You don’t need a fully equiped home gym or 90-minute workout sessions.
If you’re at a desk all day, you can make NEAT (non-exercise activity), short strength sessions, and simple food routines do most of the work.
The plan (simple works)
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Move while you work: light walking or pedalling during calls and emails.
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Micro-sessions: 10–20 min strength breaks.
- Food: high protein, same 3–5 meals on repeat, liquids in check.
Simple, useful rules of thumb
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Progress, not punishment: add one improvement per week (e.g., extra steps, extra reps, an extra micro-session).
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Anchor habits: tie movement to existing cues—every meeting end → 2–3 minutes of squats/rows; coffee break → 15-min walk.
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Environment > motivation: keep bands/dumbbell visible; water bottle at arm’s reach.
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Weighted vest (optional): start at 5–10% bodyweight, walk easy; expect ~10–12% more kcal at the same pace. Increase load/time slowly.
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Strength “snacks” (Micro-sessions): push/pull/legs/core in 10–20 min blocks. Stop 1–2 reps shy of failure; add reps before load.
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Steps cap & floor: set a floor you’ll hit on tough days and a ceiling to avoid chasing fatigue.
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Protein anchor: 30–50 g per meal; keep 3–5 repeatable meals you can prep fast.
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Liquids: caffeine in the morning; taper late liquids to protect sleep.
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Weekend plan: same breakfast/lunch as weekdays; pre-log one flexible meal so weekends don’t erase weekdays.
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Track the right stuff: weekly photos + waist + 7-day weight average. Scale ≠ the whole story.
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Pain ≠ plan: new joint/nagging pain → reduce volume/impact, swap movements, and progress back gradually.
What You Need
Under-desk treadmill
Under-desk bike
- Effortless steps during low-brainpower tasks; walk at a pace of 3-5 km/h (I found 4 to be perfect!)
- Alternative to a treadmill
- Less noise
- Usually a higher price point
In case you already have a treadmill at home:
There are desk platforms you can attach to the handlebars of the treadmill.
Standing desk
- Switch between sitting and standing
- You can use it with the under-desk treadmill or bike
Prices on this range from about €100 to €800, for what appears to be the exact same product, so don't waste too much money.
Adjustable dumbbells
Resistance bands
- Allows for a quick workout
- Dumbbells can be used to train the entire body
- Doesn't take up much space
- The weights change simply by turning
- Tends to be quite expensive
- Allows for a quick workout
- Can be used to to train the entire body
- Doesn't take up much space
- Different bands have different loads
- Cheap
- Not as effective as the dumbbells
Optional
Add a weighted vest.
Studies suggest that walking with a vest can raise energy cost by roughly ~12% at the same pace. That’s not huge per session, but it compounds over weeks.
If you’ll wear it often, go for a low-profile, form-fitting vest (even plate distribution, snug fit, breathable fabric). These move with your torso better than bulky boxy models, so they bounce less and won’t restrict your arm swing. Start light (≈5–10% of body weight) and build up gradually.
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