I currently work 10-11 hour days in front of a computer.  Since most of my work is over the phone, I have to be at my desk all day which makes it difficult for me to get any exercise in during the day.  After working all day, I also have school to attend or homework to do, so finding time to exercise after-hours is very hard.  I try to take the steps in my apartment building and where I can at work, but beyond this, I can't seem to get any activity.

I'd love some suggestions to help me out more.  I just started the myalli program and already I'm happy with the results; I just want to maximize these results.  Is there anything that anyone does while sitting at their desk or in a chair that has helped them?

 i have the same problem.  i work 10-12 hours a day.  i'm an assistant manager at a gas station.  i stand behind a counter-i really can't leave the counter for more than a minute for legal reasons- for about 9-10 hours and then i sit in the office-which has no room to stretch my legs-for another 1-2 hours.  i have to be at work for 330 am and get out around 230, pick up my son from school, cook, try to pick up the house, and by 6pm i'm struggling to keep my eyes open.  any suggestions?

 Actually, I recently bought one of those little tiny pedal exercisers and I put it under my desk (at home, not at work... but I end up getting about 3 hours of low-intensity cardio just pedalling while I surf the web regardless.  I'm a bit of an internet junkie).  http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Magnetrainer-Extended-Range-Exercise/dp/B000V53KD8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1228784757&sr=8-3

Then, while I'm at work, both me and my roommate/coworker sit on stability balls.  And we take breaks throughout the day to do push-ups and crunches.  We have a tracker on our computers and we aim to do 100 push-ups and 200 crunches each day.

 I work 12 hour night shifts and have to sit for almost all of it.  When I get breaks I make 10 laps around the parking lot if the weather is decent.  One thing I try to do in my chair is to sit on the edge of it and with my knees together, lift my thighs about an inch or so off the chair and hold it.  This will work your abs.  Just concentrate on using your abs so you don't bow your back.  If you do the same thing but straighten your legs out and it will work your abs and thighs. 

A coworker also had a very small stair stepper type thing that was only about 14" wide and 8-10" tall.  It was pretty neat.  But I have no idea where she got it!

 I fully understand too. I work at a computer too and when I get home I am making dinner, then making lunches and watching my 18 month old all in between by the time I done it is time for bed and there is no time for excersize so what I do is go on a walk at my lunches and breaks and at my desk I do leg lifts, and squats and have a small 5lb dumbell to work my arms.  yeah my co-workers look at me kind of silly but I have also inspired others to do the same

Wow, the schedules that I have seen here are difficult to say the least. I know at the University where I attend school, the secretary's get together at lunch and walk around campus. Might not work well if you only have 30 minutes, but if you have an hour for lunch that gives you 30min to eat and a 30 min low impact walk.

Hope that helps someone!

 I also have a job that keeps me at my desk for 9.5 hours. I try to take the stairs when I can, 4 flights can do a workout well. And I walk my dog about 1/2 to 1 mile a day. I also cant leave my desk for more than a bathroom break or such. Even lunch is eaten at the desk.

So I will be watching this thread for notes.

The pedal thing might work sometimes.

Hi,

I'm a newbie and I also sit in front of my computer either working or on the web looking for work. I'm a freelancer working from home. I loved your stability ball idea! It must really help with posture as well. I'll have to look into that.

Thanks for the idea.

A friend lent me the Wii fit. It's actually quite fun and you do really feel it. It also keeps track of your training, like a personal coach, well almost.

I work 9-12 hours a day (depends on the day), go to school, and take care of my mom.  It's really difficult to work in the exercise sometimes.  For instance on Tuesday and Wednesday this week I worked two 12 hour days in a row and was trapped at my desk the whole time. 

 I do a lot of the lower body stuff (calf raises, squats, etc) at my desk.  I get crazy looks, but some have started to exercise at their desks as well.  I also tighten my abs every time I bend down or lean forward to get something.  This doesn't help with my cardio needs, but at least it's movement!

 That's a really good idea! I work as an industrial engineer, and other than walking back and forth to meetings, I'm at my desk for 9 1/2 to 10 hours a day, including some weekends. One thing I do is to print to the Xerox farthest to my office (downstairs) - at least it's a few mintues of movement, versus just going a few feet a way.

I had this very conversation with my sleep apnea doctor.  I am now treated with a CPAP machine for sleep apnea which helps with the previous daytime tiredness I had but finding energy and time to exercise during the day is still not easy.  My doctor suggested 10 minute blocks of exercise rather than thinking all or nothing.  I am also parking my vehicle in one of the farthest spaces from the entrance to my office so I HAVE to walk a bit more at least twice a day.  Taking stairs rather than the elevator whenever possible is another good practice. 

For some people, getting up earlier in the morning to get a brisk walk in or to do an exercise video before hopping in the shower is a good way to kick off the day.  Some of the exercise videos even include mini routines to help those who are on tight schedules at least get some exercise.

Something I'm going to try next is to purchase a pedometer.  Using the pedometer, you can track how many steps you make in a day.  I have heard that it can be motivating for many people.  It's a challenge to continually try to add more steps each day.  By tracking your progress, you become more motivated to add more and more steps (more steps, more movement = more calories burned).