The Treadmill Desk
If you are like me with a full time job, sitting in front of a computer for 8-12 hours a day - but you want to lose weight - you will agree that this is a real challenge. The researchers from Mayo Clinic believe they have found a solution for this problem.
They call it the "vertical workstation" and it's a desk fitted over a standard treadmill that costs $1600.
The researchers persuaded 15 obese people to work at this treadmill-desk and measured how many calories they burned. On average, their volunteers burned 100 calories more every hour while walking slowly - 1.6 km per hour - than while sitting in a chair.
"If obese individuals were to replace time spent sitting at the computer with walking computer time by 2 to 3 hours a day, and if other components of energy balance were constant, a weight loss of 20 to 30 kg a year could occur,"
It's important to have an active life, but I think the "walk-and-work" desk is not that efficient in burning calories and you are not that efficient at doing your job either.
I personally have a gym near my office and I split the lunch break between a run on the treadmill and a chicken salad.
Perhaps if you use the Vertical Desk while playing games or browsing on the internet, then yes, I believe this could be a real boost to your weight loss program.
Source: The Australian
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I need one of those! Can we configure it so the computer won't turn on unless I'm moving?
ReplyNot sure if I need it to help lose weight (I'm very active)
I have a slight computer addiction that it might help with...
I was thinking about this kind of desk a couple of weeks ago and I was hoping someone would invent it. Great news. :)
ReplyPersonally, I use a waterproof keyboard and display mounted under the water in my endless pool. I wear a snorkle and mask, and everything was going fine, but then I noticed that my legs were getting overdeveloped. I had to start doing separate drills with a pull-bouy to balance things out. I'm now in the process of rigging up the display to show e-books that I can read during my pull sets. Any ideas on how I can trigger scrolling and page turns without the use of my arms?
ReplyNot a bad idea at all, but I like getting outside. :-)
Brian
ReplyI think its a wonderful idea. If a person is walking slowly for long periods of time its amazing how that energy expenditure adds up!
ReplyMan ! What a great idea... I do treadmill 3 times a week, and for me it is so boring, even with a TV in front of me, so this idea makes perfect sense ! The price is prohibitive...
ReplyIt seems like a desk over a cycling machine would be better. Then you wouldn't be bouncing up and down as you walked. I'd be somewhat concerned about repetitive stress injuries I might get while typing and walking.
Reply
ReplyYep. A recumbent bike would be the best.
Umm, when I first saw this, all I could think of was Fielding Mellish testing the workplace gym in the movie Bananas... Maybe we should start mining Sleeper for product ideas?
ReplyMark, that was too damn funny.
Actually, I was recently fantasizing about something like this too--I hurt my back and find I'm most comfortable either walking or tilted back, but my regular desk chair was driving me crazy.
But I was wondering if they could invent a glove-like virtual keyboard that would allow you to swing your arms normally as you walked, and just move your fingers to type. 'Cause I can see how you could make phone calls on a treadmill, but typing seems ergonomically challenging.
But then pretty soon they're going to be able to read our brainwaves and put our thoughts directly on a screen without any typing at all--maybe I'll wait for that development.
Or get a robot to do all my work. A very cute robot. Technology is a wonderful thing.
ReplyI'd so fall off. I can't even READ and treadmill, let alone work and treadmill. Office fashions would need a makeover, too. Oooh, and hopefully showers would be available for employees, too.
ReplyIt’s the old donkey and carrot method. It would be better to place a recumbent bike under a barrel of Coke or an elliptical in front of the dispensing machine.
What next, treadmills at the donut counter?
It’s too artificial to succeed. If you want more activity at work, get a more active job. Simple.
ReplyChanging careers is "simple"? What are you suggesting here, everyone go work as a dog walker, park ranger, or personal trainer? Cause that is very feasible, of course. No more accountants in the world, just park rangers.
ReplyI smell a "visualize success" argument coming... ^_^
Reply(Points upwards at Jan and Quito)
ReplyWhat they said.
How much is your health worth?
Would you rather sit at a desk and get fat or take a lower-paid job that keeps you lean and healthy?
That pension plan is worthless if you don't live to collect it.
ReplyI have to say this is all kind of pointless if you take the time to be active outside of work. Jobs are required to give you breaks so take those and walk around the building/parkinglot/or whatever you have that you can walk around. Even 2 10 min walks a day is better than nothing. There are also usually lunch breaks, take those to do some exercise if you can't fit any in before or after work. And stop snacking at your desk, or if you have to eat healthy snacks. Leave your lose change at home so you can't go to the vending machine and bring your own snacks with you. When you have no other options its easier to stick with your plan.
Replyhigh 5 to that! thats my problem i work 6-7 days a week in front of a computer and can't get enough physical activity through out the week.....this would be perfect for me!!!
ReplyYou still don't get the basic truth that for society to function, not everybody can have a physically active job. Everybody working a physically active job is as feasible as everyone being an astronaut or rock star.
ReplyYou're not related to the Daniel Lambert who passed away in 1809, are you?
Replyim releated to daniel lambert he was my grear ................................................................... grand dad
ReplyPersonally I don't buy this as a good option more like a last resort. When you concentrate on you activity/exercise and specific motions that you are doin it makes the activity more efficient and produces better results. there has been several studies that claim that thinking about a muscle as it is exercised produces more stimulation = better results. but i understand that physical activity is not in everybodies agenda so anything is better than nothing.
as for the people wondering if theres is a machine that could control the power of the computer with the motion of the treadmill: My friend used to work out at a local YMCA's gym facility that had bikes and ellipticals that had an integrated comp. with internet that only worked if u were peddaling fast enough, if you slacked then ur comp. would die out. for me thats kinda a sad way to motivate people to work out. Time constraints are one thing but if u c exercising as punishment or a have to do thing don't bother b/c its probably not going to feel gratifying.
ReplyI side with Daniel. I work at a desk about 35 hours per week. When I decide the money isn't worth it anymore, I'll go back to waitressing. I have done so several times over the years. My body feels alive when I move. Difficult choice to give up the money? Sure. But ultimately a choice. Opportunity Cost, plain and simple.
ReplySeems a little silly. Pay a lot of money to be less productive while getting a lousy workout. I'd rather get my work done quickly and go to the gym. Plus most companies won't even spring for an ergonomic chair, you really think they'll go for this?
http://www.60in3.com
ReplyIf people can concentrate on their work with all the sweat running down the eyes and don't mind the sweaty clothes, then it's ok.
ReplyI agree that it would be very useful if we are just surfing the internet or playing games.
If you go back to my original post you will see that I said “If you want more activity at work, get a more active job. Simple.” Note the words “if you want”. Not everyone wants a more active job.
I don’t think money is the reason most people don’t want physical jobs. After all, not all sedentary jobs are well paid.
Most people don’t want to expend too much effort to earn a living. For most people, getting a job in an office is the easy option regardless of salary.
Western society has created an obesity epidemic the likes of which has never been seen before. What physical price are you prepared to pay to help society carry on functioning in this way?
So what you are saying is that you would rather compromise your health by working a higher paid job so that you can afford better quality food?
I’m not convinced that high quality foods are expensive. Fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, lean meats etc don’t have to be expensive.
Who mentioned wanting more money?
ReplyDaniel, have you ever heard "mens sana in corpore sano"? I guess not. Just because a person isn't walking, it doesn't mean an office job is not challenging. A lot of people do their exercise after or before work, and enjoy the intellectual challenge provided by their jobs. Physical health is only one part of the equation. I guess if you sweep floors for a living, you get to walk and move your arms, but how bored are you going to be? Just like someone who works with their body is going to require intellectual stimulation outside of work, someone who works with their minds requires physical activity. It is all a question of balance.
ReplyI was being sardonic by asking a rhetorical question. You're doing the same...
Being more direct, your statement "If you want more activity at work, get a more active job. Simple." implies a singularity of purpose that is absent in the lives of most people. Had you not added the tag "simple", then I would have just ignored your comment as being simplistic. Somehow, that single word, "simple", spurred me (and others?) to respond.
ReplyWell I have to say that is an interesting idea but do they get as much work done as without and treadmill? I still feel people fill up their day with so many things and keep themselves away form taking time to eat healthy and exercise.
ReplyThat's a good idea. But in the case of focusing on the work, maybe a separate workstation can be provided for that sole purpose only. And when there isn't any serious job, the vertical desk is very much appropriate.
ReplyOkay, this seems to be the perfect solution for someone who is very very busy and cant move away from the computer. But please try to answer this yourself. How many times have we bought a gadget or a product and then didnt even use it. It just lies there gathering dust.
ReplySoon you will say, Oh heck. I cant operate the computer this way. let me just go back to my desk. eh!
I believe most who responded negatively to the word "simple" are confusing it with the word "easy".
I never said it was easy (though for some people it would be). As is often the case with simple solutions they are rarely easy.
We are talking about office workers who want to be more active at work, not people who don't want a physically active job.
You went off on a tangent again. You are trying to justify working a sedentary job while engaging in physical activity out of work. I have no argument with that. Can we get back on topic?
To clarify: If you want more activity at work I believe it is better to get paid for a job that challenges you physically than work at a desk while walking on a treadmill.
Walking on a treadmill like some lab-rat while you are distracting yourself with work is not the same as completing a physically demanding task like, for example, building a house.
The former requires that you use your body to get the job done. You need a certain level of fitness and strength for carrying the materials and to use the tools involved to complete the task. Your mind is focussed on getting the job done, not on trying to purposely waste calories.
At the end of the day it's about choice. It may not be easy to choose the right or healthiest thing to do – there may well be socio-economic pressures that make this difficult for some, but it IS a choice.
ReplyI'm surprised nobody mentioned WarBiking, which is a much more fun way (IMO) to accomplish this goal:
http://theweightlifter.blogspot.com/2006/10/low-cal-6011-min-warbiking-3-months-41.html
ReplyInteresting idea. In fact, I love it. I walk and run on a trendmill every other day. However, its very difficult after a long day at work. This would really help me.
ReplyIt may be a simple truth (again, I think that it is a simplistic truth), but it's not a simple choice.
FWIW, I agree with you that this idea is probably not worth investing in.
On your name: if it is your real name, I don't mean to offend. But, it is famous in an amusing way regarding this thread.
ReplyA lot of interesting comments here. The amount of people employed in sedentary jobs is increasing each decade all over the world. These are jobs that must be filled by someone and their only option until now was to sit in a chair. Then along comes products like the WalkStation geared towards corporate users or the TrekDesk which apprears to be built for home office use or an affordable corporate option and voila, we now have a discussion about health options. I truly believe we will start to migrate to these healthier options since according to the CDC more than 60% of Americans are overweight. The costs on our health care system are ridiculous and no one can argue we have an emerging health epedemic in our society. I learned we are not alone in this on the blog at www.trekdesk where they show how this is a global problem. I am using a treadmill desk now and it is working wonders for me. I am losing weight, sleeping better, concentrating more and feel more productive than ever. I say try it before you disagree with it, you might find you like it.
ReplyThanks for the info on the TrekDesk. Very interesting concept. I really hope to have one soon.
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