UW-Whitewater’s Andersen Library now has a treadmill desk. Find it by the big screen TV on the main library floor!
The main objective of a treadmill desk is to give students the ability to both study and stay physically fit at the same time. Treadmill speed settings are kept at a slow pace – around one to two miles an hour – so one can read or type at the same time.
Andersen Library invites all of its visitors to try out its newest technology. The treadmill desk is an easy and practical way for Warhawks to get their studies done while keeping physically active.
How does the library afford such extravagant things? I mean it’s cool, but isn’t this the library, not the gym?
Thank you for your comment and it is an important one. The treadmill desk did cost, but it was only actually 50% more than the red overstuffed chairs that you see all over the Library, so not a huge amount. But the amount is not as important as the reason. The Library is a place where many people spend long periods of time. And it’s a fact that brains work better when a little movement breaks up the hours of sitting. It’s good for all of us to move and one of the healthy practices the University wants to promote. A four-hour study session with 15 minutes of walking in the middle can be a lot more profitable than a solely sedentary session. You will note that the Library has many different settings that our students can select: carrels, tables, study rooms, bean bags, sofas, hard chairs, quiet places, soft chairs, hidden spots, loud spaces, etc. We seek to provide varieties to students as
‘one size’ does not fit all. People choose the environment that works best for them. The treadmill desk is one more option. It sounds like you may not be a user of this option, and that is great, but isn’t it nice to know that for some people it really will make a difference and they will be so pleased to have this option? We appreciate hearing your comment. Thank you.