With the rates of American obesity rapidly increasing and health costs skyrocketing, the Americans who are paying a price for their growing belt sizes have started turning to unlikely places for their daily dose of exercise — the classroom and the workplace.
To combat obesity — one of America’s most widespread health problems — researchers and scientists have started taking extreme measures such as placing treadmills inside offices and removing chairs from classrooms. Through research conducted by Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, some schools and offices are now rearranging their work environments to integrate physical activity into their day schedules.
The Elton Hills Elementary School in Rochester, Minn., where the Mayo Clinic is based, recently completed a pilot program to fight childhood obesity by removing the chairs and desks from one classroom, creating “flexible work stations” where the students can stand, kneel or sit on an exercise stability ball.
School superintendent Jerry Williams said the students were more engaged in the lesson while remaining active. The plan, partially sponsored by Apple, integrated technology into the classroom through wireless internet and iPods. Williams, who was eager to bring the Mayo Clinic study results to one of his schools, said he was so pleased with the results that he hopes to expand this new learning environment to the entire school by the end of next year.
As part of Levine’s study, students wore sensors on their legs about the size of a quarter that monitored every muscle twitch. Through this device, the Mayo Clinic measured the calories burned during the experiment. Although complete data has not yet been calculated, Williams noticed that, “the most hyperactive kids in the classroom particularly became more focused on the lesson because they no longer had to focus so much energy on sitting still.”
Dr. Jason Lee from the National Institute for Health Care Management agreed that by keeping students active, they would focus on learning. However, Lee added that the introduction of computers to the classroom may have clouded the results.
The Elton Hills Elementary School experiment has attracted attention from almost 100 television stations around the country and, according to Nellis, there are indications schools in New York and Wisconsin may soon follow suit.
Diana Cullum-Dugan, nutrition program director for the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center, said changes within schools should be mandatory.
“Increasing in physical activity, changing the cafeteria food and limiting the food offered in vending machines are all changes that I support,” Cullum-Dugan said.
With the rate of obesity rising, Levine said he is trying to incorporate exercise into the daily lives of adults as well as children, seeking to create the “office of the future.”
The Mayo Clinic also conducted a study that sought to help adults who struggle to remain active in their hectic lives. Levine’s study added small, portable treadmills to the offices of deskbound office workers. By attaching a vertical desk to the treadmill, workers can make phone calls and check emails while staying active. In addition, a makeshift track constructed within offices can allow workers to engage in moving meeting.
Nellis praised the plan, saying walking on the treadmill at one mile per hour for one hour each day can burn an additional 100 calories.
“People don’t have the time or initiative in this culture to exercise, so we want to encourage integrating it into your routine and thus burning more calories,” he said.
Nellis suggested creating a healthy environment by, for example, placing items on higher shelves or putting the telephone in a drawer.