'Working' Out at your Walkstation

These days, with people working as many hours as they are, it's becoming more difficult for people to work and work out all in the same day. Evidence of this is the fact that the number of obesity cases that are being reported are getting higher and higher and the number of diseases linked to inactive lifestyles are also on the rise. Now I think most people know that working out is an essential part of staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle but it's hard to keep up with that when you're required to work odd or long hours during the work week. And during the weekend there are so many non-work related activities that you need to tackle that doing it then also gets struck down. So what are we supposed to do? Accept the inevitability of our becoming increasinly unhealthy sloths or is there a solution? Apparently so.

A Michigan based company, Steelcase, Inc, has recently unveiled a workstation that combines a treadmill with a traditional workstation. Now as you can see from the illustration, in place of the usual cup holder and magazine stand, you have a complete workstation. Now I know what you must be thinking because I thought the same thing too. Are we really supposed to consider this a viable alternative to having an unhealthy workforce? After some thought, I figured 'why not?' Most companies these days are starting to get wise that the healthier their employees, the less sick time is taken and the less is shelled out in insurance coverage. The cost of paying for gym memberships pales in comparison though it is admittedly harder to get employees to go when you're keeping them in the office all the time. So what's the solution? Investing in the new Walkstation of course!

Now before some of you gym fanatics suddenly have visions of jogging multiple marathon lengths while completing your latest work project, I'm afraid you'll have to temper your visions with a healthy dose of reality. It's not quite so easy. My first thought when reading about this technology was that, 'man, meetings are going to stink' and I don't mean because of long hours, I mean because of sweaty co-workers stuffed in a conference room after working out at their desk. But that's not the case either. Rather than allowing for a high speed runs or jogs, this machine has a maximum of 3.5 miles per hour in terms of speed which will allow users to enjoy a leisurely strolling pace while continuing to burn calories. Therein lies the key, burning calories as opposed to intaking them.

As someone who has benefited tremendously from having a treadmill in the house (when I was living at home with my parents) I know that using one means that you are capable of burning off a tremendous numbers of calories for not a whole lot of effort. Combining that with reduced intake and you end up seeing health benefits. I for one would think that this sort of contraption might be slow to catch on but who knows, if a few forward thinking small companies buy into the concept then we could see a whole new industry spring up. I mean just think of the by products that this type of technology would promote. Sweat resistant dress shirts; dress tennis shoes; towel ties. You see where I'm going with this?

As some of the scientists and doctors involved in this project pointed out, our society has become a society accustomed to sitting and stewing for multiple hours a day and this is promoting a very unhealthy lifestyle for all of us. This type of work out technology will certainly help steer things in the right direction and perhaps rekindle the drive to live a healthy lifestyle in those who may not enjoy it as much or have slacked off in recent years. I wouldn't mind having this type of thing. When things get a little tensed or stressful, there's nothing like burning off a few hundred calories. The resulting rush of energy is sufficient to help surpass those negative feelings and keep you feeling fresh. Plus, I guess for those looking for any excuse, it's reason enough to partake in another office tradition; coffee and donuts.