You know the habits that can creep in during a long work day – daydreaming about lunch, staring at the computer screen or browsing the web while that report remains unwritten. Sitting in one position all day can have a negative effect on a person’s mood and cloud the mind.

Luckily, if you own a standing desk, adjusting your position can get you out of a rut.

Lifehacker shared the psychological benefits of standing desks and how they help keep your mind moving throughout the day.

“Something about standing keeps me more engaged,” Ben from Pitch Dreams says. “My mind wanders less and for some reason I feel a bit more energized at work.”

He summarizes scientific research from Amy Cuddy, author of the TED talk, Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are (& how to create confidence and influence out of thin air).

Standing in specific “power poses” produces more testosterone that changes the body’s physiology and increases focus. Working at a standing desk naturally positions you into these certain poses, which subconsciously leads to better productivity.

Standing increases blood circulation, and we know what that means: more oxygen getting to the brain, which in turns revitalizes a person to see their mundane work tasks in a new light. Try standing most of the day and feel the brain cells spark and the creativity flow.

via LifeHacker

The post The Psychological Benefits of Standing appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

You can find time to enjoy the summer and manage your workout schedule behind a walking desk.

In a matter of days, summer vacation will officially begin. The kids will be home from school, those long, sun-filled days will be the norm, pool parties, days at the beach, on the lake… In short: bathing suits, bathing suits, bathing suits.

The paradox of summer is that it’s bathing suit season, but with the kids at home and so much going on, there is hardly any time to work out!

That’s why a treadmill desk like the Xdesk Fit is such a wonderful option, not only for those trying to lose weight, but for anyone with health in mind. Treadmill desks in general are great, but the Xdesk Fit treadmill desk in particular has things that the others don’t.

• The Xdesk Fit treadmill is an unobtrusive 29”x 70.5” (outside dimensions) and has modern styling with sleek lines. This desk is the height of technology—not only because of its adjustable height, but because of the treadmill itself. It comes with an LED digital display that you can place on top of your setup—no matter where it is positioned. This will list your walking time, calories burned, distance traveled and your speed.

• This treadmill desk is Bluetooth-enabled, so you can track your progress right on your computer’s desktop with a handy app. Talk about being productive at the office!

• The Xdesk Fit walking desk also comes with added safety. Most of these treadmill desks continue to run if you step off for a moment, which can be dangerous if you need to stop walking or pause to take a call. With a walking desk from Xdesk, the belt will know when you step off and will stop after just 20 seconds.

Aside from walking while you’re working, here are a few other tips to help you shed that winter insulation and feel confident and healthy in your swimsuit this summer.

• Snack smartly. Yes it’s true, snacking can be good—if you choose the right foods. The best picks are filling, protein-packed snacks, such as one stick of string cheese, a tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of fruit, or a medium-size bowl of edamame.

• Turn off the T.V. If you’re mindlessly eating while watching TV, research shows you can take in up to 40 percent more calories than usual. Texting, driving, or any other distracting activity during a meal can also result in eating too much.

• Build your muscle mass. Do sculpting workouts (push-ups, lunges, weights, etc.), at least three times a week. This will help boost your metabolism—and give you a healthy toned look.

• Steer clear of sugary drinks. Studies show that liquids travel too quickly through your stomach for your brain to notice the calorie consumption, so all those sugary drinks (not to mention high-calorie beers!) may not feel like they’re filling you up, but they really are—filling you up with calories.

• Eat your veggies. Nutritionists sometimes joke that “no one ever got fat eating carrots.” Truer words have never been spoken! Eat lots of veggies and leafy greens. These will keep you fuller longer and boost your energy, metabolism, and overall health.

So if you’re trying to lose weight for summer but find that you don’t have time (and who can blame you?!), hop behind your treadmill desk during the workday, and be mindful of what you’re putting into your body.

Any other tips for healthy weight loss? Share your thoughts below!

The post Healthy Ways to Lose Weight appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Perform these yoga positions behind your standing desk to keep moving and increase blood flow.

If you’ve been paying attention, you know very well how good for you standing desks and adjustable height desks can be. They can improve your posture, your energy, your weight, your back comfort and your health overall… The list goes on and on.

That being said, standing desks can be a bit difficult to get used to, after spending years sitting down at your desk job. I know when I first started standing, it took a while to work my way up to standing most of the day (which is why my adjustable height desk was so helpful—I could alternate until I was used to it!).

But for those of you who don’t have an adjustable height desk like the Terra model to alternate between sitting and standing, I have for you another option: Yoga.

Yoga is wonderful for you for so many reasons, but remember, you don’t need to restrict your yoga practice to the studio or your after-work-hours.

Here is a simple 3-step yoga sequence that will help get your blood flowing and keep your legs from being fatigued when you’re trying to get used to standing at the office:

1) Begin with a combination of Mountain Pose (tadasana) followed by Standing Half Moon (ardha chandrasana), a side bending pose.

2) Move to Tree (vrksasana) on each side and then into Mountain Pose with arms over head (urdhva hastasana).

3) Interlace fingers behind back and fold forward (Yoga mudra), and finish with a Standing Forward Fold with an easy twist: One hand on the earth (under the face) other hand extended to sky. End in Mountain Pose.

4) Add a revolved chair pose to extend the routine.

*If you need a visual guide to these poses, click here.

All of these yoga positions will not only loosen you up, stretch you out, and get the blood flowing, but also help you pay attention to your posture throughout the day.

If you start to get uncomfortable behind your standing desk, or even just stressed out from a day at work, take a few minutes to run through this easy sequence. You will feel energized, looser, and de-stressed—all from the comfort of your standing desk.

Do you have any tips for transitioning to using a standing desk? Share your thoughts below!

The post Yoga Behind your Standing Desk appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Stand up and start walking toward better health.

The title of this post might seem a bit confusing. Walking? Right now? But I am reading this post!

Well, if that was your immediate reaction, let me let you in on a little secret: You can be walking right now, staring at your computer monitor, or even typing along in the comment box below, all with the magical help of a treadmill desk.

But why should you be walking at work with a Xdesk Fit? After all, you go to the gym, you exercise, you eat pretty well, right? Studies show that even with regular exercise, if you’re sitting at work all day, you are not as healthy as you should be.

Here are some more reasons to get up and start walking with a treadmill desk:

1) You’re designed for it. The human body is designed to be actively walking most of the day. And when we deprive our bodies of walking, they suffer. The evidence is seen in back, neck, and shoulder pains, becoming overweight, vision problems, and general weakening of the body.

2) Walking is one of the healthiest ways to exercise. Walking is a low impact workout for your whole body, just like biking, yoga or golfing. They won’t take a toll on your joints like running, soccer, and cross training might (Believe me, I am a living testament to what can happen to joints after too much high impact work!).

3) Walking is good for your cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart, veins, and blood vessels, and if you don’t strengthen these organs (i.e. by sitting around all day), you are more prone to diseases and health issues. Walking is wonderful for strengthening our heart, veins, and blood vessels, and it does so easily.

4) Walking boosts your metabolism. Lots of types of exercise will increase your muscle mass and decrease fat, but walking has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism very consistently. Walk regularly, keep moving, stay active, and your body will be a fat-burning machine—even when you are stationary!

5) Walking strengthens your immune system. Walking helps increase the number of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria, and the number of immune cells circulating throughout the body. In short: walk more, get sick less.

6) Walking is a great stress reliever. Think about a time when you were stressed out at work and you were stuck sitting at your desk—you practically feel like you’re going to boil over! The best thing you can do is get out and take a walk, but sometimes you just can’t escape the office. With a treadmill desk, you can relieve your stress and stay on task (but then get outside and get some fresh air when you can—we weren’t designed to be cooped up all day!).

7) Walking will make you live longer. Yes, the Big Reason to walk. Turns out walking and low impact exercises is one of the factors that constantly pops up in societies around the world that live the longest, healthiest lives. They don’t kill themselves in the gym, they don’t do marathons—they walk and do consistent, low impact exercises. It is a part of their lives.

So if you aren’t walking while reading this, I recommend that you order your own treadmill desk immediately. And while you’re waiting for it to arrive, you can start implementing walking more throughout your workday by:

1) Take walking meetings

2) Walk to your co-workers’ offices, rather than send emails

3) Walk up the stairs to work

4) Park further away from work

5) Walk to lunch

6) Walk around the office when you’re feeling tired

7) Walk to work.

In short, just walk.

How do you implement walking and movement throughout your day? Do you use a treadmill desk?

The post Why You Should be WALKING Right Now appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Does your employer encourage a healthy lifestyle at the office?

In previous posts we’ve talked a lot about the importance of exercise and staying active (even moderate exercise is hugely beneficial, for all you hardcore exercisers out there!)

But for those readers out there are who are struggling to squeeze exercise into their overflowing to-do list, it can be difficult to find the time and motivation. After all, we’re busy. I get it. But there are certain things we can all do to help each other when it comes to staying on track with exercise.

One thing that employers and employees can do is create a Workplace Workout Program! After all, many of us spend most of our time at work—it’s the perfect opportunity to support and encourage each other to stay active.

Here are some ways to workout at work:

1. Participate in a local race. Even better, participate in a local race for charity! This can be a great way to stay in shape and bond with your co-workers.

2. Start a wellness committee. This group can host seminars or activities themed around issues relevant to staff.

3. Have challenges in the office tracking personal fitness goals. I had a job once that partook in a “biggest loser” type challenge. Everyone supported each other throughout the process and in the end, the people who were the “biggest losers,” i.e. lost the most weight, were given a prize.

4. Give the people what they want! What I mean is, give your employees standing height desks, adjustable height desks, or treadmill desks. They will not only be healthier, but more productive, thus benefiting the entire company!

5. Provide compensation for your employees’ gym memberships. This is probably the most effective and straightforward way to tell your office, “I care about your health. Now go to the gym!”

6. Brainstorm together. Have a meeting with your employees about office fitness. Find out what ideas they have on bringing better ergonomics into the office and promoting physical (and emotional!) well-being inside and outside of the office. A happy, healthy office is a more productive office.

While we can’t exactly enforce a rule in offices to make employers equip their offices with standing height desks, adjustable height desks, or treadmill desks, we can encourage YOU, the employee to step up, work with your employers, and build a healthy team rather than just an office space.

Does your office offer any kind of incentives for living a healthy lifestyle and exercising? Do you all use standing height desks, adjustable height desks, or treadmill desks at work?

Share your thoughts below!

The post Bring The Workout to Work appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

What do you do to remain active at work?

Ah, Spring Time. The weather is getting warmer, the birds are chirping at all hours of the day, the streets smell like flowers, and every time you walk outside there is a bit of a bounce in your step. Because, well, why shouldn’t there be? Life is grand! The world is beautiful!

Unfortunately, your boss didn’t get the memo, and you still have to come into work every day while the sun is shining outside.

If this situation sounds familiar, I have two suggestions for you:

1) Get outside when you can during work and enjoy the perfect weather. For anyone else based in the south, you know that you better get outside and enjoy it before it is too hot!

2) Use an adjustable height desk or even a treadmill desk during the work hours that you are required to be inside.

After all, just because you’re inside doesn’t mean you should be stuck sitting at your computer!

But I like sitting, you think as you sit in your chair reading these words. What’s the problem?

Well, I’ll tell you the problem(s):

• More than one-third of Americans are obese.
• The rate of Type 2 Diabetes has increased 176 percent since 1980.
• Only 3-5 percent of people meet the minimum recommendations of physical activity (150 minutes of moderate activity per week), and 33 percent are completely sedentary.
• Heart disease, regularly brought on by poor diet, lack of activity, and excess weight, is the leading cause of death in the US
• Obesity and inactivity are responsible for 300,000 premature deaths and over $90 billion in direct health care costs each year.

Now if that didn’t get you standing up at your desk, I don’t know what will.

And of course, when you can, get outside and take a walk—listen to the birds, feel the sun on your face, breathe the fresh air. Ah!

But until your boss starts allowing walking meetings 100 percent of the time and Monday-Friday work from the park days, I suggest you look into an adjustable or walking desk. And maybe ask for an office with a window you can open.

What are your solutions to staying active while at work? Do you use a walking desk or adjustable height desk?

Sources: NIH.gov, CDC.gov

The post Spring into Better Health appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

Using a treadmill at your desk can help you lose 45 to 65 pounds per year.

In a previous post we went over some of the top benefits of using a treadmill desk while at work. You can improve your posture, your muscle tone, your energy and much more (Let’s just say there are a lot of benefits to using a treadmill with your desk!).

In today’s post, I thought we could expand on one benefit in particular that a lot of people seem to be interested in: weight loss. And it’s no wonder why—The US is a country where over 1/3 of its adults are not just overweight but obese. I’m not criticizing or pointing fingers, I’m just saying that it is high time something is done about this. And a treadmill with your desk is a good place to start.

Think about it, if about 1/3 of adults in this country are obese, a whole lot of those folks are probably working desk jobs. In fact, in this age of computers and technology, most people are working desk jobs. And did you know that when you’re sitting, you’re only burning 1 calorie per minute? That is nothing, people!

Xdesk’s latest option of the treadmill with desk couldn’t get here at a better time. People are obese, sure, but our nation is smarter now. We know the facts. And we are ready to make a change.

How much change can you expect with a treadmill at your desk? According to the British Journal of Medicine, you will burn about 191 kcals/hour when using a treadmill with desk, compared to a measly 60-70 kcals/hour when you’re sitting down.

Furthermore, if you replace your sitting time with walking and working at a treadmill with your desk for 2-3 hours per day, you can lose up to 20-30 kg per year.

These folks are British, so let me put this into perspective for you:

If you swap just 2-3 of your regular sitting time with using a treadmill desk, you will lose about 45-65 pounds per year. Just by switching to a treadmill with desk for 2-3 hours a day! Just imagine what would happen if you coupled that with a healthier diet.

Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let me point out that the benefits of using a treadmill with your desk are not restricted to obese desk-workers, or even those folks who want to lose weight. With a treadmill desk you’re not only able to shed away pounds (or kg!), you’re also able to get healthier overall.

In a previous post I discussed my own experience with a treadmill desk and I can honestly say, I felt more energetic, more productive, and my whole body felt looser, simply by being in motion while I was working.

As you’ve probably read in this blog before, I “accidentally” lost weight simply by switching to Xdesk’s adjustable height desk. And I can only imagine what a treadmill with my desk would do for me.

I’ll tell you something: it is definitely going on my Christmas list next year.

Do you use a treadmill with desk at work? How do you like it?

Sources: CDC.gov

The post Pair a Treadmill With Your Desk & Lose Weight appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

There are multiple benefits to using a treadmill desk at work, from losing weight to increasing productivity.

In our last post we introduced you to the all-new Xdesk Fit. We talked about its features, the specs, and gave you a general idea of why it is so very cool. But we didn’t discuss exactly why you might want to look into a walking desk for yourself.

So in today’s post we’ll cover the benefits of walking at work. Spoiler alert: some of them might surprise you!

1) Lose Weight: It is predicted that by introducing just three more hours of walking a day, you can lose up to 50-70 pounds in a year without restrictive dieting.

2) Prevent Disease: You can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and lower cholesterol. These diseases are often associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. By increasing your movement and the amount of time you spend walking, you can help combat these all-too-common killers.

3) Improve Overall Health: Use a walking desk to help prevent other types of diseases. By walking, not only are you burning fat to lose weight and preventing heart and insulin problems, but you’re stimulating your body’s lymphatic and immune systems to ward off other diseases.

4) Increase Energy Levels: With a walking desk you will feel more alert and energetic. By walking, you’re increasing blood flow and oxygen to your brain and other vital parts of your body. These desks make you healthier and more alert and energetic at work as well as after you leave.

5) Relieve Muscle Pain: With a walking desk you can relieve back and leg pain. After a long day of sitting or standing in one spot, your back and legs might very well be protesting. Painfully!

With a walking desk, you can stay in motion and keep your muscles stretching and moving. This way, lactic acid won’t build up from staying still—you’ll feel more limber and comfortable than you’d imagine possible at the end of a workday.

6) Increase Muscle Strength: With a Xdesk Fit treadmill desk you’ll increase your strength and build muscle. Walking is a great way to burn fat and build muscle. The more lean muscle you build by walking, the faster your metabolism will be! It’s a very lovely cycle.

7) Maintain Joint Health: With a walking desk you won’t damage your joints. Many high-impact exercises like running or cross-training may be good for your physique—but not good for your joints. By doing low-impact exercises like walking, you’re burning calories, but you’re not hurting injuring yourself in the meantime.

8) Improve Productivity: With a walking desk you won’t lose time at work. You won’t have to take breaks to walk around the building anymore and lose time on your project—you’ll just walk as you work!

9) Save Time: With a Xdesk Fit you won’t lose time after work. You can kiss those late nights at the gym goodbye. With your walking desk you can get a workout in during your workday, cutting the time you spend in the gym down significantly!

10) Increase Personal Satisfaction: Finally, you’ll feel better about work. I don’t know about you, but after a long day of sitting or standing at work, I feel utterly lazy. I feel like I should have spent my day moving! With a walking desk¸ though, you can move at work. You’ll feel better, more productive, happier, and trust me, your co-workers will thank you for it.

If you’ve been thinking about getting a walking desk for your own office, consider these 10 benefits to make the decision that much easier. And come back next time to find out more about the Xdesk Fit!

Do you or somebody you know use a Xdesk Fit, or one similar, at work? Comment below and share your thoughts!

The post Top 10 Benefits of Using a Xdesk Fit Treadmill Desk appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

The Xdesk Fit offers additional features beyond the normal treadmill desk.

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock (or perhaps more appropriately, an old, traditional desk), you have probably heard about the latest and greatest in ergonomic workstations: The treadmill desk!

The treadmill desk is a step beyond the standing desk and adjustable height desks (pun intended!), which is why Xdesk has decided to not only to create a treadmill desk of our own, but to improve and build upon the existing treadmill desk.

Most treadmill desks on the market today are pretty basic: You’ve got a rather clunky treadmill—something you might see in the gym in the late 90’s—and a standing desk. This is all fine and well, until you start to think about the features you really need at a good ergonomic workstation.

What if the desk portion of your treadmill desk is too low or too high? What if you need to easily pause your treadmill desk while you’re working? What about counting steps, calories, distance, and speed without doing a running mental calculation?

Well, with a Xdesk treadmill desk the issues with other treadmill desks have been turned into convenient features. Let’s explore this newest addition to the Xdesk family, shall we?

First, let’s talk about the actual desk part of our treadmill desk. Rather than use a standard, one-height standing desk like some of our competitors, we’ve opted to use our unique power-adjustable height desks. Choose between the Terra or Air models for a warm or more modern look, and rest assured that either way, the desk for your treadmill desk will be the perfect height for you, because you are in control.

Either of these options for your treadmill desk is eco-friendly—the Terra with its sustainable bamboo desktop and recycled aluminum columns, and the air with its super-thin, recycled aluminum desktop.

The treadmill is an unobtrusive 29” x 70.5” (outside dimensions) and it is modern and sleek with clean lines.

This treadmill desk is the height of technology—not only because of its adjustable height, but also because of the treadmill itself. The treadmill desk comes with an LED digital display that you can place on top of your treadmill desk—no matter where it is positioned. This will list your walking time, calories burned, distance traveled and your speed.

Even better, the Xdesk treadmill desk is Bluetooth-enabled, so you can track your progress right on your computer’s desktop with a handy app. Talk about being productive at the office!

Finally, with all of these cool features of this treadmill desk comes one that is perhaps the most important: the added safety.

Most treadmill desks continue to run if you step off for a moment, which can be dangerous if you need to stop walking or pause to take a call. With the Xdesk Fit Treadmill desk, the belt will know when you step off and will stop after just 20 seconds.

Pretty cool, huh?

Whether you’re an athlete, a person trying to lose weight, or just somebody who wants to keep moving, the all-new Xdesk Fit Treadmill desk is the desk for you. Be sure to come back next time when we go over the benefits of the treadmill desk (and trust me, there are a lot!).

What do you think of the Xdesk Fit treadmill desk?

The post Introducing the Xdesk Fit Treadmill Desk! appeared first on Xdesk Blog.