In the United States, obesity has become an epidemic that affects many people. More than 40% of American Adults fit the category, and this number only seems to grow yearly. The problem is complicated and has many causes, but ultimately they tend to fall into one of two categories: diet and lifestyle. Many nutritionists explain how to improve your diet, and it’s common knowledge that cutting out processed and fast food can help tremendously.
Aside from changing their diet, Americans also know that improving physical fitness can reduce or eliminate the risk of obesity. However, there’s a big difference between knowing the solution and putting it into action. After all, studies show that a significant proportion of the working population pushes themselves to exhaustion daily. It’s difficult enough to get the energy to change habits and doubly so when you’re busy working 8+ hours a day. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your fitness without devoting your precious free time to the gym.
Multitasking Your Fitness
The best solution is to incorporate physical fitness into your daily routine. Whether you work in an office or dial in remotely from home, the physical act of sitting down all day is known to be strongly correlated with obesity. For that reason, doctors and fitness gurus alike have encouraged Americans to get up and take a walk from time to time. Even standing up and stretching is a big help to your overall health.
One of the first steps that sedentary workers can take is investing in a standing desk. These desks allow you to lose no productivity whatsoever while improving your health. If sitting is the new smoking, then standing is the new nicotine patch. Eventually, you’ll want to go even further and kick the habit altogether. For this purpose, more Americans are turning to under-desk treadmills.
These treadmills allow workers to go the distance and actively burn calories while working. When performing physical activity, the human mind craves stimulation. Likewise, when doing mental activities, the body wants to move. Studies have shown that physical exercise improves cognitive skills, including memory and concentration. Those skills can naturally improve your work and enhance your mental fortitude.
Ironically, spending more effort on the treadmill while working can give you more energy. Another study by Harvard Health Publishing revealed that regular physical activity increases energy. Rather than your focus and endurance getting drained through use, health science proves that your energy level is more like a muscle in that you’ve got to use it or lose it.
The best part about under-desk treadmills is that you get all the benefits of walking without spending an extra hour traveling to and from the gym or even specifically dedicating time to exercising. You’re already using this time to work in the office, so this change basically earns you extra hours throughout your day.
A Better Office, a Better Life
Considering the benefits of remaining active, an under-desk treadmill is a perfect investment that reaps the rewards throughout your life. You may be more focused on your work, productive, and enjoyable. When you get home, you’ll feel more energized and ready to engage with your friends and family when you otherwise would have been exhausted. Even tasks such as cleaning the house become much easier to manage.
If you work at home, it’s easy to arrange your furniture to fit an under-desk treadmill. If you work in an office, however, you may need permission from your supervisor. We encourage you to explain the benefits to your boss, as more and better work from employees can only make them look good. Besides, they may love the idea so much that they’ll be willing to invest some of the business’s resources in a mutually beneficial change to the workplace.
Reduce your risk of obesity and other sedentary diseases or conditions while improving your quality of life. There’s nothing more important than your health, so getting an under-desk treadmill may be one of the wisest decisions you’ll make in your career.
By Christopher Gallagher
Christopher has worked remotely for nearly half a decade, balancing the opportunities and challenges that come with that work style. He’s amassed a collection of tips and tricks that improve work-life balance while sacrificing a portion of your home to be your office.