If the mountain does not go to Muhammad, Muhammad goes to the mountain. The physiotherapist Guido Boumann found that more than 80% of the problems his patients presented were due to a lack of exercise at work, because most employees spend about 9 hours a day sitting down and barely have room in their schedules. for physical activity or gym. And, together with his friend and former professional tennis player Mathijs Verdam, he thought about promoting healthier work environments and making it easier for people to move more during the workday and put an end to that sedentary lifestyle that is so damaging to health.
With that mission, they founded the Walking Room firm and designed and manufactured the world's largest treadmill, measuring 13m2, which allows people to meet, chat and work while walking on it.
Company sources explain in an online conversation with La Vanguardia that they first opted for the installation of individual treadmills under desks and work tables in various professional environments "but human beings are social animals, we like to do things together , and we saw that by joining all the tapes and thereby facilitating group walking meetings, their use increased”.
And that's where the promenade rooms project arose, to create a large platform that would accommodate between 8 and 15 users working, talking and walking at the same time.
The first is already installed in the EDGE Stadium, a multi-sector office building located next to the Olympic stadium in Amsterdam. In addition to the mobile track that simulates artificial grass, the room is equipped with a large screen and a large desk where laptops, phones and other devices can be placed to work from the walking treadmill or from the opposite side if you want to stand.
Those responsible for Walking Room explain that their design responds to the results of various studies carried out with office workers from different business sectors and from different countries, which show that 70% of employees would like to have more physical activity within their reach during the working day. .
And from these studies they have also extracted what is the ideal speed to work on the move in a comfortable way. “The preferred speed for walking and working is 2.5 kilometers per hour, while for walking and gathering it goes up to 3.5 kilometers; and those who want a more powerful walk choose 5 km/h”, they detail.
And those are the three speeds that its ride platform allows, which has railings and sensors to warn users if they are near the edge, among other safety measures.
They add that the studies carried out with different groups of workers also reveal that the most practical use of the hall is for group meetings in which users can walk, talk to each other and make presentations, and that two out of three respondents say they feel more productive when you move around enough during the workday.
This subjective appreciation coincides with the findings of scientific papers that have found that exercising regularly, interrupting sitting time or even walking around while talking on the phone can increase mental acuity, ability to concentrate and decision-making, which It would translate into greater effectiveness and efficiency at work. Among other reasons, because exercise stimulates blood flow and improves brain neurochemistry.
Added to this is the fact that physical activity contributes to reducing stress, something that also translates into improvements in mood and productivity. "Walking Room is designed to host energizing, interactive and inspiring sessions that allow user-workers to be happier, more creative and more productive", emphasize the company's promoters.
