As reported in The Independent, an idea by two scientists gives new meaning to the term “corporate treadmill.”

Instead of walking to work, the walking desk - or “vertical workstation”- is fixed to a treadmill enabling office workers to work while burning calories.

Professor James Levine and Jennifer Miller of the Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, who invented the device, say using it for a couple of hours a day could help obese staff shed up to 60 lbs. a year.

They tested the contraption on 15 people with sedentary jobs who never exercised. The participants set the speed of the treadmill themselves and carried on working at their computer, which was fixed above on a frame with adjustable arms. One arm carried the screen and the other the keyboard and mouse.

On average, the participants burned more than twice as much energy per hour at the walking desk compared with the normal stationary one. Their energy expenditure was measured while they walked and worked for 35 minutes out of an hour and compared with the amount of energy used while working seated at an ordinary desk. There were no falls or injuries.

A key reason why waistlines have expanded over the past 30 years is the increase in sedentary work. For millions, the hammer and shovel have been replaced by the keyboard and mouse as they spend their days at computer screens.

What’s the next step for this concept?  Generating electrical power while treadmilling.Yes, that’s right.   Down in the parking garage your electric car needs a charge.  It’s plugged-in…..and wired to your desk treadmill.