Jun
12
Walking While Working
June 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment
While going to college, I walked everywhere. Each day I had a twenty-minute walk to classes from my off-campus apartment. In addition, every hour, I walked five or ten minutes to my next class, to the food court, or to a meeting. I even walked to the grocery store when the weather was nice. All in all, I walked about five miles a day.
But after graduating, I found myself working in my first corporate office environment. Instead of walking every hour, I sat behind a desk for hours. The longest bit of exercise I received was the one minute walk to and from my car. I found a noticeable decline in my physical endurance, and I no longer felt energized.
My experience is close to many others’ working situations and is in harmony with scientific studies. Spending time in front of screen, such as a computer, at a desk for longer periods of time causes feelings of sluggishness and exhaustion, even though you haven’t participated in anything physically rigorous. Sitting all day also causes a variety of health problems including weight gain.
TreadDesk, Inc. is a company that recognizes this problem and is trying to do something about it. They offer treadmill desks for workers who want a little more exercise while they work. The treadmill desk allows you to walk while you work, performing all the same functions that you would do while sitting down.
A little walking each day has been proven not only to increase all over physical health, but also reduces stress and creates an overall sense of well being. You can improve your working conditions and your health by making a little more effort to be active each day.