Those of us with sedentary desk jobs know work can be a real pain in the rear. It can also be a pain in the neck, thighs and back while plummeting our mental health into equally shabby shape. Psych Central reports that long hours of sitting can increase our risk of:
- Heart disease
- Becoming disabled
- Obesity
The stress of the workplace can add another layer of woe, with the overall recipe ripe to contribute greater levels of driving anxiety and fears. Instead of quitting our desk jobs or looking for work that keeps us on the move all day, we can bring that movement to work to find relief.
Meet the Walking Workstation
The idea of plopping a computer atop a treadmill has been kicking around for years. You can fashion your own solution with a board cut to fit propped on your treadmill, then secured to hold your laptop on top. Pre-made workstations are also available, and you’ll find them through an online search for treadmill desk, walking workstation or similar terms.
But perhaps you want to know the benefits before you invest, which is exactly what Dr. Michael Sliter researched in his online article in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. An assistant psychology professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Sliter developed his own version of a walking workstation and put it to the test.
The test involved 180 participants who were evaluated for different characteristics using one of four randomly assigned workstations while working on work-related tasks.
The characteristics were:
- Boredom
- Task satisfaction
- Stress
- Arousal
- Performance
The workstations were:
- Seated
- Standing
- Cycling
- Walking
The workers at the walking workstation had higher levels of arousal and satisfaction and lower levels of stress and boredom than workers that were at the seated or standing stations. The cycling workstation workers still had lower levels of satisfaction and performance compared to the walking workers.
Walking Benefits
As with other forms of exercise, walking comes with physical benefits that include:
- Increased calorie burn and potential weight loss
- Contracting and expanding of muscles to improve strength, endurance and tone
- Increased blood flow and circulation
- Decrease in the risk of obesity, heart disease and eventual disability
Mayo Clinic reports on additional psychological benefits that come from walking and other physical activity, benefits that have the power to decrease driving anxiety, stress and depression. These benefits include:
- A body temperature increase, which can produce a soothing effect
- The release of brain chemicals that boost mood
- The reduction of chemicals in the immune system that may exacerbate depression
- Taking your focus off your worries and stress and on to the task at hand
Even if you don’t create or request a walking workstation at your own job, you can still take a walk before work, after work or during lunch or other breaks. Keeping your feet moving can keep your driving anxiety lower thanks to the overall calm it can bring.
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