Treadmill Desk
Sitting all day is bad for our health. Standing all day is bad for our health. Staying in a static position all day is bad for our health. We need to find a happy medium where we are frequently moving around and changing positions. Treadmill desks are one of the best ways to have a mixture of standing/walking, and if your setup allows, occasional sitting. Science shows that just walking an extra 2.5 hours a day while at a desk job helps burn fat, increase lean mass, improve physical well-being, and did not adversely affect productivity.
If you’re trying to lose fat AND you are at the computer all day, then a treadmill desk is a fast track for fat loss. We are only at the gym for about an hour a day. We are at our computers anywhere from 8-16 hours a day depending on your life. If you could slowly walk for 8-16 hours a day you will burn an insane amount of calories and it doesn’t even feel like cardio.
Most treadmill desks cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Instead, do a DIY treadmill desk for about $200~. With the following equipment you can make a simple DIY treadmill desk out of any ordinary sitting desk. You will need:
- A normal sitting desk
- A low profile treadmill (treadmill and disassembly youtube guide below)
- Boxes/crates to prop monitors up to standing height
- 2 shelves or planks of wood
- C-clamps
DIY GUIDE:
- Prop up your monitors on boxes/crates to standing height.
- Place one shelf/plank of wood on the crates and have it stick out towards you.
- Use a C-clamp to secure the shelf to the crates.
- Place the 2nd shelf perpendicularly on the 1st shelf. Clamp the shelves together.
- The perpendicular shelf is going to be where you place your keyboard/mouse.
NOTE: If you have a standing desk, then you might not require any extra equipment besides the treadmill.
NOTE 2: Don’t be a dumbass and test your equipment for stability before using it. This is a ghetto DIY setup and it will never be as stable as a legitimate standing desk / treadmill desk. This is a great way to test out if a treadmill desk lifestyle is for you. I recommend eventually investing in a good standing desk to improve stability. Using C-clamps for stability is still not very stable and it is still easy to knock over your entire setup. Don’t be a dumbass by knocking over your setup.
Treadmill — This is the treadmill I use for my walking desk. It is a high quality, quiet compact treadmill perfect for walking (or even jogging). Overall, it is a better build than the previous treadmill I used (Confidence Power Plus). It uses a remote control and/or handle bars to control speed. Note that the max weight is 240lbs. This treadmill only stores vertically if you have something to lean it against. If this treadmill is out of stock, then consider similar clones that use the same folding arm bars. Old youtube review on Confidence Power Plus treadmill for my treadmill desk..
Vibrams — First off, I hate the way these look. I know exactly how I look when I wear these, and believe me, I am not proud of it. However, when using these with a treadmill desk it is the one and only type of shoe I want to wear.
When you are repeating any action over and over in your daily life, you must take care to make sure you are not damaging your body repeatedly. Computer posture. Exercise form. Mattress quality. Walking desk footwear.
I am a minimalist and believe that the human feet are meant to be as close to barefoot as possible, especially when walking or lifting. If I am walking all day on my treadmill desk, I prefer to walk as close to barefoot as I can while offering my skin some minor protection.
If you plan to use a treadmill desk in an office, consider Vibrams as they are pretty quiet.
Toe Socks
Silicone Lubricant
- Occasionally adjusting the belt to center it whenever it was visually too close to the edge
- Lubricating under the belt between the belt and the wood (once a month or once every 50-200 miles~)
How often you lubricate it is up to you. You lubricate under the belt because you do not want high friction between the belt and the platform you are walking on. Too much friction will lead to unnecessary wear on the belt. To lubricate your belt, use generic silicone lubricant.
STEPS TO LUBRICATE:
- Use a long skinny object like a ruler to stick under the belt, lift it up slightly
- Spray the lube under the belt and move the ruler up/down the belt to try and evenly coat under the belt
- Turn the treadmill on to a slow speed
- Walk on the treadmill with many short steps to try and spread the lube around evenly
Adjustable Standing Desk
This desk uses a hand crank to adjust up and down quickly. I’ve personally never used a hand crank desk before, but I have seen them in action. They are a cheaper alternative the electronic motor sit/stand desk.
As with any sit/stand desk, space can be limited. Carefully consider how much space you need for your keyboard, mouse, desktop, monitors, etc.
There are many sit/stand desk options on Amazon. If price is a concern, shop around for the different options on Amazon and see what is on sale at the time. Below are a few ideas for different desk options.
