I would always rather be on the road experiencing my next adventure than stuck inside behind my desk at the office. Unfortunately, if you’re like me, you spend more time at your desk than you do outside doing what you love. Think about how fit you could be if you had a workout desk, if you could burn calories and keep your heart healthy even while working on that spreadsheet.
You no longer need to imagine what it would be like. There are exercise desks available for the home and office that are ergonomic, inexpensive, and provide a number of notable health benefits. In this article, you’ll discover some of the incredible benefits that can be achieved by using an exercise table, and I’ll review three of the most popular options available.
health benefits
You have known for a long time that walking is good for you. It keeps your heart strong, is low-impact on your joints, and makes you feel better overall. However, more data is emerging regularly to suggest that walking may also help reduce the risk of serious health problems.
Recent studies have shown that walking can drastically reduce the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, and even cancer. Unfortunately, many American professionals walk less than fifty percent of the steps required throughout the day to achieve these health benefits.
If you’re not sure how many steps you’re taking each day, you can choose an affordable pedometer and calculate your daily totals.
The ADA, AHA, and NIH say that walking just 10,000 steps a day can:
- Reduce the rate of type II diabetes by 50% – American Diabetes Association
- Reduce initial heart attack rate by 90% – American Heart Association
- Reduce Stroke Rate by 70% – American Heart Association
- Reduce the rate of cancer between 30 -70% National Institutes of Health
In addition, walking provides general health benefits, reduces stress, can provide more energy, sleep better, fight fatigue, and much more.
Typically, if you walk for an hour, you take between 4,000 and 6,000 steps. With an exercise desk, you could easily top 10,000 steps a day and still get the health benefits described above.
Ergonomic
If you haven’t looked at treadmill desks in a while, you can envision a sizable piece of furniture. Actually, today’s models are modest, lightweight, and can be customized to fit over your existing treadmill. Most models come with cup holders, a place for your phone, files, and computer or laptop keyboard With everything you need nearby, you can be a productive employee even while maintaining a slow, steady pace on your treadmill.
These units are fully adjustable so your work surface can be set to the height that’s just right for you. When you’re done, you can even choose to fold down your desk and treadmill to further maximize your office space.
Economically
There’s a wide range of desks to consider and something to suit every budget, starting with the SurfShelf Treadmill Desk which is a shelf that attaches to your treadmill or stationary bike to hold your Apple laptop or iPad. While not ideal for most office professionals, the SurfShelf offers some good multitasking options and sells for under $50.00.
If you already have a treadmill, add an exercise desk like the TrekDesk Treadmill Desk it’s a simple and affordable way to add exercise to your work life. With plenty of space to fit your needs, it’s under $500.00 and is a great choice for the home or office.
If you don’t have a treadmill, there are additional solutions that come complete with one like the LifeSpan Treadmill Desk. At over $1000.00 it is priced higher than the TrekDesk, still considering you are getting a desk and treadmill it is a good value.
Summary:
If you spend a lot of time working in a sedentary position, you may be missing out on some of the health benefits associated with walking. Using an exercise desk and walking while you work benefits your health, keeping you focused, effective, and ready for your next weekend adventure.