Are you tired of sitting at your desk all day, feeling sluggish and achy? If so , you're not alone! As a physical therapist and a user of a treadmill desk, I know firsthand the benefits of staying active while you work! That's why I'm excited to share with you this Q&A session with the founders of WALK-i-TASK, a company that provides a revolutionary solution to help you stay healthy and productive throughout the day. By attaching their treadmill desk attachment to virtually any treadmill, you can walk, stand, and work at the same time, improving your posture, circulation, and overall well-being.
In this interview, we'll explore the inspiration behind WALK-i-TASK, the health benefits of using a treadmill desk, and their vision for the future of active workstations. For a deeper dive into treadmill desk benefits and how it is the ultimate workstation, pop on over my previous post here.
And for my wonderful readers, enjoy an additional $60 off with the code ADVENTURE60. They are currently running a sale, so with this code you can snag this amazing product for $60 off the sale price.
Now, if you're ready to take your work experience to the next level, let's get started with this exciting interview with Chris and Jordan Fischer, Founders of WALK-i-TASK, located in ON, Canada.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Q - What inspired you to create a treadmill desk attachment company, and what was the initial idea behind WALK-i-TASK?
CHRIS:
Great question, Allison. So, in 2019, pre-pandemic Jordan and I were both working in sales roles from home. We started experiencing the negative impacts of sitting all day and I wanted to figure out how we could change that.
We thought back to a job I used to work at with an all-encompassing treadmill desk, one of those big $4000 desks I'm sure you've probably seen before. And we decided to see if we could create our own little version at our apartment recreation center by taking a shelf off our wall and laying it across the handrails of our treadmill.
And what we found quickly was that you can easily walk and work at the same.
It wasn't until we did it for a longer period of time where we realized we needed something that was going to be height adjustable. Our DIY project wasn't going to cut it, so we went back to the drawing board.
We started Googling and found a lot of folks were in the same situation and were - looking for resources to walk and work at the same time. A lot of people were experiencing weight gain from sitting all day as well as negative mental health impacts. Just like ourselves.
After we realized there are others out there experiencing the same things we were, we came up with the design you see today - WALK-i-TASK. It can expand and contract, is compatible with a wide range of treadmill handrails, and is height adjustable. Folks that are 5-foot tall or 6-foot tall can use it and eliminate their sedentary lifestyle.
The main goal was pretty simple. It was to help people move more throughout the day, especially those who are working from home and already owned a treadmill without needing to buy that $4000, all-encompassing treadmill, or some of the non-height adjustable options, or things people were creating on their own - the unsafe and insecure DIY project like ours.
So, from those different areas, we found an opportunity to help others walk and work at the same time while getting those extra steps in you wouldn't otherwise get.
Q - What are the potential health benefits of using a treadmill desk, and the WALK-i-TASK attachment?
JORDAN:
There are many health benefits, and more specifically, looking at walking as part of that. When we think of walking, a lot of us typically think of the physical benefits, but not necessarily the mental side of it.
And something we discovered with our customers feedback is a lot of our customers are loving the mental benefits with an increase in their confidence, boosted moods and lessened anxiety.
Those are benefits we weren't necessarily thinking about when we first set out and started WALK-i-TASK but have been benefits our customers have realized through using their desk.
To expand on some of the benefits from using a treadmill desk, walking has been proven to help prevent heart disease and diabetes. Studies are coming out now showing how increasing daily movement and walking can help prevent dementia and certain forms of cancer. There are endless benefits to walking!
Many folks think “I have to get a super intense workout in every day, and if I don't sweat and do sprints on my treadmill, it doesn't count.” But all those minutes of your body just moving is so important to your health!
For people who are younger, you may not be thinking about maybe heart disease or diabetes yet. But your future self is definitely going to thank you for it!
CHRIS:
To add onto that, as Jordan mentioned, many folks think if they do an intense workout, for an hour or so, after they sit for 8 hours or 9 hours a day, it will cancel the prolonged sitting out. And that's not true at all.
What we wanted to do is come up with something to allow people to break up their day and get those added steps - to get their bodies moving! Because our bodies, as you know, as a physical therapist, are not meant to sit all day. WALK-i-TASK helps give people a resource, and an opportunity to get more movement in.
Q - What sets WALK-i-TASK apart from other treadmill desk attachment companies in the market?
CHRIS:
Another excellent question. A key component is we fit most treadmills. And because treadmills are designed so differently, the handrails can be different thickness, or they could be a different distance apart from each other. There is nothing on the market that is as compatible with as many handrails as we are. That's a big key differentiator.
We always say the 1970s treadmill buried in someone's grandmother's basement - with the really skinny handrails - we may not fit that. But most of the treadmills you see online - or on social media - we are definitely going to be compatible with that! So that's something we're proud of.
The second point, Allison would be our height adjustability as we touched on before. It's critical for folks like your boyfriend. If he's looking at that flat board you have across your current treadmill, he will be hunched and bent over, causing more strain on the neck and back while creating future problems. Height adjustability solves that problem.
A couple other cool things our desk does is tilt at an angle. We get a lot of feedback from our customers who are taking their virtual calls while on the treadmill desk and want to put their treadmill on incline but keep everything on the desk flat. Because our desk can tilt at different angles, you're able to do this.
And lastly, we were one of the first to the market. Now we are starting to see some more people in the treadmill attachment space, and a lot of those companies are drop shipping companies from overseas. So, what that means is typically the quality is going to be low. There's no real website, there's no customer service, there's no local support.
We have a website with real customer service where we can jump on the phone with you. If you are trying to figure out if it fits your treadmill or not, or if you have any issues setting up the desk to your treadmill, we're able to be extremely hands on with our customers and I think they really, really appreciate that. So, when you visit our website, it's a live chat, it's not a robot giving you back some standard message.
Q - How does WALK-i-TASK incorporate ergonomics into its product design, and how does this impact user comfort and safety?
JORDAN:
Ergonomics and safety were our main priorities when we first started to design our desk. Once again, remember our back story of us using that flat board and having to hunch over? We knew we were going to need improved ergonomics. We wanted all users to be comfortable at all heights and have optimal ergonomics for everyone.
WALK-i-TASK is made from aluminum, which means we're extremely durable and will safely secure to the treadmill handrails by a tightening knob. This ensures optimal safety for our customers and their expensive devices they have on their desk.
Q - How has WALK-i-TASK adapted to the post-pandemic landscape where employees are increasingly placing pressure on companies to look at hybrid models of work as well as employee wellness as a priority? What is your approach to employee wellbeing and hybrid working models?
CHRIS:
This a very interesting question because of our new normal, with a lot of folks working from home. There was a study back in June of 2022 and approximately 70% of people who live in North America are working from home in some capacity. It's been a challenge, and a big push, for corporations to create a workplace wellness from home. This is new for companies because most folks were in the office.
We are trying to help people realize you can walk and work at the same time. We like to say it's just as easy as walking and texting. There's not a huge learning curve, if there's any learning curve at all. And that has been proven by thousands of users and customers that have been happy and consistently using their treadmill desks.
Happier, healthier employees lead to higher productivity, lower absentees and a lower cost for healthcare to a core. So those are things huge on the corporate side. And from the employee's individual aspect, they want to be heard and they want to be healthy.
So being able to provide different resources and tools that will allow employees to thrive while working at home or in the office will be critical when it comes to trying to recruit and hire the best talent available, because a lot of the good companies are realizing that health and wellness is very important to a lot of their employees.
Q - What is the recommended usage frequency and duration for using a treadmill desk? Are there any tips or guidelines for users to maximize the benefits of the product?
JORDAN:
Most of our customers are using it around one to two hours a day. Typically, they'll use it 30 minutes to an hour catching up on emails or admin work in the morning to start getting their blood flowing. And then jump on in the again in the afternoon when their energy levels start dropping a bit for another 30 minutes to an hour.
In terms of some recommendations, ultimately try to create a habit by making it a consistent part of your routine so you can consistently meet your step goals.
For instance, make every time you're on a virtual call a walking virtual call. This will help you stay consistent by tying certain activities to the treadmill desk. And that's something we've done and have been very successful with.
Q - What are WALK-i-TASK’S vision for where the company could go in the next 3-5 years?
CHRIS:
We expect to be in the homes of tens of thousands of people in the next 3 years. We’ve been able to help thousands of North Americans get rid of their sedentary lifestyle in just over one calendar year.
And the big reason for that is many North Americans are starting to value health and wellness more and realizing we need to live healthier and more active lives.
As we mentioned before, 70% of people are working at home in some kind of capacity, and that's a very large amount of folks, while many are wondering how they can stay healthier, how they can be more fit. Because of both of these factors, we expect to continue seeing a growing demand for our WALK-i-TASK desk.
Our focus in our first year of business was predominantly B2C (selling directly to consumers) through our e-commerce site, so in the next few years we are going to expand our reach with corporations, insurance companies and wellness companies offering Lifestyle Savings Accounts (LSA’s). Companies are starting to invest more money into the health and wellness programs for their employees. Organizations are starting to see the value in healthier employees because healthy and happy employees lead to higher productivity and even lower corporate healthcare costs.
Lastly, we are also exploring partnerships with:
Universities to get WALK-i-TASK into activity and fitness centers to help promote increased activity in the student population.
Resorts and hotels to provide treadmill desks in their fitness centers for their guests, creating more opportunities for business travelers and others to stay active and healthy throughout the day.
Q - What kind of customer support does WALK-i-TASK offer for its product, and how do you ensure customer satisfaction?
JORDAN:
Chris touched on a little bit of the customer service earlier, but this is something we take a lot of pride in as the company. We notice the difference between companies that provide excellent customer service and the lines that really frustrate us, unable to get in touch with a live person.
We offer a live chat on our website so we can answer any questions in real time.
We understand our customers have busy lifestyles and schedules. We want to make sure we're answering them right away. We also get feedback from our customers from what we are doing well and areas we can improve on so we can continue to grow as a young startup and provide great service to our customers.
Q - Where can people go if they want to connect with you or learn more about WALK-i-TASK?
CHRIS:
Folks can visit our website and use the live chat that Jordan just mentioned. You can also find us on most social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok.
Website: https://www.walkitask.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkitask
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkitask/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/walkitask
And last but not least, we are currently running a sale right and would like to offer an additional discount to your audience members. So, for anyone that's interested, they could use the discount code ADVENTURE60, and that would give them $60.00 off.
We do offer free shipping and a 21-day trial. A lot of folks love to take advantage of the 21-day trial just to make sure that we are fit for them. So, we do want to offer that to the audience as well.
I hope this Q&A session with the founders of WALK-i-TASK has inspired you to take the first step towards a healthier and more productive workday. By incorporating their treadmill desk attachment into your routine, you can enjoy the benefits of walking and working at the same time. Not only will this help you feel better physically, but it can also boost your mental focus and energy levels, allowing you to accomplish more throughout the day.
Remember, taking care of your health and wellness is essential, especially in today's fast-paced and sedentary work environment. With the help of innovative companies like WALK-i-TASK, we can all take charge of our well-being and create a more active and fulfilling work experience.
Don't forget to take advantage of the exclusive discount code ADVENTURE60 to save $60 off your WALK-i-TASK purchase during their sale. And be sure to check out my previous post for more information on the benefits of treadmill desks and how they can transform your work routine.
Thank you for reading, and here's to a healthier and happier you!
**This post is NOT sponsored. I believe in WALK-i-TASK and am excited to offer you a fantastic way to stay active while working from home**