Study: Treadmill Desks Increase Workplace Productivity

MONTREAL (CBS) – Sitting is killing us and the four o'clock slump is real, but a new study claims there might be a solution: treadmill desks.

The research, which is published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, looked at the short-term benefits of sporadic walking on a treadmill desk.

Workers who either walked on the treadmill desk or sat at a traditional desk were given a reading task. Both groups were then asked to perform a memory and attention task while seated.

The scientists found that the workers who had used the treadmill desk had a short-term increase in memory and attention.

"This can be seen behaviorally, subjectively, and neurophysiologically," the researchers write, leading them to conclude that, "in addition to having health benefits for workers, [treadmill desks] can also be beneficial for businesses by enhancing workforce performance."

Hear that? Time to tell management you need a treadmill desk -- for your sake and theirs.