subject: The Treadmill Desk-the Perfect Way To Work Out At The Office [print this page] Want excellent health, stamina, and a way to help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and cancer? Walk 10,000 steps a day.
It works! In fact, it's a scientifically proven way to gain almost perfect health. However, for people who work all day in offices and spend much of their time sitting at a desk, walking those 10,000 steps in a day isn't always easy. Even if you take the stairs rather than the elevator and walk to lunch, you're still probably going to fall a little bit short on the steps you need.
Enter the treadmill desk to save the day! A treadmill desk allows you to get up and start walking slowly in your office or cubicle, getting in the steps you need while you work, without getting out of breath or sweating. You can conceivably get in the 10,000 steps you need in 2 to 3 hours on a treadmill desk, and keep on doing your computer work, phone calls, and filing while you're walking. Many companies are now making these machines standard parts of the workday, while others are giving employees the option to purchase their own.
One of the primary benefits of walking regularly is cancer prevention. Science is showing more and more that the key to keeping cancer at bay is to stay active. Walking increases our lung capacity, sends oxygen-rich blood to every part of our body, which energizes us, and boosts our immune systems. Even people who already have cancer show better survival rates if they start exercising than those who don't. It seems like walking is nature's literal pharmacy.
If you can't get a treadmill desk into your office, the next best thing to do is get a pedometer to strap to your ankle, so you can keep track of how many steps you're taking a day. That way, you'll be encouraged to take extra steps when you can. Another alternative to the treadmill desk is to get an actual treadmill for your house. Seeing it sitting there every day will encourage you to walk, and keep excuses for not doing so at bay. In fact, with a home treadmill, the whole family can get in on the act.
