The Drawbacks of Using A Treadmill Desk

The treadmill desk is one of the health trends in recent years that are slowly gathering a following. It’s no surprise, since the benefits of using one in your workspace are many, and you’ve probably heard them all. However, does that mean that using a treadmill desk has no drawbacks? The answer to that might be no. Before you invest in a treadmill desk, be sure that you are okay with the drawbacks that it may present.

Cost

Let’s face it; ready-made treadmill desks are not cheap. In fact, the prices of some treadmill desks go into the thousands. Compared to the prices of regular sit-down desks, this can seem ridiculous, especially if you have a small budget. Of course, you can build your own treadmill desk for a lower cost, but you will still have to spend quite an amount of money.

Suitability

While you can reap the benefits of using a treadmill desk if you use one, what happens if you can’t use it? Not everyone is capable of working and walking at the same time, as this requires some coordination. If your coordination is downright bad, you may find using a treadmill desk difficult, or even impossible.

Size

A treadmill desk is a convenient way to get a “gym” into your office, but that doesn’t mean that it does not take up space. The average treadmill desk is quite big, which may not make it suitable if your workspace is just a small cubicle at work. However, this does make it a good reason to work hard, get a promotion, and get a bigger office.

Maintenance

Naturally, maintaining a treadmill desk is going to take a little extra effort compared to a regular desk. If you can’t even keep your regular desk at work clean, you may want to think twice before getting a treadmill desk. It’s not that a treadmill desk takes a whole lot of maintenance; it’s just that if you’re lazy, any extra maintenance is going to be a burden.

All in all, there are some drawbacks to using a treadmill desk, but for most people, these drawbacks are trivial compared to all the benefits it can offer. If you feel you are well-coordinated enough to work while moving, and you really want to make the best use of your time at the office, then go ahead and consider buying a treadmill desk. You will probably wind up loving it.

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4 Quick Ideas For Exercising At Work

In the modern world, our careers take up most of our time, and some people work from early in the morning 'til late at night. This often means we are sedentary all day, just sitting at our desks and hardly moving around at all. Sometimes, there isn’t even time to work out outside of work. Don’t worry though, as there are several things you can do to sneak in some exercise while you are at work. Here are four of them.

1. Take the Stairs

(Photo credit: Chocolate Geek)

It’s rare that people don’t have to move between floors during the course of the workday. You will most probably use an elevator or escalator during the course of the day, but why not use the stairs instead? Climbing stairs is one of the best workouts you can give yourself. You can gauge your progress by seeing how many flights you can climb without getting overly tired!

2. Park Your Car Further Away

Okay, it definitely is tempting to park your car as close as possible to your office’s entrance. But do your body a favor and park it further away so that you need to take a short walk to and from the office.

If you don’t drive, maybe you can take the bus or train earlier, and get off one stop away from your usual stop. The extra walk certainly could not hurt and it would force you to exercise (of course, be sure to do this only if you are going to be walking in a safe public area).

5. Take Breaks at Work

No, not coffee breaks, but exercise breaks. Every hour, spend 5 or 10 minutes walking around and stretching your body. If you work eight hours a day, that’s already 40 minutes at least of walking and stretching. It does add up, doesn’t it?

6. Use a Standing or Treadmill Desk
A standing desk is a desk that can only be used when you stand, while a treadmill desk has a treadmill attached to the desk that you walk on as you do your work. These nifty inventions force you to stand or walk as you carry on with your work day, thus forcing you to exercise throughout the day. This of course is the best way to exercise at work, without compromising productivity or wasting time.

Try these helpful tips and watch as you get fitter and more energized as days go by. As you can see, you won’t even need to break a sweat trying to exercise at work. Don’t give up if making these changes seems hard at first; it’ll all become routine and habit over time - and your body and your health will benefit.