You know those days at work where you only leave your desk to go to lunch at the burger place next door?
Or when it’s Sally’s birthday and her best friend in the office brings in cupcakes for your co-workers to celebrate? Anddd you ended up having 3 of them at 9am?
Or maybe you wanted to get a workout in after work but by the end of the day you were completely drained to the point of skipping the workout to just get a happy hour drink with friends?
All of those things happen on a regular basis at most jobs where you’re stationed at your desk all day. I’ve seen. I’ve done. I’ve heard about it from my clients & also my friends.
And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a desk job (many people work in that setting), that type of consistent setting for work doesn’t bode well with trying to get/stay in shape.
When I graduated college, I worked two different desk jobs before shifting my career towards fitness. While working those desk jobs, I went through the struggle of gaining weight (on multiple occasions) but also had to figure out the best ways for me to stay in shape while working the desk job.
After thinking through my own desk job experiences and also helping my clients in similar situations, I came up with four tips to stay/get in shape while working a desk job.
1. Pack Your Lunch On A Regular Basis
If you’re not planning ahead to stay on track with the nutrition side of things, you’ll likely leave your lunch break going for the quickest, somewhat tasty food place you see. Normally that’s not the healthiest place, or your order isn’t ideal for your goals.
Instead of going to the local burger or fried chicken place, start packing your lunches. You have complete control over the meal, meaning you can add in plenty of fruits, veggies, and lean protein sources so that you are satisfied & full from your meal while also not overdoing it with the calories.
If you went out to eat and grabbed a ‘not so healthy’ option (like fried food), you’re taking in a significant amount of calories and also will likely be hungry in the afternoon, causing you to snack (and continue having more calories).
Start packing your lunch on a regular basis.
2. Workout In The Morning Before Work
Yes, waking up early in the morning can be rough.
Yes, waking up earlier than you normally would for work will be rough.
But, hear me out…..
There are major benefits of getting up and getting your workout out of the way to start the day:
You’re not mentally drained like you are in the evening after work
You don’t have plans with friends in the morning. Instead of skipping a workout to get dinner or drinks at night, you can do both.
You feel amazing, accomplished, and in a better mood knowing you got up & knocked out a workout to start the day.
GIve it a try. Pack your clothes & gym bag the night before. Set your alarm for 1.5-2 hours earlier. Set you phone or alarm across the room so you have to physically get up and out of your bed. Get the day started and get the morning workout in.
3. Limit Your Snacking In The Office
My first desk job had free snacks for employees in the kitchen. And these snacks weren’t cut up apples & pieces of celery either. It was Oreos, crackers, and candy bars. Unfilling, high calorie foods.
Not ideal for fitness goals.
My other desk job didn’t have these kind of snacks out for the taking at all times but we normally had goodies that a client brought in orrr donuts/cake for someone’s birthday or a celebration.
It was wonderful. Donuts, cake, or goodies (such as chocolate covered peanuts) are fantastic. They’re so fantastic that if they consistently sat in our kitchen, I would be having a small handful or bite every time I grabbed water.
Finally, I had to tell myself that I was going to limit myself to a singular donut/cupcake/handful of goodies.
You don’t necessarily have to completely neglect the office goodies. But have them in moderation. Stick to one small serving.
4. Take Frequent Walks Around The Office
It’s easy to get sucked into the daily grind of grinding out 3-4 hours straight of work without thinking about moving around.
Once every hour, take 5 minutes & walk around the office. Grab water, go to the bathroom, walk around the building.
It will be nice to be active - you’ll burn some calories and be more energized when you do sit back down and buckle down on work.
Just because you work at a desk doesn’t mean you can’t go after your fitness goals and be in better shape. Yes, it will take some changes in habits form the norm and typical life of someone in a desk job. However, it’s absolutely attainable.
Start implementing these tips on a consistent basis and let me know how you’re feeling!
If you want someone to hold you more accountable and put together a fitness plan (with workouts and nutrition) tailored towards your busy life along with the needed accountable on your journey, I’d love to work with you. Shoot me an email: Patrick@JourneyToGains.com .
Time to get in great shape, even while working together to get you in your best shape, even while working your desk job.