Are you looking to add more exercise into your daily routine?
Staying active and getting your daily steps in is difficult when you have to be at a desk for eight hours a day. But research shows that sitting for too long is extremely harmful to your health, and leads to a variety of severe conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and weight gain.
One solution is bringing your form of exercise into your office by purchasing a treadmill desk. Treadmill desks offer some benefits, but they're not for everyone.
Keep reading to learn more about how treadmill desks can help you stay active during the workday and maybe even lose a little weight.
What to Expect From Treadmill Desks
One of the main reasons people look into buying treadmill desks is to get more exercise during the day and potentially lose weight. Treadmill desks can help you lose excess pounds, but only if you incorporate them into an overall healthy lifestyle.
To achieve weight loss, you'll need to use your treadmill desk consistently. You'll burn extra calories throughout the day, but make sure you're not overeating to make up for the calories you're burning.
To multi-task and walk and work at the same time, you'll need to set your treadmill desk much slower than you'd walk normally. Start at one mile per hour and adjust slightly to your needs.
Since this pace is much slower than you're used to, you'll need to get used to your new walking desk. You don't need to be always moving to avoid the health dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.
Recent research found that for every thirty minutes of work, only 20 of those minutes should be sitting. The other ten should be standing or ideally moving around.
Choosing a Treadmill Desk
Planning for a treadmill desk can be tricky, primarily if you work in a corporate office with limited space. Measure out your office to ensure your new treadmill desk will fit before you commit to purchasing one.
It's also critical to ensure that your desk is set up at the right height. Proper ergonomics are vital to preventing serious back, neck and shoulder problems. These problems can be even more severe when you're walking, so test your set up to make sure you feel comfortable and adjust as necessary.
If you can, start by getting work done on a regular treadmill. Take your work onto the treadmill with you by using an iPad or tablet.
Other Options For Staying Active During The Day
If a treadmill desk doesn't seem like an option in your office, there are plenty of other alternatives that will help you avoid sitting and stay healthy throughout the workday.
A bike desk, for example, also helps you get movement in during the day, but is more compact and can fit underneath your desk.
Standing desks are another great option. An excellent standing desk gives you a lot of the same benefits of treadmill desks, but are easier to install in most offices. Check out our full line of standing desks and accessories to find an option that works for you.