That’s the question one poster at “OfficeWalkers” asks. Laura wants to use a treadmill at work to get more fit. However, there’s the issue of noise to consider. Will the swooshing sound of the workout equipment disturb cubicle neighbors?

Thomas thinks that’s a question that can only be answered on an office by office basis: “The acoustics in each office are different, but more importantly the nature of the work thus politics. I doubt if you can put in a treadmill in a cube land where they do software development without someone complaining. Now if it’s customer service where everyone is on the phone talking, I can buy that.”

He’s probably right. Some office environments and cultures are a lot more accepting of a little extra white noise than others. Of course, if you let coworkers take turns on the treadmill, more might be willing to put up with it. Increasing the height of cubicle walls to add more sound shielding is another way to make the office more treadmill friendly.