Walking can reduce the risk of diabetes, prevent cancer and boost your brain function.

If you want to know how good for you walking is, read on. But to feel it for yourself, here is a simple experiment: One day at work, try just sitting down all day in front of your desk. Get everything done. Then go home.

The next day, try using a treadmill desk—if you don’t have one yet, try just taking walking breaks as often as you can. Walk down the hall rather than send a co-worker an email, walk up the stairs, or take walking meetings. Just keep moving!

Compare the days and I know you will find that on day two you were more productive, felt healthier, more energetic, looser, lighter, and probably happier overall (Unless you turned your ankle or something the second you stepped out the door. In which case, sorry about that!).

Why does walking feel so good? In today’s post we’ll go over 7 reasons why walking is good for your health.

1) Walking can help you lose weight.
The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 6-10 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.

Neighborhoods with poor walkability are barriers to physical activity. Research shows that people walk more if living in a walkable neighborhood. If you can’t help but live in a sprawling area, do what more and more people are doing these days and invest in a treadmill desk.

2) Walking can help prevent cancer.
Yes, really. Just one quick example: Women who walked 1 to 3 hours per week had reduced the risk of death from breast and uterine cancer by 19 percent. When they walked 3 to 5 hours per week, their risks of the same cancers were reduced by 54 percent, according to a study by Harvard University.

3) Walking can reduce your risk of diabetes.
A recent study of more than 3,000 overweight adults found that walking 2.5 hours per week (along with a healthy diet) reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent. For overweight adults 60 years and older, the risk was reduced to 71 percent.

4. Walking can keep your arteries unclogged.
In the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a study found that exercise before a meal may help stem the effects of high-fat foods on blood vessel function. Unclogged vessels and arteries keep blood circulating throughout the body.

5) Walking can help prevent heart disease.
Studies show that as walking increases, heart disease decreases. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, retired men who walked more than 1.5 miles per day had a significantly lower risk for heart disease (compared to men who walk less).

6) Walking can reduce blood pressure.
Getting the recommended 10,000 steps a day, or even a minimal 30 minutes of walking each day can significantly reduce blood pressure.

7) Walking can boost your brain.
Many studies prove that exercise can improve mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. It is also shown that physical activity (like walking) can help boost self-esteem and brain function. So, want to get out of a rut? Try going for a walk.

Of course, as mentioned above, in the best possible scenario you will be able to walk around your city, to work, to the store… But we can’t all live in New York (though with the population density, it seems people are trying!).

So what is the next best thing? Walk while you work. Take breaks, get outside and enjoy the fresh air, try working remotely from the park, and when you’re in the office, try using a treadmill desk like the new Xdesk Fit.

No matter how you do it, just keep walking. Your body will thank you for it!

Do you use a treadmill desk? Have you noticed a difference in the way you feel at work and after?

The post Walking Your Way to Better Health appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

The adjustable monitor arm takes your standing desk to the next level.

So you have your adjustable height desk or standing desk, you have your adjustable keyboard tray, and yet … you still feel like you could be more comfortable and more aligned. So what can you do besides stack your monitor on a pile of shoe boxes?

Get an adjustable monitor arm. At Xdesk, we offer two options: the Solo Monitor arm, for those of you with one monitor, and the Mondo Monitor arm, for those of you who use two monitors.

Here’s why you should be using an adjustable monitor arm if you’re not already:

1) You don’t want to strain your neck by peering at the monitor in a fixed position. A Xdesk adjustable monitor arm will allow you to adjust the height, depth, and in most cases, the angle of your monitor to get it at the healthiest and most comfortable position for your body.

2) Clear up the clutter. If you already have an adjustable height desk from Xdesk, you know that a clutter-free design is important to us. All of the wires, gears, and things that make your desk move so smoothly, are, well, hidden.

So why clutter up your beautiful adjustable height desk with a clunky monitor on top of it, just taking up space? Maximize the space on your desk with an adjustable monitor arm.

3) Adjustable monitor arms are versatile. Rather than setting a stack of boxes on your desk to lift your monitor to the perfect height (which believe me, doesn’t work), an adjustable monitor arm allows complete flexibility and versatility. Even if you share your ergonomic workstation with others, the adjustable monitor arm will move to meet individual needs.

4) Your adjustable height desk works best with a monitor arm. If you have an adjustable height desk, you need to be able to adjust your monitor to the optimal viewing position for either standing or sitting.

This can change depending on what height your desk is set to, so a monitor arm is not just another “accessory” for your adjustable height desk, but it is also necessary.

5) Your Xdesk Fit will work better with a monitor arm. Just like with an adjustable height desk, if you use a treadmill desk, it will work best for your body if you use an adjustable monitor arm. Not only will your posture be better, but what about for those times when you don’t want to be walking on the treadmill at your desk?

With an adjustable monitor arm, you can turn the monitor around 360 degrees and work from a standing position or even a chair on the other side of the desk. Pretty neat, huh?

If you already have your adjustable height desk, standing desk, or treadmill desk and you still feel something is missing, well, chances are, it is a monitor arm. Check them out online today.

Do you use an adjustable monitor arm with your ergonomic workstation? How do you like it?

The post The Top 5 Reasons Why You Need an Adjustable Monitor Arm appeared first on Xdesk Blog.