116: Treadmill Desk

The Treadmill Desk And The Benefits of Walking

My guest today is a fitness expert and inventor of the revolutionary Treadmill Desk.

Rob Jacobs is the creator of the first specifically designed Unsit Treadmill Desk. He designed the machine for the purpose of preventing the ill health effects caused by lack of movement and sitting too much. It can help invert the common office lifestyle, where there's plenty of time spent in sitting down than in making movements such as walking and standing. He believes that thru the Unsit Treadmill Desk, he can motivate people to move while working and help break the unhealthy habits of sitting too much. But, if one can not get a treadmill desk, then “set the alarm to get up and move every 20 minutes,” says Rob.

Hippocrates once said 2400 years ago, “Walking is a man's best medicine”. According to physicians, if you want to add seven years to your life, take a 20 to 25-minute walk a day. Researchers also discovered that regular walking modifies our nervous system decreasing our chances of getting angry and hostile. And if you are stuck with work and couldn't get creative, experts advise taking a walk so as your creative juices will flow.

“Sitting around on the job is something that's gonna go away for a variety of reasons, health reasons, fitness reasons, productivity reasons and creativity reasons. I find it more creative and I come up with ideas more when I wind up and walking around.” – Rob Jacobs

Sitting Is The New Smoking

Rob believes that our body was designed to move around. That we will become more productive in our work if we stand up and move. And this is true. As a matter of fact, Dr. James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and author of the book, Get Up “Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to do one thing: move. As human beings, we evolved to stand upright. For thousands of generations, our environment demanded nearly constant physical activity.”

Rob shares the physiological risks of prolonged sitting:

1. Bottom of the feet – Serves as a “switch”. When we stand up it sends a signal to the brain that there's a threat or there are opportunities. If we turned that switch “off” by sitting down too much, it sends a lot of functions in the brain that are meant for solving problems, to rest, or asleep. Calories burned start to drop lower to 1 calorie a minute because our body is at rest.
2. Lower limbs –  When we are stuck in one right angle contraption, it puts pressure on the big muscles in the body impeding blood circulation in the lower limbs leading to all tingling pain.
3. Spine– We're supposed to have a nice “S” form on our backs. But when we sit our spine is curving in a wrong direction. It is curved the other way squishing our discs backwards putting pressure on the nerves that later on leads to sciatic nerve pain.
4. Shoulder and Neck: Too much sitting causes neck infringements and discomfort
5. Blood Sugar – When our calories burned drop down to zero, we start to feel sleepy and loses energy. Normally, people grab caffeine and sugar to stay awake instead of walking and moving. In years of doing this, could lead to inflammation of pancreas or diabetes.

How To Have An Effective Shift Of Mindset?

Rob Jacobs shares tips on how to stop making excuses and avoid a sedentary lifestyle:

1. Mental commitment – desire to do; willingness to achieve change
2. Set a goal – eg. 10-min walk a day
3. Improve nutrition intakes
4. Start doing walking /standing breaks
5. If one can afford, try the Unsit Treadmill Desk

Rob Jacobs is a pioneer in the fitness industry. He completed UCLA’s Fitness Instructors Program in 1986 and founded The Walking Center, helping people develop a healthy habit of exercise through walking and running on treadmills. Rob is indeed a pioneer in the health industry as he launched a vegan and organic restaurant in the 1990s! In 1993 Rob co-founded  Real Food Daily restaurants with his wife, Ann Gentry. Their restaurant chain specializes in certified organic produce and product. RFD promotes sustainability by making plant-based foods appealing to mainstream restaurant patrons. For five years Rob worked with Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo, a family owned & operated an organic farming business that grows, packs and ships gourmet quality certified organic cherry tomatoes and fresh culinary herbs.

Get Connected With Rob Jacobs!

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Recommended Reading by Rob Jacobs

Get Up by Dr. James Levine

Spark by Dr. John Ratey

Our WalkingDesk (aka: Treadmill Desk) – www.unsit.com

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