Working While Walking: Not So Crazy After All!
14 May 2015
Read by 2588 persons
We already knew it, but a new study confirms it: being active while working increases productivity and concentration.
In fact, if you worked while walking on a treadmill, you would retain 35% more information, according to research conducted by a team from the Tec3Lab at HEC Montreal.
For the study, 18 students were asked to walk on a treadmill set at a speed of 2.25 km/h while reading a text and answering questions for 40 minutes. Occasionally, they were interrupted by the arrival of an email. Result: the probability of correctly answering the questions was 35% higher for the walkers, and they even reported feeling more focused.
We already know that the negative effects of prolonged sitting are undeniable: back pain, weight gain, increased risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular problems, insulin and blood pressure dysregulation, etc. In fact, more and more experts agree that sitting can be as harmful as...smoking!
Companies are getting on board
To counter this problem, which affects both health and the quality of work production, some companies have implemented a concrete solution. In the United States, the Walkstation, a device that integrates a treadmill and a work table, is gaining popularity. Indeed, big names like Best Buy and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline have decided to try it out to reduce obesity among their employees. The device, which costs around $4000, burns between 100 and 130 calories in 60 minutes and allows you to answer the phone or emails without getting exhausted. The idea is not to exercise, but rather to stay active and alert. And above all, to avoid sitting all day.
The product is much less popular here, even if awareness is growing. In Montreal, some people use it even if only part-time. This is the case of Jill Baker, the fitness columnist for The Gazette, who uses her machine a few hours a week.
For those interested, there is even an online community of "walking workers" who share their successes and challenges.
Takwa Souissi.
Workopolis.com
Published May 6, 2015.
Posted online May 14, 2015.
In fact, if you worked while walking on a treadmill, you would retain 35% more information, according to research conducted by a team from the Tec3Lab at HEC Montreal.
For the study, 18 students were asked to walk on a treadmill set at a speed of 2.25 km/h while reading a text and answering questions for 40 minutes. Occasionally, they were interrupted by the arrival of an email. Result: the probability of correctly answering the questions was 35% higher for the walkers, and they even reported feeling more focused.
We already know that the negative effects of prolonged sitting are undeniable: back pain, weight gain, increased risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular problems, insulin and blood pressure dysregulation, etc. In fact, more and more experts agree that sitting can be as harmful as...smoking!
Companies are getting on board
To counter this problem, which affects both health and the quality of work production, some companies have implemented a concrete solution. In the United States, the Walkstation, a device that integrates a treadmill and a work table, is gaining popularity. Indeed, big names like Best Buy and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline have decided to try it out to reduce obesity among their employees. The device, which costs around $4000, burns between 100 and 130 calories in 60 minutes and allows you to answer the phone or emails without getting exhausted. The idea is not to exercise, but rather to stay active and alert. And above all, to avoid sitting all day.
The product is much less popular here, even if awareness is growing. In Montreal, some people use it even if only part-time. This is the case of Jill Baker, the fitness columnist for The Gazette, who uses her machine a few hours a week.
For those interested, there is even an online community of "walking workers" who share their successes and challenges.
Takwa Souissi.
Workopolis.com
Published May 6, 2015.
Posted online May 14, 2015.
