# Suggest ways to burn calories in an office. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502 "2008-04-30T19:16:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/21 "2008-05-01T15:37:59Z")
[QUOTE=Viridiana] And it keeps your co-workers amused all day! [/QUOTE] Yeah, the problem with using a ball as a chair is that \*every single person \* who walks by says soemthing like “You’re really on the ball today!”. It gets old… ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/22 "2008-05-01T16:27:02Z")
Every time you have to go and fetch a couple of reams of paper for your printer, use them as weights to do presses, lifting them into the air above your head, all the way back to your desk. Or biceps curls or triceps extensions. How much does a ream of paper weigh, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/23 "2008-05-01T16:52:35Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Have sex with a cow-orker on your desk. [/QUOTE] no…on the copier furthest from your desk ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/24 "2008-05-01T16:57:49Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] How much does a ream of paper weigh, anyway? [/QUOTE] For standard 20 lb. 8.5 x 11 copier/laser paper, a ream should weigh 5 pounds plus the wrapper. 20 lb is the [basis weight](http://www.paper-paper.com/weight.html); i.e. the weight of 500 sheets of 17 x 22 inch paper. 8.5 x 11 is 1/4 that size, hence it’s 5 pounds per ream. ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/25 "2008-05-01T16:58:10Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Have sex with a cow-orker on your desk. [/QUOTE] If I tried that in my office it would be a double whammy. I’d burn more calories and I’d lose my lunch. Maybe I will stick with the stairs ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/26 "2008-05-01T17:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Snacks at work…fruit, nuts, etc. I find when I get the late afternoon munchies chewing a stick of gum helps. I’ve found the “5” brand gum to be very flavorful and long-lasting. Water. Drink lots of water. Use the bathroom farthest from your desk. [/QUOTE] Snacks burn calories? Well true, but they add more than they burn. Might as well eat a pizza and a steak, because these invariably burn even more calories. Nuts? Nuts are a terrible snack in real-world usage. A paltry 1/4 cup of most nuts could add as much as 160-180 calories. Ain’t no one gonna eat just a measly 1/4 cup and feel satisified! Some nuts provide 170 calories per TWO TABLESPOON serving! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/27 "2008-05-01T17:47:08Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang] Go. [/QUOTE] Fistfight. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/28 "2008-05-01T18:12:13Z")
The classic office exercise program: Jumping to conclusions Running around in circles Beating around the bush Passing the buck Pushing your luck Opening cans of worms Wading through paperwork ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/29 "2008-05-01T18:25:16Z")
[QUOTE=Tabula Rasa] no…on the copier furthest from your desk [/QUOTE] and you’ll burn some calories when you see the copies the two of you inadvertently made! I often play a game I call “See how long I can work without standing up.” I wheel my chair back and forth around the office to get what I need. I just now realized I am burning more calories than I would by getting there by walking :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/30 "2008-05-01T18:29:55Z")
Stairs. If you can, trot up and down them for a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/31 "2008-05-01T19:43:09Z")
Knee Lifts: put a package of paper on your knees, while sitting at your computer, and lift your heels. Good for “High Heel Legs” ---
**Author:** ![RocketMan33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RocketMan33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocketMan33)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/32 "2008-05-01T20:17:07Z")
I go in our conference room every now and then and do a quick 20 or 30 pushups. I’m just waiting for someone to walk in on me and wonder what I’m up to… ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/33 "2008-05-02T00:23:26Z")
Kiegels all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502/34 "2008-05-02T00:27:38Z")
Oh that’s easy: Exclaim as loud as you can “Gosh! I seem to have THE WORST diarrhea!” and proceed to run back and forth every few minutes to the bathroom. Best if you hold on to your behind with both hands, and grimace as hard as you can. 😃 Maybe also give sighs of pleasure while in the bathroom… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-ways-to-burn-calories-in-an-office/447502.md?page=1)