The problem with working from home is that my office is literally five steps from my backdoor. When everything I want is within a few steps of my desk, it becomes pretty easy to just get set up and stay there. Or if I want a change of scenery, move to the couch with the laptop. It’s hardly the ideal way to get in any incidental exercise. Without specific intention, my activity levels are low. SUPER LOW. Like, less than 1,000 steps per day low.
Yeah, you read that right.
And 1,000 steps per day are NOT ENOUGH. Sure, my phone doesn’t count the Aqua classes I do. It doesn’t measure the trips when I don’t take the phone. But even being generous, it’s not enough. It’s like 10% of enough, IYKWIM?
Kel and I were talking about this the other night and how in a day he can do 6,000 – 7,000 steps as part of his average day (we’ve seen as high as 20,000 recorded in the past). That is what his phone has recorded. Standard. He has a pretty active job that has him outside pretty much all day. Being active isn’t something that he needs to worry about.
Me, however…
With mine hovering around 1,000 steps a day (shakes head) I knew it was time to make some changes. Yes working from home, for myself, doing the whole hustle thing makes it difficult. But also, not really, right? I have the freedom and flexibility to do whatever I want. And right now what I want is to be more active (shake out those cobwebs). Why not share my plans with you guys so that I have some accountability to the plan?
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Here’s my plan to be more active!
Get a Tracker/Smart Watch
If I want accuracy, this is the only way. We say it time and time again on this blog; you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you are! So. I’m going to figure out exactly where I am. I’ve ordered Kel and I smartwatches to track ALL the things. He wants to look more into how he’s sleeping (there’s an app for that) and I want to dig in and get more steps in my day. Come next week, we’ll know where we are, and the only way is up from there.
Use the reminders
I’m going to set up all the reminders that that smartwatch has to offer. Reminders to stand, move, sleep and drink (water, I promise). There is nothing in my life that I do that doesn’t require some kind of reminder, I’m not sure why I haven’t thought to incorporate reminders into being more active. Focus is a beautiful (in my case often fleeting) thing, but being at my desk in a head down, bum up mode for literally hours upon hours isn’t good for me. I’m going to remind myself to care more until it becomes just another part of my day.
Take more classes
At the moment I might get to one, maybe two Aqua classes a week (worse of the Christmas break). I plan to go on days with back-to-back classes and do two classes for one trip to the pool. When Desiree and I started going together last year, we got into a real groove with things. It’s time to shake off the post-holiday slump and get back into them.
Go out more
When I need a change of scenery, I’m going to go out more. Find a place nearby I can walk to or drive to a park or cafe. Anything to get in some more steps that aren’t inside my house. And yes, some days this won’t be possible. But I live on a quarter-acre block, walking to the back fence and back would work too. Heading into the small wooded area behind my house could be a picturesque change of scene.
Stand up
For years now I have deliberately purchased (or built) standing desks. I know the impacts of sitting especially for the timeframes I’m in my office. But I’ve always copped out of doing any real length of time standing by using stools or drafting chairs to sit at the standing desk. Tricky, right? Moving forward, I’m going to commit to standing half of the time I spend at my desk every day. It might take me time to work up to that but, that’s okay with me. Progress is what I’m looking for here.
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And that’s it, team, my plan for turning around this stationary lifestyle I’ve carved out for myself. Does it sound like something that you could benefit from? Join me. Find a few key ways that you KNOW you can improve how much activity you get in your day. It’s not about being perfect, its about making a change towards something that matters.
Hi! I’m Melissa Walker Horn. Around here, they call me Suger. I’m the Chief Blogger and doer of all the things here at Suger Coat It. Blogging since 1901; I love a casual ootd, taking photos, and writing about things that irk or inspire me. I love wine and cheese, long days at the beach and spending time with my family. I make stuff for the internet over at Chalkboard Digital. You know, living the sweet life.
Good luck with your changes. Hubby has a tracker and uses it to keep track of his steps too. It does motivate him to get to his goal. I don’t have a tracker but keep track of my mileage and enter in in a journal every day. I swim too (I read you take aqua classes) and am kind of bummed because if I don’t get to enter that activity in my log, it’s almost like it doesn’t count! 🙂
Thank you! Only a couple of days in and I’m loving it. Kel’s arrived too and we are comparing notes on them at the end of the day, it’s been nice.
Haha. I get that with swimming! Luckily this version of the apple watch is water resistant to 50 m so taking it in the pool for a workout is no problem. With the bonus of full tracking! Love it.
Having a tracker is a game changer and I also set a timer so that I get up from the computer and move around and do something else instead, so it’s not good just for my body but my mind gets a break too! I must say the thing that’s massively improved my steps and seen me exceed 10,000 every single day is a dog! I love walks as much as him and it keeps him happy and me fit!
I’m loving it (and it only arrived a couple of days ago). Just having all the info makes me feel so in charge!
Haha. Sounds lovely, but there’s no way I should be responsible for another living thing. I barely remember to water the one surviving plant in my house. 😛
Got me an Apple Watch for my ‘reward’ after 2 years of cancer. It does help me a great deal. However, I also set realistic targets for me. I tend to do the siting to standing 12 x a day thing well. I usually achieve the steps -0r as they put it calories burnt (not using it as a diet ever!) and I set that with help from what has happened in the past. In winter I was part of a 10 week challenge on line and got right into the competition. I also stopped in Spring because it was outside walking and the magpies were nesting and swooping. I really haven’t had walking on the beach time either because of the heat. BUT I do go out for my coffee each day and can get quite a few steps in at the shops. The myth of 10000 a day is busted for my age. 7,500 is plenty. I sometimes do 5, 500 and other days 6,500. The fact I am active is different to what I was before and I love the watch. Thank you for linking up for Life This Week #174. Next week’s optional prompt is 6/51 Interesting 10.2.2020. Hope to see you again there too. Denyse.
I think that’s important too. When mine arrived I was a little tempted to set massive exercise and movement goals, but in reality, I’m starting at close to nothing, so I need to be reasonable.
Rach on Facebook said that there is research saying that there is no proof that anything above 5,000 steps a day adds any additional benefit to your health. That activity is hit at a certain stage and the rest is cream. I’ll have to get her to share the article, but it sounds like you’ve found your groove and it’s everything you need.
Melissa,
Your watch will change your life. Literally. Mine makes me accountable each day not only in movement but also in taking time out to breathe!
You’ve got this!
It actually arrived yesterday and I’m SO excited. Already using my alerts and feeling very empowered by the extra info. I’m even committing to using ‘Breathe’ which I had never planned to. Thanks for the tip. 😉
I can so relate to this! Being a blogger I’m mainly at home (and thus low steps despite walking for school drop off and pick ups) and there’s only one real day per week that I go into town and walk a lot. Great tips and good luck with it!
Di from Max The Unicorn
Thank you! Maybe we can all band together somewhere and share more ideas as we get going? I’m keen to get started seeing what sort of difference I can make.
I had the same problem – I thought I was doing WAY more steps than I actually was (mine was around the 4,000 mark with a morning walk included). The best thing I ever did was buy a Fitbit and I wear it 24/7 – I use the alarm for waking up (on the few occasions I need to be up at a certain time) and it’s much nicer than the clock/radio I used to use. I also have reminders to move every hour (which I’m good at ignoring). The best thing is that I can see when I haven’t moved much and it makes me go out for an evening walk to get to my 8,000+ goal. I also think that just wandering around isn’t as good as a purposeful walk – the step count might be the same, but healthwise it’s better to put in a bit of effort. Good luck with yours!
I think part of me thought the same thing (and sure, there are some not being recorded, but I’m still way off). I’m hoping that knowing will make a difference like you’ve noticed. Excited! Thank you, I appreciate you sharing your experience. I’m so keen to get into this whole thing.
Very timely Melissa as I set the goal of 5000 steps / day a few weeks ago. I’ve missed them a couple of days and it’s predominantly been cos I’ve been at my desk for really long periods of time without getting up. Yesterday I’d done just 261 steps by lunchtime as I spent the morning at my desk.
I haven’t been able to go out much cos of a broken car and live in a very hilly area, so walking has been problematic but I’ve actually vowed I’ll drive down to the nearby beach (it’s not a great one near me, but it has sand and long stretches of silence) and make sure I hit my 5000. And then soon I’ll increase it.
I’ve never achieved the 10,000 consistently but a year or two ago – when I worked – I got to 8000 every day and made a real effort to do it. My fitbit vibrates at my wrist at 10 mins to the hour if I’ve not done 250 steps that hour (between 8-5pm) but I find I tend to ignore it or not noticed if I’m really involved in something.
But… small steps, right?
I think small steps FOR SURE. Plus, Rach said on the Facebook page that there’s apparently no evidence of a difference between 5,000 and 10,000 in regards to impacts on your health. Soooooo… 😛
Anyway, I think if you feel like you want to be move active, I support that. Happy to check in and see how you’re going as we plod along! And hills, I get hills, Gympie has plenty of freaking hills. Haha.
I have been struggling with low movement since I’ve been at home. It’s hard. Now my desk is always in the standing position and I have an alarm set for every half hour during the week. It helps.
I’m hoping these two things will point me in the right direction. It is difficult to make it a priority when you’re at home, everything you need is right there, and there’s work to be done. But, I’m determined to make it work. Somehow. Haha.
I don’t do qualitative data (hate it) but I do use my phones step counter as a good general baseline, which is really all I need for myself. On work days I can average 6-8000 with commuting, but weekends I gotta say are more like 1000. Or less. But also it’s hide from the deathy humidity season!
Curious to know how you go with a standing desk. I’ve always wondered about them but I assume for them to work well you need to have really well fitted shoes.
Haha. I actually probably could have guessed that about you. That’s a decent chunk of activity; that said I’d never trade you activity for a commute. No waaaay. If you think about it, less than 1000 steps in this weather is smart, really. 😛
For sure. I usually wear sneakers in my office anyway (it’s a concrete floor) but I imagine being barefoot or in crappy soles would be more trouble than it’s worth. I find that I tend to slouch, lean on my leg or stand with my feet awkwardly apart just to entertain myself. So, let’s just say, contact with the floor is the least of my troubles.
Ha, no one wants my commute!
Yeah, it’s a HARD pass. 😛