Behavior/Humans

How Can You Lose Weight While Having a Sedentary Job?

The treadmill workstation

By Stefan Anitei, Science Editor

15th of May 2007, 10:27 GMT

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Exercising in the gym may seem boring for many, but now experts have developed a vertical workstation which makes you burn calories while working.

Mayo Clinic researchers in New York have stated that this could enable obese people to lose 30kg (75 pounds) yearly. 15 obese subjects burned an average of 191 kcal per hour using the treadmill, while those just sitting at their desk only 72 kcal.

The workstation, which must be used for two to three hours daily, incorporates a computer, a keyboard and the treadmill. The steel frame has an "H" shape and has four locking rubber wheels attached, being easy to move around.

The Plexiglass panel has two adjustable arms, one for holding the computer screen and another for the keyboard and mouse, while other slats are for personal items like cup holder, pen holder or paper tray. The design is adjustable so you can walk and work, stand and work and the treadmill can be replaced by a high chair, enabling you to sit and work. Also the treadmill's speed is adjustable.

All 15 volunteers taking part in the trials had sedentary office jobs and none practiced any sports regularly. They used the treadmill for walking, the equivalent of one mile (1.6 km) per hour.

"If sitting computer time were replaced by walking-and-working, energy expenditure could increase by 100 kcal (calories) per hour. Thus, if obese individuals were to replace time spent sitting at the computer with walking computer time by two to three hours a day, and if other components of energy balance were constant, a weight loss of 20-30 kilograms per year could occur." the researchers revealed.

One of the factors leading to the increasing obesity rates is the computer use.

"The growing obesity epidemic is something that requires drastic action. This is clearly this is something that is slightly gimmicky and unusual, but if it is a way of getting people with sedentary lifestyles off of their backsides then that has got to be a good thing." said John Brewer, director of the Lucozade Sports Science Academy.

"The workstation could potentially appeal to people who found pounding out miles on a treadmill tedious by allowing them to combine it with a more interesting activity." added Brewer.

The price of one workstation is of �1,000 ($ 2,000 or 1.470 Euro).

TAGS:

weight | treadmill | computer | obese

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