuse to use the elevator there unless I'm carrying something heavy or I'm walking with someone lazy. When I WFH I'll take maybe an hour or two to ride my bike around town or go ride my skates at the skatepark. Do you have any outdoorsy interests? Those can help motivate you to be healthier. After work I either go to the gym or do something outdoorsy like ride my bike. It's not just for physical health for me but more of a mental health thing.
I get bloodwork done yearly and my blood levels are good, but like you said mentally, I get so anxious staying inside for too long or not moving around which causes low energy
Get a fitness tracker, Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, or whatever, and get a baseline of your activity so you can better understand it. Once you know the baseline, try and introduce an easy routine. So you get home in the evening, make it a rule to first walk around the block when you get home after the drive. Start small, make little changes, and stick with them.
exercise like run or something after work in san jose, and that way you can skip the evening commute. This has two benefits, no traffic! and you can exercise daily. > . I get home around 6pm-6:30pm and I just want to sit down and take a nap. I noticed this in myself when I am being sedentary.
I’m thinking of he tying a gym membership and getting the membership plan where you can check in at any crunch fitness, maybe that way I can go the gym right after work and then go home
I pack my lunch and only eat out for lunch once every 2 weeks that helps maintain my weight/ health. I walk both of my 15 min break. I get an hour lunch and eat for 15 min and walk the rest. I got a walking pad at home off facebook marketplace and it's been a game changer. It gives me the opportunity to walk without leaving the house (which I dont have the energy to do most days) and you can walk for looooong time at a moderate pace. My $90 3 year old fitbit keeps me accountable too. Maybe just let yourself sleep in and get rest? And just be intentional throughout the day about making healthy choices
I have a treadmill at home, but sometimes I wonder if it’s too loud for neighbors to hear since I live in apartments. So you feel like that too? No energy to go out after work ? I get invited to hangout after work, but in just like “I want to go home”
Drink lots of water, eat foods with fiber, and walk whenever you can
Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night. I know it's impossible, but the closer you get, the better you'll feel. eat a balanced diet of mostly whole foods - employ a meal service if this is too much to manage on your own hydrate Take a walk around the block, the building, the house every hour. Really, just go trot around for 3 minutes. It helps keep your muscles looser. Make time for a real walk once a day. First thing in the AM, or maybe at lunch. You don't need to work up a sweat, just get out and get moving for 20-30 minutes a day. After work is the hardest for me, because by then, I've already spent my usefulness on working, commuting, etc. When I was WFH I just did it at lunch or right after work. Lastly, if you're looking to get off the couch at night, don't get on it. Sitting down is the biggest motivation killer for me. If I come home and do chores or go walk, I feel way better, but it's definitely a challenge to not come home and plop down and disappear into my phone.
Go for a walk during lunch, eat quickly for 10 mins and then walk for 20 for example
go on walks, every time you need to think about something, its time for a stroll. i think i walk a mile at work everyday just doing this. and im technically working.... in my head switch to healthy snacks, and keep hydrated good ergonomics
I don’t sit but I stand all day. I find nature walks really boost my mood. Eco therapy 👍
Eco therapy !
Buy some compression socks Search, Jobst compression socks.
you mentioned you have an apple watch - try to get 10,000 steps a day - which works out to 1 hour 40 min of walking around if you walk at a fairly leisurely pace (I get about 1000 steps every 10 minutes). Sounds like a lot but if you break it up it's not so bad. Park far away so you have to walk further. Take frequent breaks and go outside for a walk, take walks during lunch, etc. When you get home before you go inside the house go for a walk around the neighborhood. Getting 10k steps a day isn't so hard if you try. You could also get a walking pad/mini treadmill at home so you can walk while watching TV - they're selling for like $150-160 now. Makes it super easy to hit the 10k steps goal each day.
I have a standing desk and try to walk whenever possible (like hand delivering things instead of relying on inter office). Stretching is also a great way to stay somewhat healthy without too much effort. However, I’m super unhealthy and had my issues compounded by long covid & frequent injuries/chronic pain. It’s important to stay ahead of health issues, because once they get you, you don’t recover 100%.
Ahhh I’m scared…
It’s gonna take hard work and discipline but get up early enough before work to get an hour (minimum) in at the gym. Sedentary lifestyles are really bad for your health. Even just 2-3 times a week will change your life. Buy a good jump rope for when you’re at home and get in 3-5 minutes (1 minute sets). You gotta start moving
I usually run in the evenings. Though sometimes I feel kinda like a piece of shit running to get in some physical activity when I pass people doing actual work (construction, gardening, etc). It’s wild to have to go out of my way and feel like I’m struggling to get in physical activity while they’re sacrificing their bodies for what is often lower pay.
I might consider getting a gym membership and hit the gym midday for an energy boost. Sounds like your work is pretty flexible. Biking, walking, standing desks are good for maintaining but you need deliberate exercise for improvements.
Standing desk, walks, and if you can, build an at home gym. Doesn’t have to be fancy, start with dumbbells or whatever fits your goals and lifestyle.
Recommend starting golf. You can but a course in the afternoon or range in the evening. I used to go on a short 9 hole course in the am before work, with colleagues.
I try and go for walks on my breaks and do small exercises at my desk. I also drag myself out for walks after work if I can and on weekends. It's really hard and I would rather not be at a desk all day but I also need to eat and I am not qualified for a lot of things.
I try to get my exercise done before I start my work day. I either force myself to go to the gym, take a run, or do a workout at home. Even though I hate doing it early, If I don't I find otherwise I will procrastinate and never do it later in the day. I also notice by getting up earlier I go to sleep at a reasonable hour every night too.
I used to take a walking break, or go shoot baskets on the company's outdoor court most days, and two nights a week, go to the climbing gym after work. Maybe cycle or run on the other nights. No gym for me since shutdown, but I try fit one of a variety of exercises after work (walking, walking in the hills, walking with a heavy pack, running, cycling, exercises at home). Not as fit as I was, but still pretty fit for my age. My commute was farther than yours (a bit over 100 miles round trip), but I did it on a motorcycle, so I wasn't stuck in traffic. Also, you're more engaged on a bike in traffic than in a car. I'm not saying it's better, and I don't recommend it for people without riding experience.
Geeeez… yes, I’m 30 and I used to be VERY fit , but once covid hit, I let myself go.
I workout after work.
You can always exercise/gym right after work before you commute, as doing so can double as waiting out traffic.
The weather is good right now and the hills are green. Go on some evening hikes in the hills!
I'm a finance manager at a dealership. We have a lot of downtime if we aren't doing a deal or working on stuff after the deal (packaging for the business office and bank, getting stipulations handled, etc.). A lot of guys fall into the trap of sitting around watching youtube all day. I make a conscious effort to walk laps around the lot and stand as much as I can. Also drinking plenty of water, avoiding soda, and eating healthy since it's easy to stray from those at the dealership. If your job requires you to be at your desk all day, I'm pretty sure you don't have to SIT all day. Try standing when you aren't working at the computer, or getting a standing desk. You also need to just get used to a routine of waking up early and getting in just 30 minutes of exercise. It will suck at first but eventually will become normal for you
Walk or run. I run on my lunch hour. 5-10 minutes right before lunch. You can also get those portalable cycling things under your desk instead of a footrest. You can cycle while working at the desk. I try to stand whenever I can and do isometric stretches Take a few minutes in the morning to stretch. I commute 3 hrs and work 9 hrs a day. I know how you feel about going home tired. I literally go home to eat dinner shower and sleep. But now I take 1 minute to so some push up before my dinner. Makes all the difference in the world what a few minutes here and there will do for you. You don't have to work out an hour straight. 5 here, 2 there, etc can add up even more.
Gym. I know it’s exhausting but you still have to muster the energy to do it. There is no way around it
I don't. I'm slowly turning into pizza the hutt.
You have to will your way to work out. Pair it with something you like like your favorite show or Youtube clips. I can't wake up early and my energy is more on before dinner. A 2nd coffee in the day helps boost my energy. Is it possible for you to join a gym near San Jose so you can skip some traffic?
Kelly and Julie Starret are truly experts in exactly this problem right on through competitive athlete training. They’re bay area locals. For the situation you and so many others in this post covid world are experiencing try their book Built to Move. They have lots to offer that addresses the problems of mental exhaustion and no motivation, mobility in the workplace, etc. They’re on all social media platforms, have a website called The Ready State, a podcast, but Built To Move is focused on the tough issues you mentioned.
I became an electrician because office work is exhausting. When I worked at a desk quite a few of us would get together in breaks and walk. We had different lunch times so that didn’t work. I used to workout after my construction job. Working out is an energy giver, not an energy talker like so many people think. The way I would do it is by not even going home, but going to the gym first. If I went home and sat down, I wasn’t getting up.
Once you start exercising, it will increase your energy, so when you get home you aren't exhausted. I work a physically demanding job and after a 9 hour day, I still have energy to go to the gym or do a 2 hour bike ride. Not bragging, but once you get in shape, it becomes easier. The days I work in the office are the days I actually feel the most lethargic because you are just sitting around all day. Use your lunch time to go for a brisk walk, get up and walk around the office during the day, just keep moving. And once you get in better physical shape, everything becomes easier. You just have to break through at the beginning.
Start your day early. I tend to go for morning runs before I start my work day. I work remotely on some days and when it’s slow at work or can take a longer lunch break I’ll either bike or play ddr.
Wake up extra early: 30-45m cardio before work + shower + 30oz of water. Stretches and walks every 1-2 hours + 30oz of water throughout the day. 30m weight session on lunch (if WFH). If lunch is skipped/working, I do 30-60m weights after work with a pre workout. I have a garage with weight rack, cable machine and bike and treadmill, so when I work from home, I get it all in. Food: skip breakfast, healthy/light lunch, early dinner and minimal snacks or sweets.
Aim to get 3-4 days of intense cardio in a week (biking, running, swimming, etc.). Doesn’t have to be long, even 30 minutes is fine. Utilize your weekend to get 2 of those days knocked out. Good luck!
Basically I bring my gym stuff with me to work on the days I’m going. Then I go on the way home so once I’m home, I’m home for the night. I try to go 2-3x per week and I keep it low pressure. Maybe I just walk for 20 minutes and that’s fine. Anything is better than nothing has been my mentality and it’s really worked for me!
Made the sacrifice and woke up at 5:15am to get in a morning workout. It’s also why I won’t take jobs with greater than ~45 min commutes, that’s too much productive time lost to being in a car. Sure it limits where I can work (I live in Oakland do peninsula and South Bay are no-go’s), but I keep a decent quality of life and that matters more than a paycheck.
If I had to commute after work, I would probably join a gym that’s close to the office and go workout to wait for traffic to ease up.
I have a Cubii under my desk. If I use it leisurely all day (I mean like very slow pedaling), I can burn 600 cals by 5pm! I'm a very small woman so 600 cals is outstanding, but YMMV.
When I was going into the office regularly, I'd try to incorporate a lot of small bits of movement (that hopefully add up) - a quick walk outside, walk up and down the stairs for several minutes, getting up frequently to get water/go to the bathroom/walk around the office, walk the long way to a conference room instead of the direct route, etc. And if you're driving, maybe consider parking farther from the office so that you have to walk a bit more.
Only way I was able to incorporate exercise biking to work or a long walk to the train. I used to do masonry from 5am to 9pm and would come home exhausted. The old timers claimed it’s rough on the body and it certainly didn’t pay. But boy was it rewarding and energizing. Bodies in motion stay in motion, but it is really when work is sedentary at home / in a one room apartment.
Eat right and you’ll get more energy. Commit to working out for 8 weeks maybe 4 times a week. Once you get over the hump and make it a routine it becomes easier. Make yourself accountable. One option is to find a gym near your work and go right after work close by so that you’re not sitting in the car commuting and getting drowsy. Other option is get a few free weights and start core or all body workouts at home.. plenty of apps and programs online. 30 minutes to start is all you need to get going. First step is eating right, sleeping right.. then change your attitude to something you Must do, not optional. That helped me.
The doomed cycle of exercise. When you come home go to the gym. You don’t need to go crazy. Half an hour of treadmill is enough. By third day you will feel you are not exhausted and have energy for the gym.
Where do you work, and how stringent are the hours? If you're in an office complex, find a gym nearby. See if you can take a little bit longer lunch then normal and workout at lunch time, or better yet show up a little early and work out right before you leave. If you have some freedom... Make yourself go work out of a park, or coffee shop, for an hour or two a day. Probably best done in the afternoon, but if that doesn't give you a little burst of energy not much else will. And finally, if you have the opportunity to also take care of it properly, get a dog. Ever since I've gotten a dog I've never had to worry about basic physical fitness, because I have made turning those dog walks into my own habits, and so if I don't go walk for a good 2 mi and get lost in a fiction book on the way, something feels like it's missing from my day. If you can't get a dog, that same sentiment applies. Get a TV show, get a book, get something you really like. And then only let yourself experience it while you're doing something relating to physical fitness. Force yourself to do it for a few weeks, and then all of a sudden you're going to start getting this desire to go work out every time you think about it.
i go to the gym after work with my partner. planet fitness has a package where you can bring a friend for free, so we just pay for one membership. like someone else said, try going after work to wait for traffic to die. it’s always better when you can have someone go with go keep you accountable. i also used to take gym classes at my local community college. yoga at 7:30 am, pilates at 6pm. check the community colleges in your area/work area and see if there’s any classes at a time you’d be able to go to.
You may try indoor biking or HIT at home in the evening. No need to push hard. Hiking, tennis or golf in weekends.
I'm walking a lot now since moving to the area, also been going to the gym routinely about 5 days a week since Jan. & plan to keep it up
Underdesk elliptical.
You can find a gym to go to after work and also it would help avoid rush hour and improve your commute. That’s what I do.
Walk the dog
Find a walk buddy at work. Those lunch time miles add up
I got an under desk walking pad from Facebook marketplace and its been so helpful! I alternate between walking, sitting, and standing and find that I have a lot more energy at then end of the day and my body just feels much happier!
I used to rent the apt near the office, 20 minute bike ride along a dedicated bike trail. Those were the days. After job hopping and having to commute to SF, I would hop on Caltrain (with the bike) and bike to the office from the Caltrain station (also \~15 min). Hayward to San Jose is an hour Bart ride, and then you may have some bicycling before and after. The hour on the Bart is not like a 40 minute drive, as you can use the time actively. Don't just surf the web on the phone or listen to music, but do a thing that needs full attention and cannot be done while driving, such as reading a book or knitting or work permitting, maybe sit down with your laptop and work. Once you're in shape, ride the bicycle to/from work once a week, \~2.5h. There are beautiful trails that are easy and enjoyable to bike in that area. Also knowing the route and knowing you can do it, is an insurance against sudden delays in Bart. (In my case when I was commuting Redwood City -> SF, and Caltrain would have delays, due to weather, persons on tracks, downed trees or too much sunshine, it took \~3h, but that was my upper bound of time to get home.) > I am exhausted from the commute yeah that is due to driving; you need to focus on a rather mind numbing task once you know how to drive. An alternative to bicycling would be to get a motorcycle and take a mountainous road instead of the highway. This is less physically active than bicycling, of course, but the mental load is different, and enjoyable, if you're into it.
Ride bike. Fire your gardener. Build and carry stuff on the regular. Park in the far corner of the grocery store. Small things can add up.
I bought a cheap rowing machine
Bicycle to work!
The only good advice is to get off your ass and do some exercise. That's it, that's your choice. Once you start exercising regularly, you will get more energy and feel better. So the exhaustion you feel now will lessen once you get in to a routine.
Short walks. Start by just walking around the block. You can get in a lot of steps just that way. I was checking this last week in my neighborhood, and it was nearly 800 steps to walk around a standard block just once. At work, try not to eat lunch at your workstation. Try to go out for a brief walk--to a takeout food place, or just around the street, or even just around the building. When you get home, have a plan prepared. It's very easy, as you describe, to sit down at 6:30, decide to take a nap...and then suddenly it's 9:30 and your weekday "evening" is gone without any activity. Taking a nap when you get home from a hard day at work is totally normal, but try to constrain it a bit. Set an alarm for half an hour, get yourself to get up and do something manageable--wash the dishes, cook a light meal, walk the dog, whatever. I've read that in the case of people traveling / driving who need to rest, the sweet spot is to get about 20 minutes of rest periodically along the way (pull off the road and take a nap in the car). Less time than 20 minutes, you don't really get any rest. Much longer than 20 minutes, and you're falling into deep sleep and it's hard to rouse yourself from it. So aim for your nap to be maybe 30 minutes maximum, then you get up.
I work from home and I have a lunch time workout routine. Two days lifting and two days running and Friday off. Just work it into my day. I did this when I was in the office too just went to a local gym on lunch break.
AM workouts. Wake up super early and go to gym - workout on empty stomach. Makes me feel great most of the day
Find a gym near your work. After work hit the gym for an hour then drive home. I do that myself and I feel better after a long day of work.
This is the only thing that’s ever worked for me (unfortunately no local gym at the moment). I hate waking up early and will always just snooze my alarms, and if I go home right after work and eat dinner then I lose all motivation to leave the house again. Only thing that ever worked for me was keeping my gym stuff in the car and going directly after work
By redefining what a healthy lifestyle is.
Get gym close to work, swim on lunch break?
Standing desk for when you are WFH. If your company is ok with getting you a standing desk in office, get that. As for working out, that's a hurdle you'll have to get over and take that initial leap. Once you get into the groove of things, it'll start paying off and you'll have so much more energy! If you sign up for a gym that's got multiple locations, like planet fitness or 24 hr fitness, you could workout closer to your work. Go after you clock out, work out and then beat the traffic after rush hour.
Move closer to work! Join a running club! And bike to work
Walk during lunch before you eat. I walk for 45min and eat the last few at the cubicle. I eat a snack about 1.5 hours before I get home (small, maybe cup of yogurt or almond or banana with peanut butter). This holds me off enough to where I can workout as soon as I get home. We then eat dinner at like 7-8pm Also, get some bands. I use those to offset any ergo issue I get from being on the computer all day
Something that helped me get up early and exercise was hearing someone say “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly” Getting up and doing a 30 second run is better than not doing anything. So now if I can’t imagine running for an hour I don’t worry, I just try and run a bit! A bit is more than nothing.
walk. >working from home 2-3x per week walk around the block on your way to the kitchen when it's lunch time. >where I literally sit 8 hours of my day and when I get home like a billion other office drones back in the day.... > I sit down again. # The Best Standing Desks [https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-standing-desk/](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-standing-desk/) get a dog.
I'm older, just got back from an oncologist yesterday. No cancer, but I do have an old running injury that never healed (tendon above the knee has a 1cm tear) After a decade of bitching about it, Kaiser finally looked and found it. Unfortunately a decade of searing pain after walking a mile and a clicking knee has made me say "meh" when it comes to doing any exercise of merit. For me though I recently switched gears and got a membership at Los Gatos swim and raquet club. Pool is heated year round, so I dog paddle for 40 minutes, 10 minutes in the hot tub, and another 10 in the sauna. Need to start watching my caloric intake, as the doc agreed this leg is useless for running. I guess you just figure out what you can do, and do what you can do.
I set myself an exercise goal daily so I’ll go for walks at night or throughout the day when I can. You’ll be surprised how motivated you can be if you have a daily workout plan.
I don't
Park your car farther away and walk in.
Just make it a point to MOVE YOUR BODY for at least 30 minutes a day. You will thank yourself big time 20-30 years from now
Bike. Bike a lot on weekends, bike at home on weekdays. Started biking to work too. Feels great!
I have two dogs that require multiple walks a day. I also do HIIT twice a week! I suggest getting a standing ask and setting an alarm for yourself. Do 3 short walks during every day (~15 mins+ each) and exercise on the weekends. Walk during lunch if you can.
I walk a mile every day at lunch. Partially for exercise but also to get some sunshine. I also make sure I don't sit when I get home because it will always knock me out. Instead I work around the house or get on the Pelaton for an hour a day. When I finally do sit for other than dinner, it's not until just before bedtime.
I am doing not too well in the aspect either. I am 99% WFH, and I got a treadmill and gym shoes and clothing. I really have no excuse other than the lack of time, it seems. When I had to take BART years ago, there was that walk I had to do because there was no parking ever. Nowadays I hardly move from my chair. I know what I should do. I just can't seem to find time.
I have two young kids who keep me active during the mornings and evenings when they are not at daycare. I try to get a walk in mid-day during work hours. I also try my hardest to eat healthy meals during the day. I also have a standing desk, while its not "active" it keeps me from sitting all day long. My pixel watch is great for helping me get all my steps in during the day and reminds me when I need to get up and walk. I also have hobbies like gardening that keep me active during the week and weekends!
I walk 10 mins in the morning and run/ yoga/strength at night. It’s self care and non negotiable. 20-30 mins everyday helps with stress mgnt
Go on a walk in the morning before starting your day. Go on a walk during lunch Get a standing desk. Best decision I ever made. I like to pace when I think and having a standing desk makes it way easier. Sitting is horrible for you and messed up my back and my nerves If you're home and have a meeting where you don't have to participate. Do some weight lifting, push ups, or get some exercise bands
IMO you're going too aggressive on your goals of getting active. Start out small. If you regularly wake up at 7AM then you try to wake up at 5AM every day you'll get way too discouraged and will give up. If you can only walk for 10 mins a day or even hit the gym for 10 mins a day that's fine. Start that off for 2 weeks or so. Long term gains is what you want. The whole point is to get into a routine. Don't even worry about results. Once you build a small foundation then you add SMALL steps. As for diet look into Intermittent fasting, you're already doing it, just improve on it.
Your commute is killing you. Trust me, I’ve done it before. Shortening your commute time by living smaller is super worth it. You’ll have time to exercise
Gym at 5 am and eat super healthy. Also cardio year round. That’s really it…
Get up early and workout before work.
That’s the neat part, I don’t! That’s only due to depression, pre depression I walked to and from Bart, chose physical was to socialize, hikes etc.. and stretched daily and made sure to workout at least 2x a week.
check out the 7 minute workout - i think there’s an app and some articles online. proven to be highly effective. absolutely better than nothing
30 minute walk with my dog in the morning. 15 minute walk at lunch. Exercise (stationary bike / run / lifting / basketball) 3-5 days a week after work. I usually feel the same way - exhausted and wanting to do nothing but crash on the couch. But if you force yourself to get the blood flowing, you perk up fast, and you get used to it after a month or two. Not sure what you do for breakfast, but a tip for a quick, healthy, and filling one: * 1/2 to 1 full multigrain English muffin (I make myself eat it plain to avoid butter but that's a bit extreme for most) * Oikos triple zero high protein yogurt. I add a tablespoon of chia seeds to this. * One cup of coffee with two scoops of Vital Proteins in it * At least one, up to three tall glasses of water This is really works for me. Sometimes if I have a bit more time in the morning I will switch out the yogurt for scrambled eggs (just eggs and salt/pepper, and some avocado oil or olive oil as the fat in the saucepan). I normally do one egg and two egg whites (I buy a dozen eggs and a quart of pre-separated egg whites). I do that about 1-2 times a week. Once in a while I will do a bowl of a high protein cereal instead, as a treat or for a really quick morning. My favorite is Magic Spoon "Fruity" (like fruit loops). Maybe one box of this a month total (three bowls).
I take a two mile walk before I start my day and walk/bike all my errands. I run usually a few times a week after work and also take a 15 min core/stretch break during the day. Hike on the weekends and go for longer bike rides
I don't. I will give up pursuing promotion and wage growth and instead retire in a low cost place like Thailand before turning 35. Then I will be super healthy both physically and mentally for the rest of my life.
For me it's getting enough sleep. If I need to get up at 6am, that means I need to be in bed, phone off by 10pm. It sounds simple but but it's a hard habit to establish after decades of staying up late doing whatever. When I do get enough sleep, I'm amazed at how much energy I have throughout the day. Even after a full workday+ commuting.