Brandwatch Bulletin #149: Fighting the WFH Slump

Working out while working?

27 January 2023

If you feel bad about not making your 10,000 daily steps, you’re not the only one. Since growing accustomed to the WFH life, there are days where the longest walks we take are from the bedroom to the kitchen and back.

But there may be a solution. Today, we’re looking at the treadmill desk and people’s varied reactions online.

Let’s get to it.

Subscribe to the Brandwatch Bulletin

Treadmill desks are hot, hot, hot

The side effects of the pandemic and the gradual adjustment to remote work is (still) driving demand for WFH equipment. Our recent report on consumer tech trends showed that online mentions of WFH equipment in 2022 remained pretty much level with the volume seen in 2021.

For a while, it was all about standing desks. Now, it seems the treadmill desks are taking over the conversation.

Unfamiliar with treadmill desks? Let us explain: They’re simply miniature treadmills that can be slid under a standing desk, allowing people to walk while they work. They’re not particularly glamorous and aren’t even that good of a workout if you’re hoping to break a sweat. But as a way of replacing sitting, it is a good way to get more movement into the workday.

And, boy, are people up for it.

In the last twelve months, the number of people (as in unique authors) talking about this topic has increased by nearly 80%.

What makes treadmill desks so popular? Let’s take a closer look at how people talk about treadmill desks, their motivations for getting one, and what people don’t like about them.

Getting the steps in

What do people like about treadmill desks? In online conversations, people express excitement about improving their physical activity and overall health. They express their love of being able to revive their step count and move more in their daily routines.

Some point out that their treadmill desk helps them burn more calories and lose weight. Others are happy that they can fit hours of exercise into their workday without even trying.

People not only talk about the benefits to their physical health but also to their mental health. They point out that moving more helps relieve stress, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms.

But the conversation about treadmill desks is hardly all unicorns and rainbows. In fact, happy and angry mentions are neck and neck. And while those happy conversations have increased by over 60% in the last twelve months, negative emotions like anger, sadness, and disgust have increased even more.

By the look of this, it seems there are some challenges too.

What makes people displeased with treadmill desks? First off, it’s the price. People expressing anger say they’re too expensive and won’t buy one because of the hefty price tag.

Another negative point of discussion is the classic value-for-money debate. Some are convinced that this is just a passing fad and doubt very much that this is something they would actually use on a regular basis.

Others wonder how they could possibly concentrate on work tasks while walking. Which begs the question: Would you be able to concentrate at the sight of your colleague’s head bobbing up and down on Zoom calls?

Overall, people who have invested in a treadmill desk say they can walk on it while performing the usual duties of their jobs, including typing and attending Zoom meetings. One TikTok user went viral last year when she walked a marathon during her workday and finished with over 47.8k steps – that’s quite a walk!

Is the treadmill desk trend gonna stick?

Only time will tell if people truly adopt this new habit and stay motivated to walk on throughout every workday.

While happy users are eager to share the tales of their life-changing experiences with treadmill desks, others worry it may have been money out the window and fear their treadmill might be gathering dust and forgotten before the year is up.

At the extreme, we’ve got one Twitter user seeing the treadmill desk trend as a harbinger of a dystopian future.

Is it that bad? We’ll let you be the judge of that.

Using technology to fast-track getting healthier is also one of the themes we identified in our Consumer Tech Trends report, which may suggest that the treadmill desk trend will continue in 2023 and beyond.

Join our Grow With Social Facebook community

Have some thoughts on today’s bulletin? Or maybe some questions about the data? Why not share them over at our Grow With Social community? We’re very friendly, we promise.

What should we cover next?

Is there a topic, trend, or industry you’d like us to feature in the Brandwatch Bulletin? We want to hear your ideas to make sure our readers are getting what they want. We may even ask to interview you if you’re involved with the topic.

Send any and all ideas to [email protected] and let’s talk.

Thanks for reading

If you were forwarded today’s bulletin and want to get them yourself, you can subscribe to the Brandwatch Bulletin here.

See you next time,

The Brandwatch Bulletin team

Update subscription preferences

Unsubscribe