Several small-scale studies were led by researchers from Stanford University to determine how walking boosts creativity. The test subjects had to take a creativity test, were made to walk around, and then take the test a second time. And the results were pretty significant.

The study found that for nearly every test subject, creativity increased when they took a walk. According to the study, most subjects could generate roughly 60 percent more uses for an object, and their ideas were “novel and appropriate.”

And the creative juices didn’t stop flowing, since they continued to generate creative ideas even after they sat down. The study concluded that the test subjects who walked had significantly better ideas than in the pre-exercise testing period.

The test subjects were then moved outdoors during a portion of the experiment. Most researchers’ guessed that walking outside would be significantly better than pacing in an office, but surprisingly that didn’t matter.

When the test subjects walked outside for about eight minutes, they generated more creative ideas than when they sat outside or inside for the same length of time. But there was no noticeable difference in creative ideas when the subjects walked outdoors or indoors on a treadmill facing a wall.

The researchers still were not clear exactly why walking boosts creativity, but they did suggest that it could be related to a mood booster, or because walking distracts the brain’s energy long enough for it to wander in thought.

With these results, it gives you even more of an excuse to get moving throughout your day! And now you can give the executives a reason for why you need to take a stroll around the block, or even better, why you should incorporate a Xdesk Fit into your daily work life.

Imagine the work flow and awesome ideas that will stream through your head as you pace on the Xdesk Fit. And it doesn’t hurt that our desk treadmill is equipped with all the features, like a digital LED display and Bluetooth connectivity. You can even charge your electronic device while you pace and listen to music, since it includes a USB port.

To learn more about the Xdesk Fit, go HERE.

We found this study through Lifehacker, to see the entire story, go HERE.

Do you take a daily walk outside of the office? If so, have you felt more creative afterwards? Share in the comments below!

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Columnist Danny Sullivan recently tried a treadmill desk and measured just how much more productive he was. He reported his findings on CNET and gave some great advice on how to use a walking desk. Sullivan provided insight to standing versus walking, what to consider when buying a treadmill desk, and how to prepare yourself to walk the majority of your day.

As a recent standing desk user, he noted that using the desk for basic tasks like emailing, and reading worked perfectly. Then he took it to the next level with a treadmill desk.

The results were unsurprising – Sullivan felt great! Not to say he wasn’t tired, but he felt successful that he put in exercise and was able to multitask on a treadmill desk throughout his day. If you’re thinking about investing in a treadmill desk, know that it’s important to start slow and work your way up to walking most of the day.

Unlike jogging or cycling, walking isn’t a high-intensity work out, so your joints won’t ache or be exposed to injury. But you will feel the effects of walking all day on a treadmill desk – in a good way!

Treadmill desk users should also be aware of how to dress while using the desk, the most important being proper footwear. No one wants to walk all day in uncomfortable shoes, or worse, barefoot, so Sullivan noted that running shoes paired with comfortable, loose-fitting clothing was the best option.

Sullivan reported that toward the end of his work day he found himself leaning on the treadmill desk for added support. After realizing his poor posture, he stopped. And once he started to get used to being on his feet all day, it prevented him from leaning.

One result from his experiment (again, unsurprisingly) was weight loss. He lost about four pounds during the trial period, so that’s one small step toward long-term health benefits!

Another interesting outcome of using a treadmill desk was when he compared standing to walking. Obviously treadmill desk users don’t have to walk wall the time, but he said that he started to crave walking during the day, and felt odd if he wasn’t moving. So be careful if you’re thinking about a treadmill desk, you may find yourself itching to walk more and more every day!

Sullivan couldn’t give an accurate answer to which treadmill desk is the best to buy since he only used one, but he did offer sound advice on what to consider before investing.

He emphasized height control as a factor, and said some treadmill desks only offered adjustments within 1-inch increments. Luckily our adjustable height desks solve that problem, with programmable memory presets to set the perfect height to match a treadmill desk. The convex and convex buttons also help you focus on walking and working, since you won’t even have to look at which button adjusts up or down.

The display on the treadmill desk was another factor to consider. The Xdesk Fit has a small, modern console that won’t get in the way of your work. The digital LED display shows steps taken, walking time and belt speed, distance travelled and calories burned. The Intelli-Step feature counts the number of steps taken, and it’s more accurate than a pedometer. The console also has a safety key that shuts down the treadmill once it’s removed, which leads to another factor: safety.

Xdesk Fits have AutoSense, so the belt senses the exact moment your feet stop walking on the treadmill desk. After 20 seconds, the treadmill automatically pauses, so you won’t have to worry about the safety hazard of stepping on and off the treadmill.

Needless to say, after Sullivan’s trial run with a treadmill desk, he was a quick convert. He’s looking forward to a future of walking, and all the long-term health benefits associated with that. See his full story HERE.

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A recent study found that brisk walking lessens the risk of heart disease more than running, when both physical activities were compared and the same amount of energy was used. That means, you really can walk your way to better heart health!

The researchers studied 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers aged 18 to 80 over a period of six years. The results showed several benefits of walking. A point to pay attention to is that the benefits of walking outweighed the benefits of running when the same amount of energy was used.

For every calorie burned, the walking participants experienced a stronger impact on heart disease risk factors, and walking ultimately reduced the total risk of heart disease by 9.3 percent. Running reduced the risk of heart disease by only 4.5 percent.

The benefits of walking found in the study seemed to be endless! The risk of high blood pressure was reduced by 7.2 percent in the walking participants, while the runners experienced only a 4.2 percent reduced risk of high blood pressure.

Additionally, the risk of high cholesterol was reduced by 7 percent in the walking participants, while runners experienced a 4.3 percent reduction.

The study also found that the risk of diabetes was lowered by 12 percent for both walkers and runners.

At its most basic level, the study shows that it’s important to stay active to lower your risk of harmful diseases. Remaining sedentary isn’t doing your body any favors, so stand up, start walking, or hit the gym!

“People are always looking for an excuse not to exercise but now they have a straightforward choice to run or to walk and invest in their future health,” study leader Dr. Paul Williams, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said.

We’ve relayed our love of adjustable height desks, and showed the benefits of standing countless times, but if you want to greatly improve your health, and shed pounds along the way, you may want to think about a treadmill desk.

You can experience the same benefits as the walking participants by using a treadmill to accompany your adjustable height desk. Think about it: reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol – all symptoms the body is exposed to the longer it remains sedentary.

Whether you choose to add a treadmill to your standing desk and walk to better health, or decide to hit the gym after work, just make sure to stay active on a daily basis!

The study was reported in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. See the story from The Guardian.

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Treadmill desks are the latest workplace trend.

In a previous post we told you about how the Xdesk is the ultimate ergonomic workstation–it is perfectly adjustable for any height and any position, from the desk to the keyboard and even the monitor’s position. While doing a bit of Internet digging, I found that while the Xdesk may be the ideal ergonomic workstation, it has got nothing on this latest trend. Introducing the treadmill desk.

Yes, you read that correctly: the treadmill desk.

The Xdesk Fit can keep you moving all day.

This gem takes the idea of ergonomic workstations and standing desks to a whole new level. It is a veritable walking desk.

The treadmill desk is the creation of Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic. The idea is to slowly walk on a treadmill while still working at your desk built around a treadmill.

I don’t have a treadmill desk of my own, but right now as I’m typing this, I’m giving it a shot. I’m walking. And typing. It’s pretty easy.

But this does make me wonder, do you really need to pay the extra $500 or so for a treadmill desk when you can literally do the same thing by walking behind your standing desk?

I use a Xdesk adjustable height desk and I’m walking behind it right now—going just as “far” as I would be on a slow-moving treadmill. So what is the difference?

Self-motivation, I suppose. With a classic ergonomic workstation like the Xdesk you’ll have to motivate yourself to stand up and move your feet. With a treadmill desk, if it is on, you really don’t have any option (unless you want to end up on the floor).

But even without the latest treadmill desk and without an ergonomic workstation at all, you must still motivate yourself to get up and get moving. Take breaks during your workday to walk around the building. Print to the printer down the hall instead of near your office. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

And when you get home, don’t collapse onto the couch—get outside, play with your kids, your dogs, or just play! It is my professional opinion (as a writer…) that life is taken way too seriously. There is too much work and not enough play. And too much sitting, and not enough moving!

So get yourself up and active. And if it takes this extreme ergonomic workstation to motivate you, then by all means get a treadmill desk! The point is, just move. Your body will thank you for it.

What is your unique and brilliant idea for the next ergonomic workstation? Share your thoughts below (Or patent them and then share your thoughts below…)!

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