Should Walking While Working Be Mandatory?

Searching for health benefits of sitting at a desk all day probably won’t yield that many results. The truth is that many studies are now saying that hours of sitting on end could increase your risk of serious health conditions that plague Americans.

New York Times physical education columnist Gretchen Reynolds says, “Sitting for long periods of time — when you don’t stand up, don’t move at all — tends to cause changes physiologically within your muscles…You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream, you start getting accumulations of fat…in your liver, your heart and your brain. You get sleepy. You gain weight. You basically are much less healthy than if you’re moving.”

It may be beneficial then to get up from your desk more often. Perhaps take a longer route to get your coffee, or venture out of the office to get your lunch. But we all know that tight deadlines tend to limit our abilities to stroll away from the computer.
Here are two fascinating sitting-alternatives that allow you to work and get exercise at the same time:

1. The Standing Desk – Once a luxury of the eccentric executive, this is becoming more and more common in the workplace. It’s simply a desk that’s raised to a standing position. For a few extra bucks you can get a sitting/standing convertible desk.

2. The Walking Desk – When I first saw these, I asked myself “why is there a gym in this office?” Then I saw the laptop holders that make working possible while walking! Right now, these kinds of office perks are considered luxury items, but they do have health studies backing them up.

The website WorkWhileWalking, which sells treadmill desks and other sitting-alternatives, lists an assortment of health benefits including weight loss, reduced fat storage, reduced diabetes risk, increased productivity, and more!
Would you consider working at a standing or walking desk? Let us know on our Facebook page.

If you’re interested in a workspace that has these items or can accommodate them, give us a call!