Active Desks For WFH: When Gym Meets Office

WFH has led to the popularity of “active” workstations — treadmills, bikes, elliptical trainers or just a standing desk. They allow users to move, talk and type simultaneously. But just how effective are these devices? And can they replace an actual workout? Here’s what doctors and fitness experts have to say:

- Nihaika Lal, Riya Sharma, Divya Kaushik

Sedentary workers should initially increase their stand time to 2 hours per day and gradually build up to 4 hours

A PART OF THE NEW NORMAL

Dr Nitish Dogra, Faculty, IIHMR (International Institute of Health Management Research) Delhi, says, “As our life gets confined to indoor spaces, it becomes essential to integrate physical activity. Sitting is the new smoking so standing desks, treadmills and the likes are part of the new normal.”

TOO MUCH PEDALLING AND WALKING MIGHT CAUSE KNEE PAIN, SO USE IN MODERATION. THESE ARE A GREAT ADDITION TO BURN MORE CALORIES AND BE MORE ACTIVE, BUT IT’S NOT A FULL-FLEDGED WORKOUT. FOR A BEGINNER, WE CAN CLASSIFY IT AS A WORKOUT AND FOR ADVANCED TRAINEES, IT WOULD BE JUST A WAY TO INCREASE DAILY ACTIVITY – Yash Vardhan Swami, online health and fitness educator and coach