UNDER-DESK treadmills are a popular investment right now, but do their benefits make them worthwhile?

Working from home has become more and more prevalent, but a recent WHO paper on global health risks identified physical inactivity as the fourth leading global risk factor for mortality, and five out of the six highest can be alleviated by increasing activity levels.

To compound that issue, it’s rare for someone to have enough space for a full home gym. This is where under-desk treadmills come in. They are designed so that they take up very little space and they’re convenient for multi-tasking.

An under-desk treadmill is an incredibly useful bit of equipment. They have no handles, and are simply the base and belt of a treadmill. This means they’re easy to store and are quick to set up and put away. Just put it on the floor and switch it on.

If you’re already using a gym to run on the treadmill, a huge benefit is the cost. You can get a high-spec under-desk treadmill that will last you several years for less than US$400, and products with lower speed capabilities are often under US$200.

The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines advice for adults is to get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. According to a 2014 study in The Lancet, taking an extra 2,000 steps per day (only about 20 minutes of brisk walking) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 10 percent, and cut the risk of blood sugar issues by 25 percent, according to a 2011 paper in Diabetes Care. Recent research from 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine demonstrated significant health benefits in going up to 4,400 and 7,500 steps per day. This research shows that being more active by simply walking more can hugely improve physical health. Not only that, but at a time when people are suffering from more stress than ever, walking can have a profound impact on mental health, as outlined in an article by the Mayo Clinic.

When you have a treadmill in your home, all of the annoying travel time to and from a gym disappears. It’s much easier to motivate yourself when your “gym” is right beside you.

There are, of course, some downsides to under-desk treadmills. Because they’re designed to be lightweight and portable, they have less speed than traditional treadmills, a smaller belt size, and rarely do they have any incline options. They also have much lower maximum user weight capacities of 100-108 kg, while traditional treadmills are usually rated at a 136-kg minimum.

It’s also worth noting that under-desk treadmills would be woefully inadequate for any kind of high-intensity interval training or sprints. Even the fastest 10-kph models are likely too slow for high-intensity exercise, and their lack of handles would make high-speed work too dangerous. One model in particular limits speed to 4 kph unless you put its handles up, at which point its limit increases to over 11 kph. Ultimately, these are the tradeoffs for a lighter, more portable, less expensive treadmill.

(SD-Agencies)