Walk to Work…

… not many of us can say we live close enough to work that we can walk, or even ride a bike.  Work for many of us involves a commute of some length, some much longer than others.  So while we may not get the joy of breathing in the fresh outdoors,… we generally can get some work-time in.  If on a train, we can actually flip open the laptop and start cranking out emails or check the numbers one more time on that budget spreadsheet.  If a bus or subway, depending on the crowd, the best you might be able to do is read the morning paper or that business book that you just can’t seem to finish.  And finally, if driving, listening to the radio or a good book on your iPod might be all that’s possible.  But regardless of the intensity of the work, we arrive at work with the satisfaction that we were able to be somewhat productive.  The only downside is that all that time to get to work, and the same to head home, often keeps us from getting any real exercise during the work day,… which can’t be good.

In fact, pretty much everything we read and hear about is telling us that the lack of exercise is bad for our health; I’m quite sure none of us would try and argue against that.  But it’s the time,… finding the time to exercise, that’s the challenge.  Unless one gets up in the wee hours of the morning, or skips lunch to get in a quick run, there just doesn’t seem to be the time (at least that’s what we tell our doctor).  This is a problem that Dr. James Levine, an MD and PhD at the Mayo Clinic, has studied for the past 16 plus years,… the health effects of a sedentary work day, spent mostly in a seated position.  Some offices have adjustable work surfaces, which allow one to stand up for portions of the day.  This is better than staying seated, but still not the movement the good doctor felt was required.  So he positioned a worksurface over a treadmill in his lab, to see if he could work while walking (like walking and chewing gum I guess).  And it worked; for using a computer, reading, or getting through your in-basket.  Numerous tests showed that walking at a relatively slow speed, less than a couple miles an hour, not only burns calories, but relieves stress, increases focus and improves overall health…!

Luck would have it that Steelcase and Dr. Levine had the opportunity to meet, and from that meeting jointly decided there was an innovative product idea here.  That product launched in November of this year, appropriately named WalkStation,… available through Details, a Steelcase company.  It has an adjustable work surface, an integrated display monitor to hook your laptop to (wired or wireless), with speed and safety controls built into the work surface as well.  While I normally would not slip into shameless self-promotion, this is an idea I just had to mention,... as it makes healthy sense to everyone.  Instead of having the ‘to work’ in my title refer to ‘where’ you are headed for your walk,… why not have it be a verb, ‘to work’, describing the result of your walking.  All those who have tried it are amazed at the general improvement in their energy level, regardless of the time spent with the product.  And they are comforted that every calorie burned is a calorie they definitely don’t need.  Care to Walk…?

Comments

[Mark Greiner]

No need to worry about falling off the back,... the speed is governed to not exceed a few miles/hour,... plus there is a safety kill switch that is activated if you pull too far away from the work surface. So while I can't guarantee that checking your email is all that exciting,... I can pretty much assure you that you're safe in using this product when doing.

Mark

[natkay]

I love this concept. I have to drive to work and sit at work, so any additional opportunity to move at work would surely benefit my expanding waistline.

When I showed it to others who do not work in the furniture industry, they didn't believe it could work. 'You'll fall off the back' etc. We should all just give it a go!