10 Minute Office Workout
In the olden times, people barely tell ill. They farmed for a lMng, carried heavy weights, walked miles, inhaled fresh air, ate fresh and nutritious food and drank water from clean rivers. They lived a full century or even more and enjoyed a good quality of lite. Today, ironically we live in an exactly opposite environment. Technology literally transformed our lives and made us rational and abstract thinkers but it has also left us physically inactive.
Fitness At Work
Physical inactivity is one of the major risk factors for many diseases. Along with obesity, it can lead to diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, PCOD, PCOS, thyroid malfunction and indirectly lead to diseases affecting the respiratory, nervous systems and many more.
With the discovery of these diseases and their causes, research was conducted to figure out what can be done to motivate individuals to be physically active. Therefore, technology has given rise to ways by which one can workout at work and this is possible with the development of treadmill desks, cycle desks, in house gyms and in-house studios for various functional activities such as yoga, aerobics etc.
Since many of us spend at least eight to twelve hours at work and most of our waking hours is spent In our workplaces, many offices today are encouraging the set up of basic gymnasium facilities such as a treadmill, stationary cycle, a range of weights and also changing rooms and bathrooms to promote healthy behaviour. However, the most interesting of the lot are treadmill and cycle desks to promote fitness at the workplace.
Treadmill And Cycle Desks
There are many leading companies offering these. The desk on an average spans about four and a half feet in length and Is three feet wide. There is enough room for a laptop, key board. monitor etc. and it is quite similar to a normal work desk.
The treadmill or cycle is attached, so that you can walk the treadmill or ride the stationary cycle while you reply to mails, photo-shop a picture, design a logo, prepare medical reports or check records etc. You can also adjust the speed and know the kilometres covered. However, there is a limitation to the speed as in most cases it does not go above 3.0-4.0 miles/hour.
How It Works
It is an extremely innovative thought and quite good for fitness enthusiasts who get very unhappy about missing their workouts due to the lack of time. Many company facilities and regulations are now agreeing with this view and thus acting in accordance.
Even when working out in the office, a person weighing 55 kilos on an average can lose about 150-200 calories in one hour if he/she walks at a speed of three miles/hour. But prior warmup and post stretching is highly recommended.
What Doesn’t Work
One of the biggest disadvantages is that this machinery costs a whooping Rs. 90000 to lakhs and therefore, it is not feasible or affordable for most companies. Also, concentration on the work at hand is not complete as equal attention has to be paid to exercising. Productivity thus gets lowered initially, but as one gets used to it, this problem is usually overcome. Whether one is comfortable exercising in formal clothes as opposed to gym wear can also be a hindrance.
To sum up, this facility definitely has a few disadvantages, but unless you try it yourself, you will never really know what works for you. And though this set up might not be welcome, it is a great way to include physical activity into a work day.
“Technology has given rise to ways by which one can workout at work and this is possible with the development of treadmill desks, cycle desks, in-house gyms and in-house studios for various functional activities such as yoga, aerobics etc.”