Want to give your brain a boost? Take a walk while you work!
Treadmill desks are now available to all UK Libraries users in Core 4 of the Basement of William T. Young Library. Users are welcome to go for a study stroll anytime the library is open.
The walk-only treadmills have flat, adjustable-height desks that can comfortably accommodate a personal electronic device, textbooks, and notepad.
The new treadmill desks were furnished by the Student Government Association in collaboration with the Office for Student Success, in a project spearheaded by Jason Marcus ‘24, the 2023-24 SGA Student Body Vice President.
“Every time I went to the gym, I’d see people walking on the treadmills with their laptops out,” said Marcus. “Everyone that I asked said they enjoyed studying while on the move: they felt like they retained more information. But of course those treadmills aren’t shaped to hold books or computers. And it clicked – this was a service that we could provide to the UK community.”
Marcus teamed up with fellow SGA members Lizzy Hornung ‘24, President; Siena Pilati ‘26, Director of Campus Services; and Olivia Allran ‘24, Director of Health & Wellness to put together a proposal.
“We found benchmark institutions who were implementing similar initiatives and dug into the research,” said Marcus.
The gym-goers’ feeling of gaining a mental edge while on the move is borne out by science: studies show that light exercise while studying enhances overall cognitive function, with improvements to focus, concentration, and retention of information. The added benefit of stress reduction contributes to overall mental well-being.
“Our most important takeaway was that students love them,” said Marcus.
Marcus and his team brought their proposal to the OSS, where they partnered with Dr. Kirsten Turner, Vice President for Student Success; Dominick Williams, Associate Vice President for Student Success; and Grace Hahn, the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration in the OSS.
The OSS enthusiastically provided financial support for the entire project and facilitated the purchasing process. The treadmill desks were installed in Young Library earlier this summer.
“I’m really excited that we were able to see this project through,” said Marcus, “and very happy that students will get to use the treadmills beginning this fall. This project is a wonderful step towards supporting holistic student well-being and academic success. We’re proud of our partnership with the OSS in fostering a culture of wellness and productivity and helping to lay the foundation for a more successful and thriving student body.”
About to begin his first semester at UK’s J. David Rosenberg College of Law, Marcus said he would love to see the program expand following this year’s pilot program.
Certain to get the ideas flowing, the treadmills may turn Core 4 into its own little Lyceum, and the birthplace of a Kentucky-flavored peripatetic philosophy. Take that, Aristotle!
