For many of us going to the gym is part of our daily lifestyle whether it be in the morning, during our lunch break or after work. But, with fears surrounding the coronavirus gyms across the country have had to close their doors, leaving many of us wondering what we can do to substitute our fitness regimes.

Prior to this a considerable amount of companies provided on site gyms which was great for the busy fitness fanatic looking to squeeze in a quick workout. Recently due to Covid-19 numerous employees have been advised to work from home leaving the option of having a quick trip to the gym non obtainable, and, going from bed, to desk without any exercise is an easy routine we can get comfortable with, increasing the risk of falling into a sedentary lifestyle. So, what could be the solution to all of this?

Adapting to a working from home lifestyle isn’t easy at first as space is probably a huge factor for many of us. With an under-desk treadmill it provides not only a fitness solution but also a space-saving solution. Allowing you to walk while you work, burning those much worried about calories and remaining active.

Benefits of a Treadmill Desk

Besides being the envy of the office, other treadmill desk benefits include: improvements in mental health, physical wellness, and job performance.

• Improves Mood and Reduces Stress:

Regular exercise can help boost your mood and subsequently decrease anxiety through the brains release of endorphins in your body. These endorphins reduce your perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling in your body similar to the effects of opiates. Psychologically, exercise can also increase your confidence by allowing you to reach certain fitness/health goals as well as provide a distraction from your worries.

• Increases Creativity:

Studies have shown that exercise is directly linked to creativity. Research conducted at Standford University had volunteers complete a test involving tasks like rapidly coming up with alternative uses for common objects, such as a button. They were then asked to complete a similar exam while simultaneously walking on a treadmill at a slow comfortable pace. From this they were able to conclude that almost every student preformed substantially better. On average, the subjects were able to come up with 60% more uses for the object when walking rather than sitting.

• Increases Productivity:

Research conducted by the University of Minnesota (UMN) and published in the journal Obesity analyzed the effects of walking on a treadmill throughout the workday. They concluded that the work performance of people who used a treadmill desk for a year didn't decline after a very brief, initial adjustment to the change. In fact, the study found that both overall employee productivity and health improved. Stating that work quality, mental performance and time management all improved on days when employees exercised.

• Promotes a Healthy Body Weight:

Walking, like other forms of exercise, burns calories. Albeit not as many calories as running or biking burns, but walking still requires energy and therefore provides a calorie burn. For weight loss, increasing your intensity level, increasing incline level or walking for longer duration's will burn more calories. However, when using a walking workstation for the first time, you'll want to start out slow and gradually increase your speed and walking duration over a couple weeks time.

• Reduces the Risk of and Helps Manage Type 2 Diabetes:

Individuals living with type 2 diabetes have too much glucose in their blood, either because their body doesn’t produce enough insulin to process it, or because their body doesn’t use insulin properly. Either way, exercise can help reduce blood glucose levels and also help people with type 2 diabetes avoid long-term complications.

• Lowers Blood Pressure:

Like other forms of exercise, walking helps increase blood flow which in return decreases blood pressure. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, people with high blood pressure (hypertension) have lower blood pressure readings for up to 22 hours following a single walking session. For individuals that incorporate walking into their daily schedule, they may see decreases as high as 5 to 10 mmHg in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.

• Helps Maintain Strong Bones:

Weight-bearing exercises where you are working against gravity while staying upright are one of the best ways to build up and maintain bone density. These can be either high-impact or low-impact exercises. Examples of high-impact weight-bearing exercises include: dancing, jogging, running, jumping rope, etc.; and examples of low-impact weight-bearing exercises include: walking, hiking, using an elliptical or stair stepper machine, low-impact aerobics, etc..

So why not stay active when you are working from home it’s a great way for you to look after your mind and body.