Can walking on a treadmill at the office improve your fitness?
ASK A RESEARCHER: You have probably seen ads for treadmill desks on social media, but can you really improve your fitness by walking while working at the office?
What actually happens if you use a treadmill desk at the office?(Photo: Shutterstock / NTB)
Do you sit still too much at work? Or do you wish you could watch a movie while moving?
Maybe you've been tempted to buy a walking treadmill – a smaller and lighter version of a traditional treadmill?
According to researchers, however, this is not a miracle cure for sedentary behaviour.
Just as effective to take the stairs
Solfrid Bratland-Sanda is a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway's Department of Sports,Physical Education and Outdoor Studies. She believes that a walking treadmill can be useful.
Annonse
"If the walking treadmill helps you move more and sit still less, you will get many of the same health benefits as with other light walking," she tells sciencenorway.no.
She explains that using a walking treadmill does not provide significant health benefits in a real work situation, as the walking speed is too slow.
Solfrid Bratland-Sanda thinks the walking treadmill is a useful tool, but not necessarily better than taking a walk.(Photo: Peter B. Jørgensen / University of South-Eastern Norway)
"If you want metabolic health benefits, taking the stairs instead of the lift or having walking meetings outdoors can be just as effective," she says.
Need for more research
In 2021, researchers conducted a meta-study on people who used some form of treadmill under their desk. They examined how these treadmills affected energy expenditure, sitting time, and health in adults with sedentary jobs.
The meta-study analysed 13 different studies conducted at six workplaces and in seven laboratories, with a total of 351 participants.
The research showed that treadmills could increase energy expenditure by 105 calories per hour and reduce sitting time by almost two minutes per hour in workplace environments.
However, researchers were unable to document any effect on BMI, blood pressure, or fat levels.
The researchers concluded that more research is needed.
Not a replacement
Ulf Ekelund is a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences' Department of Sports Medicine. He agrees that a walking treadmill can increase energy expenditure. However, he is sceptical about how effective it is in the long term.
"For the walking treadmill to provide health benefits, one must walk at a moderate to brisk pace. This is not always compatible with office work," he says.
Ekelund believes that walking treadmills should be seen as a supplement rather than a replacement for other physical activity.
Ulf Ekelund is sceptical about whether the treadmill desk has any real health benefits.(Photo: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences)
"After a good workout, people often think they have done such a good job that they don't need to move more in their daily lives," he says.
Annonse
Ekelund hopes that people will not choose to forgo other exercise in their daily routine just because they walk on a treadmill.
He is, however, more positive about using a walking treadmill at home.
"If you use a walking treadmill while watching a movie, you can more easily adjust the pace. This makes the treadmill more effective, allowing you to move at a time when you would otherwise be sedentary," says Ekelund.
One of many tools
Bratland-Sanda emphasises the importance of finding a balance.
"As the World Health OrganiZation states, all movement counts – including movement on a treadmill," she says.
She encourages people to think of the walking treadmill as just one of many tools for daily physical activity.
"Some will love it and use it often, while others will feel it was a waste of money. The most important thing is to find a form of movement that works for you," she says.
