People want to exercise at their desks: study

 

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

A pilot study conducted by Lucas Carr at the University of Iowa might show a way to get American workers healthier without taking time away from their desks. In a few years, we might see Silicon Valley corporate campuses equipping desks with exercise equipment to counter-balance all those free snacks they make available to employees.

In the study, 27 volunteers at a company in Iowa City were given pedal devices. The devices work like stationary bikes and fit under a desk.

Of the 27 employees, 70% asked to keep the devices after a 16-week trial. Most reported using the device an average of 50 minutes per day, and more than half reported weight loss, improved concentration, and improved productivity.

Many previous attempts at finding exercise devices for the office have failed because the equipment made it hard to workers to focus. For instance, many people report that they’ve lost weight using a treadmill desk, but most say it is hard to work and focus on not falling at the same time.
Previous Carr studies have shown that offering limited amount of exercise equipment for employees to share doesn’t work, either. You can put a high-end treadmill or bike in an office, and it will be mostly ignored.

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Follow these topics: Commercial Fitness Industry, Corporate Wellness, Treadmill Desks, Workplace Issues

 

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