Main Contact United Kingdom & Ireland Expert Blog Keeping pace with work In recent years, there have been a series of studies revealing the many health risks associated with too much sitting. The link between being deskbound and the danger of disease are so startling that some experts are calling sitting the new smoking. Prolonged inactivity has even been connected to heart disease and some types of cancer. That is the bad news, the good news is that companies like LifeSpan Fitness, a high-end manufacturer of unique exercise equipment, are finding creative solutions to combat the much too common problem. For all the negative symptoms which are associated with sitting, there are equally positive results related to an active lifestyle which is not limited to the gym. Stepping up to the belt In 2012, Lifespan began to notice customers using their treadmills in a new and unexpected way. Rather than putting them in a fitness room to be used at the end of the day, clients were placing the machines beneath their standing desks in order to exercise while on the job. “It was a grassroots beginning,” explains Jamie Airmet, the Creative Art Director at Lifespan. “As our customers learned more about the downsides of sitting, they began to blaze a trail.” With this new development came new demands. Treadmills which were built to be used at high-speeds were carrying heavier weight caused by shorter and slower strides for six to eight hours a day. “It was just too much strain on the belt,” Jamie says. “So we started shopping around for a belt which could fit our customer`s needs. We tested a few different belts and Habasit clearly won. When looking at pricing, longevity, and durability, it was just the obvious choice, and not to mention, we could offer a product to our customers which was absolutely maintenance free.” On the move With a reliable belt in place, customer benefits only grew from there. Health studies continued to come out revealing that a treadmill desk not only increases brain activity, improves short-term memory, decreases the risk of depression, but also enhances overall performance in the workplace. While LifeSpan`s line has expanded to include bike desks, standing desks and balance boards, Jamie says that the treadmill desk is at the core of their products. “So many times you are just a cog in a machine and what you produce doesn’t affect anyone`s life,” says Jamie, “but once we came out with the treadmill desk, we saw such a transformation. Customers would say how it changed their life, how they were more productive and more engaged simply because there was blood flowing to their brain.” With such enthusiastic customers, it has made Jamie`s job in marketing quite easy, but he still encounters the occasional skeptic. “Sometimes I will be at a tradeshow and see people walking down the aisle and texting on their phones. Then they see our product and say, `Oh man, I don’t know if I could walk and type at the same time.` Then I hand them a phone and say that it is just like texting and walking, only you don’t crash into things.” Thinking fast, walking slow While the speed of the treadmill can be easily adjusted to almost any work activity, Jamie says the ability to think fast is one of the greatest benefits of walking on the job. “It`s not a trend or a fad,” he explains. “It has just been in the last few years of the life of mankind that we have gotten into this work environment where we only stay in one place. We just weren`t built to do that.” TweetShareE-mail 2019 March 25 | Posted by Sonja Strimitzer Sonja Strimitzer is a member of the Global Marketing and Communications Team at Habasit in Vienna. She joined the company in 2011 to provide Marketing and Sales support for Austria and Central Eastern Europe, but also quickly rose to become Editor-in-Chief of Highlights, Habasit’s popular customer and employee magazine. She is a native German speaker, as well as fluent in both English and Swedish. She enjoys strong cooperation with colleagues from around the world and values the unique international environment. Contact us for personal support Get advice Leave a Reply Comment Name* Last name* Email * *Your email address will not be published Notify me by email when the comment gets approved. Notify me when new comments are added. About our blog Looking for tips on how to increase production efficiency and improve process performance? Want to learn about the latest developments in belting? Our blogs include personal, up-to-date knowledge and advice from our experts. And we’re always publishing new ones. So check back here frequently to tap into the expertise of the world’s leading belt provider. Learn about the Habasit story Most read articles The difference between a flat and V-belt drive Conveyor belts – from fiber to fabric 4 tips for preventive maintenance of conveyor belts To crown or not to crown a lagged pulley 6 tips for joining conveyor belts on your own Social Media facebook youtube website highlights linkedin twitter Be the first getting our expertise! Name E-mail I agree to my submitted data being stored and used to receive newsletters Contact Information Habasit UK Limited Habegger House Gannex Park, Dewsbury Road, Elland West Yorkshire, HX5 9AF Tel.: +44 (0) 333 207 6570 Email: info.uk@habasit.com Website: www.habasit.co.uk Contact form Trademarks Privacy Statement Legal Disclaimer Copyright Habasit. All rights reserved.