Treadmill Desk
An important exercise tool for people who sit a lot while working is the Treadmill Desk. The concept was development Dr. James Levine where an employee walks slowly on a treadmill while doing his or her work at a desk that has been constructed around a treadmill. Levine found that people burned an extra 100 calories every hour when they walk slowly at about one mile per hour when compared to simply sitting on a chair. He estimated that people could lose 57 pounds in one year by working on a Treadmill Desk.
The treadmill desk offers a solution for people who are very busy and do not have the time for aerobic exercise. Aside from the benefit of weight loss for overweight people, walking slowly for extended periods of time has various health benefits. According to research, walking daily activates the lymphatic system so that there is less chance of becoming ill, the body’s metabolic rate increases for efficient burning of calories, enhancement of productivity because blood flow to the brain is increased, improvement in memory, better appetite control, better capability to ward off depression, the ability to prevent type 2 diabetes, and much more.
Knowing how to construct your own treadmill desk is important if you want to reduce the cost of providing yourself with a way to exercise and reap various health benefits. First of all, you will need to find an appropriate location for this equipment because its desk component is shaped differently from the standard desk. It is also of a different size. Thus, if you work in an office, you will need to request management to allow you to make the necessary changes and to provide you with the needed space if your current location is unsuitable for a Treadmill Desk.
Once you have obtained permission and found the proper location, the next step is to find and buy the appropriate treadmill. It is important to select a treadmill with handlebars that can easily accommodate the placement of your desk surface. You may want to choose a model that has a relatively wide and long belt so that you have sufficient walking room. The availability of cup holders and similar provisions may be helpful because they can provide you with extra spaces for holding some of your office supplies. You will also need to plan the arrangement of your desktop that is placed on top of the exercise equipment before you actually make the purchase. Do not forget to take into account the ergonomic requirements for the performance of your job. Above all, you need to ensure that your planned desk surface can accommodate all of the important things that need to be on your table, such as the computer mouse and keyboard.
After you have bought the treadmill and constructed the desk surface, the next step is to find a way to position the computer monitor. The monitor may not need to be positioned on top of the desk surface if it is possible for the treadmill to be positioned against the wall because you can attach the monitor to the wall. If not, you will need to purchase or build a monitor mount on the desk surface. Remember to make sure that the monitor will not be positioned too closely to prevent eye strain.
When your treadmill desk is finally ready, you need to make sure that using it is not boring and that you keep a record of the distance walked each day. Remember that walking slowly is sufficient and you do not need to jog or walk fast to accomplish good results.
