Technology was supposed to make life easier. In many ways it has however much more is expected out of us. For many people, you end up having to use technology within the confines of an office or cubicle. Others have the opportunity to work from home along with all of its distractions. Unfortunately the end result for many of us is a sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical activity. To top it off, we feel tired at the end of our days and many become couch potatoes. As a result of this excessive screen time during the day and evening, it is linked to negative health consequences and putting on a few extra pounds.
One idea you may not have considered is turning your work environment into part of your wellness program using a treadmill desk. It takes a couple weeks to get used to it and your feet will hurt like crazy for the first few weeks. But then after about a month you start getting into the habit and can end up walking about 10,000 steps a day burning over 2,000 additional calories. Certainly this solution is not conducive to many work environments. Some would argue that you need to make active changes in your lifestyle and should value your wellness much more. I have walked into some environments where the “corporate culture” was amazingly different than the norm and you can see how it can work to everyone’s benefit.
There are many factors which can each help overall to your wellbeing. Consider minimizing your screen time, walking/riding a bike to work or during your lunch hour, eat in moderation, watch TV/movies while riding a stationary bike. Don’t overdo it when you first start to not get discouraged. Make it fun by incorporating technology. Maybe you catch-up on your Facebook updates while walking or riding the stationary bike. There are all sorts of attachments you can get for smartphones and tablets.
The sedentarism in working hours is a difficult problem to deal, but there are ways to reduce the damage of that lack of physical activity. Unfortunately many of us spend hours in front of the computer without doing any activity that requires long-term caloric intake and that results in harm to our body.
All options that attempting to counter the effects of a sedentary lifestyle are welcome, especially if are simple alternatives available to everyone. Of course, the proposal offered in this article is quite sophisticated, but the tips you share at the end are very interesting and I think that can be converted into a solution.
David, have you actually put the treadmill desk to the test? I just it so cumbersome and it seems like a lot of work to set up. I had a treadmill and never used it, will this all of a sudden change?
I did have some good success with using one of those large exercise balls. It helped a lot with my posture and kept my core pretty tight.
Wow, and here I thought listening to a MP3 or media player while actually jogging on a treadmill in the gym would be enough motivation to keep going. This might create more hygiene regulations and what have you in the near future.
It’s good that the sedentary life is pushed to be a little more active since one receive chronic diseases that will definitely be difficult to get out of. I guess bringing a towel to work and a bottle of water may be the norm in the near future. I just hope individuals take proper care with where they store their sweat during work.
This is a great solution to having to sit at a desk all day for your job. I know so many people that complain that they have back backs because they aren’t active enough. These treadmills would be a live saver to them! Too bad they look really clunky…
I think these treadmill desks are a great solution to what is a serious problem. Studies these days are showing just how detrimental long hours of sitting are for our health. Even if we have regular workouts, the hours of sitting pretty much negate the effect.
While I don’t have a treadmill desk — it would be great to have one! — I do make a point to get up at least a couple of times every hour to walk around a bit. I find that really helps. Since I work from home, it’s just a matter of self-discipline as I don’t have to worry about an office setting. I’ve noticed the times that I get too focused on work and don’t take a break I really feel the effects.
this one is awesome because while your working.at the same time your running.
but i think you cannot use a computer while running.
but the good thing in this machine is you will not miss your everyday work out…:)
I can see how this could be a either a big yes or a big no for some people. The calories burned in a workout doesn’t always mean everything. For someone who works out at a very intense level but for 20 minutes would burn more than someone who jogs at a moderate pace for an hour. The more intense workouts tend to burn more over a longer period of time. Having that said, a desk like this would just be a very expensive solution for someone who just can’t have a workout or time for one. There are always better ways to get more physically active and I wouldn’t suggest this being one unless the individual is very desperate and has the money to spend for it.
Too steep price me. I think a better alternative would be to exercise after work in your office gym or local fitness club. Burn huge calories by doing quick workouts like Insanity, and finish it off by drinking power juices.
This is an interesting idea but I personally get a decent amount of workout done every day. I work from the comfort of my own home and I can take the time to workout whenever I want. I usually do a workout session of 20-30 minutes right after I wake up. Sometimes I go running in the park and burn some calories that way. In other days I just go to the gym to punch a boxing bag and get some movement that way.
I think that using a treadmill desk could be very useful for some people. It might take a while to get used to it, but you will surely get rid of a lot of calories. My question is: would you do a worse job at your laptop because you are also walking/running on the treadmill?
To me this sounds awful, and not just because I’m lazy! I can handle a certain amount of standing/walking/running during a day, but it gets to the point where my back begins to ache. The idea that I am simply unable to sit down all day actually makes me feel physically uncomfortable.
I know some places have those little bike pedals you can put under your desk to work out. That would be an awesome concept, but I think with how clumsy I am , it would take even longer to get anything done. I also like being able to sit while I work.
This would be incredibly useful for me. I hate sitting still, but I have a lot of computer work to get done. This would not only make me feel better, but calm my restlessness too!
This would be great for most that are working from home, but not to those who are working from the normal office, since some of your co-workers may find it intimidating ir somehow disturbing for them. But I like the idea generally.
At the end of the day, us that have a very sedentary lifestyle should make time to be healthy and active.
When do you think the treadmill desk be the new norm at the office? My guess is it already is a new norm in some headquarters. People working on coding 20 hours a week and programming in the weekends are not to be going out without exercises. It’s very practical to be able to work and exercise from the same workstation.