I generally work at my computer for a full workday and often longer - and I have had jobs that required sitting at a desk most of the time for decades now. I'm in my mid-fifties, and my body gets really tired of sitting, even though I have a number of different chair options (including stability ball and kneeling chair). For a couple of years I have been wanting to create a treadmill desk for myself. I've been saving up for it and may be able to take the plunge soon (or not, depending on how much it'll cost). For me this will be a big investment, so I don't want to screw it up. I'd love to hear from all of you dear readers about experiences and thoughts regarding treadmill desks.
For lots of info and variations on the treadmill desk - and a reminder that Fitness Monday needs you (yes, YOU!) - see below.
The original idea for walking on a treadmill while you work came from Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, who developed an "office of the future" in 2005.
Dr. Levine and his colleagues have re-examined and completely redesigned the desk. Their version stands vertical and can be used with a treadmill, exercise bike, standing or regular chair. It is modular and mobile, so persons can work where and how they wish. It costs half the price of a cubicle, is more flexible and can easily be personalized. It can also be used at home or in school. The see-through panels let in the light and allow a person to stay visually connected with the rest of the room.
The link I had to an earlier article with photos is dead now, but as I recall, that article gave the total cost of such a cubicle, including treadmill desk, as about $6,000. Update: Since the treadmill is most of the expense of building a treadmill desk, you can make one for under $1,000, depending on the treadmill you buy.
A more detailed article about Dr. Levine's office of the future, with a photo, is here.
This Good Morning America video clip about treadmill desks includes interview of Dr. Levine: "I spend my entire workday at 1 mile an hour." Clip includes a lot of the numbers about calories burned, etc.
Jay Buster's blog is what got me interested in the idea of a treadmill desk for myself: Treadmill Desk. This site has lots of info about creating your own treadmill desk. (In addition the page I linked here, check out his other links on the right.) In a 2/4/09 update he now recommends the Smooth 7.6 HR Pro Treadmill, which goes for about $2,000 on sale. Unfortunately, this is more than I have saved up so far for this project (the original suggested treadmill ran about $1,000, which is about what I now have saved for the treadmill), so I need to consider whether I should wait and keep saving or go ahead with a lesser-quality treadmill.
The TrekDesk looks promising, but it's not available yet. Also, the treadmill looks wimpy and short to me (by Jay Buster's standards), so I'm keeping an eye on this to see what the components are when it becomes available.
In the meantime I may spend $40 bucks to experiment with the Connect-a-Desk, which allows you to strap your laptop to yourself! I think it would be dangerous to walk around with this, but maybe not if I just walked along a safe pathway in my house. Like I said, this would be an experiment to see if it could be used somehow as the poor (wo)man's treadmill desk.
I'm also considering this less expensive solution (info is dated 2006), with cheaper treadmill and very simple desk. If it turns out that it vibrates too much for me, then I could explore a different desk to go with it. (Note: The numerous tags at the end of this post look like fertile ground to explore.) Components are described in the comments:
It’s a ProForm XP 550, but that model appears only to be available at Sears (where I bought mine). I selected it specifically because the arms are level and seemed convenient for this purpose.
The "desk" is just a board sitting on the arms of the treadmill. This picture shows how simple it is.
This guy upgraded in April 2008 with wall-mounted LCD screen.
Other variations on the theme:
Description of another setup (from 2006) that uses a Smooth Fitness 5.25 treadmill.
bookofjoe treadmill desk: photos and captions
Yet another homemade desk on treadmill
Brief summary of Levine's idea, with a ton of links to other articles about the treadmill desk at the end.
Good picture of another individual's design: the Treadputer. (Note: When I tried the link to this guy's blog, however, my spyware program gave me a warning, so I didn't go there.)
How I burn 600 calories a day blogging
Build a Treadmill Desk - You Can Do It! As of October 2008 she was at 100 miles and counting: "Overall I am still THRILLED that I have my treadmill desk and wish I would have gotten it sooner."
Detailed photos of a version with a detachable desk attached to a wall bracket instead of to the treadmill itself.
Last but not least, a digression from the above article about the office of the future:
Employees can strap on plastic carpet skates, and slide from meeting to meeting for a change of pace.
As some of you know, I love to skate. I have long wished to rip up all the carpet in my home and have the concrete floors resurfaced so I could skate around the house. Maybe you have to be a skater to appreciate the idea, but I could practice things during the day and improve on my skating skills (or lack thereof). Will let you know if I make any progress on this front.
And now, a word from our sponsor, anotherdemocrat:
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