Get employees to exercise and work at the same time
A surprising number of calories are burned
Even if you offer a variety of costly programs to get employees to exercise, participation is probably not what you wish for. "When you spend half a million dollars on a fitness center, you're reaching the people who are already converted. They won't change their risks, because they are already healthy," says Andrew Wood, "chief muvologist" at Wayzata, MN-based Muve, Inc., which specializes in increasing human movement in the work environment.
"Then there is the intimidation factoryou get the spandex crowd in there, and it intimidates the people who are at risk," says Wood.
A new technology could turn this approach on its head, by getting employees to exercise while working. The Walkstation, a height-adjustable office workstation combined with a treadmill (manufactured by Caledonia, MI-based Details) is being pilot tested at several companies. The cost is approximately $4000.
The treadmill runs quietly with a low-impact slow stroll, so users won't distract others or be seen breaking a sweat. However, even walking at a slow pace can burn a surprising number of calories, according to a study on the Walkstation. When seated at an office chair, employees burned 72 calories per hour, but this increased to 191 if they walked at only 1.1 miles per hour while working. The researchers concluded that if sitting computer time was replaced by walking-and-working for two or three hours a day, employees could lose 44 to 66 pounds a year.1
"There is actual weight loss involved without changing your diet," says Wood, former health and safety officer at a food manufacturer that is piloting the Walkstation. "The idea is to get people up and moving, rather than sitting at a computer all day."
Wood acknowledges that the Walkstation "is not for everybody" some employees can't use it because of musculoskeletal issues, and others just don't like to multitask in this way. Ergonomic training is also needed, since if the monitor position or height of the station is adjusted incorrectly, the employee could be injured.
"The employee is going from sitting in an office for eight hours a day to being active," says Wood. "So we gradually increase the employee's time on the station to the point where they're comfortable being on it for several hours a day."
Wood says that it may take time for some employees to become comfortable with the idea of exercising while working, but suggests that in the near future, use of treadmills will become commonplace in offices, and employees will walk on designated paths during meetings instead of sitting.
"When I discuss the concept of the Walkstation with desk workers, they are intrigued and interested in trying it," says Heather Tick, MA, MD, clinical assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "The return on investment will be in improved overall health, which in turn should improve productivity and work absences."
Reference
1. Levine JA, Miller JM. The energy expenditure of using a "walk-and-work" desk for office workers with obesity. Br J Sports Med 2007; 41(9):558-561.
SOURCES/RESOURCE
For more information on getting employees to exercise while working, contact:
- Heather Tick, MA, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson. E-mail: [email protected].
- Andrew Wood, PT, MS, CBES, Muve, Inc. Wayzata, MN. Phone: (507) 884-6594. E-mail: [email protected].
- The Walkstation, which costs approximately $4000, is part of the FitWork category of products, designed to bring healthy habits to sedentary workers. To order a Walkstation, contact Details, Caledonia, MI. Phone: (800) 433-0411. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.details-worktools.com.
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