After using different methods of walking on a treadmill at work, at least 60% of participants said they felt more productive, less stressed and more creative with the integration of walking into their office day.
Participants were more enthusiastic when the treadmills were grouped and they didn’t have to walk by themselves. However, results from other studies focusing on the treadmill desk show mixed results.
Even a recent study found that treadmill desks increase your overall energy, but found no evidence of statistically significant changes in other metabolic outcomes, such as blood pressure. With these in mind, the company launched its pilot project in EDGE Stadium, a new office building to woo new tenants in Amsterdam.
The “Walking Room”: A Large Treadmill Made for the Workplace
This glass conference room on the ground floor of an office building in Amsterdam has a carpet made of grass. At the far end of the carpet is a rectangular desk, a long wooden table with four steel legs and a touchscreen embedded in its surface.
Touching the button on the screen will cause the carpet to slide, sliding the entire room under your feet as it forces you to move along. This contraption is the world’s first “walking room”. Instead of a narrow belt, people get a moving carpet the size of a 10-by-12-foot room that can fit at least 8 to 10 people.
Instead of sitting around conference tables, you can book time slots in the walking room and walk on a giant treadmill during your meeting. The Room has three speeds, with the most commonly chosen being 1.5 or 2 mph, with a less popular option for a “power walk” mode, which runs at just over 3 mph.
The slow speed is ideal for taking phone calls and getting focused work done, while the medium speed is perfect for group meetings and one-on-one meetings. For safety, there are two emergency buttons located at either end of the table.
There are two additional handrails and sensors to automatically stop the machine when the rear edge is too close. At EDGE Stadium, the walking room is erected on a plinth approximately 10 inches above the ground, accessible by a set of steps or switchback ramps.
Sitting is the new smoking and taking a walk meeting can enhance your overall health, increase your energy, lower stress levels, increase your productivity, and get your creative juices flowing more easily.
Hence, people can achieve their health related objectives during working hours and by creating something together. So, this new idea of treadmill is to attract people to the treadmill and get them moving while working out.
Source: Medindia
