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For those of us who work at our desks for 7+ hours a day, trying to remain active during the workday seems nearly impossible. However, with the recent wave of remote jobs, working from home 3-5 days a week has become commonplace. Unfortunately, desk jobs, whether in-office or virtual, have detrimental effects on our bodies, causing weakness, stiffness, tension, pain, and other health risks.
To combat this, workout equipment has found its way into the remote office. Remote workers are now biking to work with a bicycle desk and walking to work on a treadmill desk. While it would be nice to sneak in a short walk or some stretches, most of us busybodies are swamped with things to do – jumping from emails and meetings to pending deadlines and reports. Thankfully, with this influx of work-from-home workout equipment, not being able to stay active while working remotely is a thing of the past.
Walk to Work with a Treadmill Desk
Did you know that sitting for long periods of time has been linked to a number of health concerns? According to the Mayo Clinic, sedentary lifestyles can lead to a variety of conditions – increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. The ultimate remote workstation should always include at least one piece of workout equipment. Thankfully, incorporating a treadmill desk into your setup is simple. All you have to do is purchase a treadmill base and a desk with an adjustable height, and you’re ready to start walking!
What is a Treadmill Desk?
A treadmill desk is an adapted workstation that has an adjustable desk and a treadmill base on which the user can walk while working from their computer. This allows remote workers to walk as they attend meetings, type up emails, and send out reports! Treadmill desks also have customizable speeds and inclines – making them a very reasonable addition to your remote office.
Do Treadmill Desks Really Work?
While daily exercise should still be incorporated into your everyday routine, there are many advantages to adding a treadmill desk to your office. Our desk jobs force us to remain seated in the same position throughout the majority of the workday, which can wreak havoc on our bodies and overall physical health. Incorporating gentle movement once every hour can decrease some of the many health risks we put our bodies through when we lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. Regularly using a treadmill desk can have many benefits:
- Weight loss
- Improved cognitive function
- Better memory skills
- Less back & neck pain
- Reduced risk of muscle loss
- Reduced risk of sciatica, heart disease, & degenerative disc disease
Bike to Work with a Bicycle Desk
Cycling during your workday has health benefits from every angle – while any aerobic exercise is great for our cardiovascular and muscular health, cycling also positively impacts our neurological well-being. Studies show that cycling can improve general mood, lessen symptoms of depression and ADHD, and minimize side effects of neurological disorders like Parkinson’s Disease. Cycling on a bike desk during your remote workday not only keeps you stay active but helps you stay mentally sharp.
What is a Bike Desk?
Like a treadmill desk, the bike desk has a similar setup: one part desk and one part stationary bike. The under-desk bike allows you to gently cycle while you work remotely at your desk. Most bike desks have an adjustable resistance, which you can increase as you build more muscles, all from the comfort of your desk.
Do Under Desk Bikes Work?
Incorporating daily exercise after work is a step in the right direction, but some level of movement during our 9-5 is the best way to reduce many of those health risks. With such a low-impact exercise as cycling, we can avoid putting stress and strain on our muscles while still implementing some activity into our work routine. Like the treadmill desk, using a bike desk has many health benefits:
- Better focus & mental health
- Improved psychomotor skills
- More calories burned
- Less muscle strain than walking
Peddle Away with an Under Desk Elliptical
Another great option that incorporates physical activity into your workday is the under-desk elliptical. While it looks similar to the bicycle desk, the elliptical machine promotes a slightly different variation of movement. This machine mimics walking in place, making it the ultimate low-impact exercise.
What is an Elliptical Desk?
Elliptical desks consist of a desk platform for your laptop or monitor and an elliptical base to peddle on while you work. The motion of an elliptical is gentle, allowing for a low-intensity exercise while you type away.
Work at a Standing Desk
Alternatively to or in conjunction with the regular use of a bike, treadmill, or elliptical desk, working at a standing desk can also be a good choice for remote workers. A standing desk has an adjustable height, which the user can alter to match their preference. Since standing activates more muscles than sitting and is better for overall circulation, a standing desk is a healthy option in lieu of sitting for extended periods of time.
There are some advantages to working at a standing desk that many users might not initially consider. For example, if your workday consists of virtual meetings, the slight hum of the machines can sometimes be heard by coworkers and clients on the other side of the Zoom call. Additionally, if you do not want others to see the slight bounce from using a treadmill or elliptical desk, using the standing desk is a great alternative.
Conclusion – How to Stay Active While Working From Home
In-person and virtual office jobs confine us to our desks for the majority of our days. As a result, we rack up the potential for many physical health risks. To combat these risks, many exercise machines have found their way into the remote workspace. Between the treadmill, bike, elliptical, and standing desks, incorporating movement into our workdays has become much more accessible. Remote employees can now take back their health with work-from-home workout equipment, making the remote workstation better than ever.
