Sitting Will Kill You, But So Will Your Ridiculous Treadmill Desk

We got the bad news last year. MoneyWatch: “Sitting all day is killing you.” MSNBC: “You sitting down? Experts say it’ll kill you.” Buzzfeed: “Sitting Down WILL Kill You.” You get the idea. The short version of all the research is that sitting for more than six hours a day is highly correlated with obesity, and even death. In response, new-fangled “active workstations” including like treadmill desks suddenly seemed not just cool but life-saving. Well, I hope you’re sitting down, because it turns out that your treadmill desk could kill you, too — and it won’t take decades to do so.

MarketWatch has the (kinda hilarious) story about all the ways that “active workstations” are going wrong. A woman who works for Toyota fell off her treadmill within the first few weeks of procuring it. Documented treadmill injuries (whether at home or at the office) include sprains, chest contusions, and “foot lacerations.” Others report terrible Achilles tendon pain and severe static shocks. People who use stationery bike work stations report their knees often hit the undersides of their desks.

Not to mention these lesser problems:

Fine motor skills like mouse clicking deteriorate by about 11% while walking on a treadmill. Cognitive function, too.
Typing speed and accuracy slow by about 16%.
Lower back strain is common among users of stability balls.
Running all day makes you sweat.
Imagine wearing high heels on a treadmill.
A 2009 study found that stability balls don’t actually improve posture.
You risk looking like an idiot: A Chicago data scientist who uses a stability ball tells MarketWatch he has never fallen completely off the ball, but he has a “close call” about once a month.

OK, so maybe your active workstation won’t actually kill you, though it could certainly weaken you. But don’t worry, you probably won’t have it for long anyway. A University of Iowa study found that when stationery bikes were offered as an alternative to traditional work stations, just 19% of workers were still biking after a month.

Toni

” Well, I hope you’re sitting down, because it turns out that your
treadmill desk could kill you, too — and it won’t take decades to do so. ”

Yea, right. First off all working on a treadmill desk is certainly healthier then sitting. Sure walking on a treadmill 8 hours a day is not perfect and can result in injuries but it is much better compared to sitting 8 hours a day.

” and it won’t take decades to do so ”

It wont? So how will a treadmill desk kill me? By falling off? Walking at 1.5mph?

” Documented treadmill injuries (whether at home or at the office) include
sprains, chest contusions, and “foot lacerations.” Others report
terrible Achilles tendon pain and severe static shocks. People who use
stationery bike work stations report their knees often hit the
undersides of their desks. ”

You know what can happen to a person visiting the gym? And are people who go work out regulary sicker then people who dont do any physical excersise?

And who do you suggest produces those treadmill injuries? Just like in the gym it is beginners who are out of shape to begin with, who have scores of aches and pains already from NOT doing any excerise .

” Fine motor skills like mouse clicking deteriorate by about 11% while walking on a treadmill. Cognitive function, too. ”

While the first part might be true most people wont be affected by this delines, secondly. Can you back up the fact that cognitife function declines? Id like to challange that, walking certainly has good effects on your cogntive function, especially long term.

” Running all day makes you sweat. ”

You do not run on a treadmill, Iam walking at 1.5- 2km/h. It hardly makes you sweat.

” stability balls ”

So you couldnt make up any more bs about treadmills so you just insert something else?

” Imagine wearing high heels on a treadmill ”

Imagine swnowboarding on a treadmill

” You risk looking like an idiot: A Chicago data scientist who uses a
stability ball tells MarketWatch he has never fallen completely off the
ball, but he has a “close call” about once a month. ”

You may think someone who walks on a treadmill desk looks like an idiot. Yes you can be certain you are an idiot if you do not care for your health out of fear to look like an idiot or that you cant wear high heels on a treadmill for matter.
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