For those who have a sedentary job, various complaints lurk. Many people suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain and in addition, sitting a lot is very bad for blood circulation and there is an increasing risk of obesity. No matter how good a (therapeutic) office chair is, exercise is always better than sitting all day.
Sitting and health
Unfortunately, sedentary work has increased significantly in recent years and more and more work is done from behind a desk. More and more companies are aware that sitting in the same position for hours is not very conducive to the well-being of their employees. Some companies have therefore invested in so-called standing desks. These are, as the name suggests, desks that you can stand behind. But standing for long periods of time is also not good for humans. Many people with standing professions, such as hairdressers, suffer from varicose veins due to reduced blood flow . Although alternating sitting and standing is better than just sitting all day, it would still be better for people if their body (their device) is moving more.
Exercise alone is not enough
Exercising for an hour every day is very good for your body and mind, but unfortunately does not counteract the damage caused by eight hours of sitting. But how do you exercise more when you have to do your work with a computer? How do you ensure that you can still get to work at your desk and keep your body moving at the same time? The solution for this is a treadmill desk (also called a walkdesk or treadmill desk ). The name says exactly what it is: a desk over a treadmill. This way you can walk while you work, which keeps your muscles moving and your blood circulation up to standard.
How do you work at a treadmill desk?
Now people often wonder, how can you type when you are moving a lot? or if you have to make a phone call, don’t you sound out of breath? The reality is that you can type just fine when you’re moving. You also shouldn’t be trying to type or make calls while running or walking very quickly. At a speed of 1.5 km/hour you can type easily and at the same speed it is quite possible to have a telephone conversation without sounding out of breath. On a treadmill desk it is not about walking briskly, it is about your legs moving, no matter how slowly. If you mainly have to read or watch things, you can increase the pace to about 3 or 4 km/hour. When typing or making phone calls, it is most convenient between 1 and 1.5 km/hour. If something really requires your utmost concentration, you can switch off the device or take off your laptop and sit back on a chair. Of course, no one is forcing you to actually do all your work at a treadmill desk. Alternating with an old-fashioned seating area is also fine. It’s just about getting more exercise than if your only option is a sitting or standing desk.
Advantages
If you can work on an average of five hours on a treadmill desk during an eight-hour working day, you can easily walk 7 kilometers per day at a speed of 1.5 km/hour. Additional. And in combination with the walking that you do anyway (with the dog, shopping, etc.), you quickly walk 10 to 12 kilometers a day, of which about 7 kilometers are relatively unnoticed during work.
Of course it takes some getting used to working this way, but it can yield a lot. Because you move more during the day, you sleep better. In addition to keeping your brain working, you now also keep your body working, which means you are not only mentally but also physically tired in the evening. This ensures a better night’s sleep . Because you sleep better, you also wake up fitter and feel a lot fresher during the day. And because you feel fitter, you naturally do more, making you even more active again.
In addition to a generally fitter feeling, more daily exercise is also good against various ailments that sedentary employees often have. For example, walking helps against lower back pain . In addition, more exercise improves blood circulation , so that there is less chance of varicose veins and fluid retention , for example . Because you exercise more, you absorb more oxygen and this is good for headaches . Many treadmill desk users report that being in motion improves their creativity and problem-solving skills . And finally, more exercise is of course also good against obesity and helps with weight loss .
Cons
A treadmill desk is pricey. There are two brands of treadmill desk for sale in the Netherlands. You can opt for just the treadmill, over which you can place a (standing) desk. Or you can opt for a complete set if you would like a matching and adjustable desk. The treadmill alone can be purchased from 995.00 and a complete set from 1395.00. If you are handy and have a budget, you can also put together a cheaper treadmill desk by fitting a regular treadmill with a custom-made shelf over the hand rests. The disadvantage is often that it is not height adjustable, but if you are the only one using it, that may not be a problem. In addition, running at a constant low speed requires more of the motor, which is why special treadmill desks have a more powerful motor.
In addition to the high price, a treadmill desk also takes up a lot of space (1.5 meters by 2 meters). When you work from home, you will need to have room for that. An employer may also have difficulty with the high price and the space that the device takes up. If it is not possible for an employer to provide every (sitting) employee with a treadmill desk, it would help a lot if there were 2 to 3 treadmill desks available for employees, so that there is at least an opportunity to work there on a rotating basis on a regular basis. to make use of it and you can alternate between working while walking and working while sitting.
Worth the investment
Despite the price and the space it takes up, a treadmill desk is a good investment for any workplace. A good office chair is also very expensive and fitter employees will, on the other hand, yield significant savings for an employer. In the US there are already many companies (including Google) that have treadmill desks available for their staff and it will probably not be long before Dutch employers also realize that it is a good investment for a healthy workplace, because more exercise during work does not make employees only lighter, but above all fitter, fresher and happier.
