In recent years, there has been a growing body of research indicating that sitting is killing us slowly and silently. Some doctors say that sitting is even more deadly than smoking!

But what can we do about that, given that most office jobs now require many hours of each day sitting at a computer, staring at a screen? You may have heard the old trick of simply standing up to talk each time the phone rings, and although that helps, it still doesn’t go far enough.

Enter the treadmill desk.

A treadmill desk is quite simply a desk that is setup around and over top of a treadmill. Sometimes the computer then sits on the desk, and as in my case, I’ve mounted the computer and spare monitor on the wall for extra working room.

The benefits of this are twofold.

First, you’re now standing, which greatly reduces the pressure on the disks in your spine. According to this source, average pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch) is 25 PSI when lying down, 100 PSI when standing, and 150 PSI when sitting. Bending over is even worse, at 185 PSI. Most people sit at their desks in some form of bent over posture, which I imagine pushes it closer to the 185 mark again. So you’re reducing stress and load on your spine, which is always a good thing.

Second, you’re now moving. Your heart rate increases the moment you start moving, which improves circulation throughout the body and helps keep your heart strong. Exercise helps cleanse toxins from the body, and although walking isn’t very vigorous, the same function is at work. Plus, you’re now burning calories, which equates to weight loss as long as your intake remains the same as before. Some people have reported losing 30 to 40 pounds over the course of a few months simply by walking at their desks.

So there are definite benefits to using a treadmill desk.

Of course, the problem most people run into is logistics. Personally, I have the luxury of working from home and thus having complete freedom over my office environment. I opted to use a TrekDesk along with a Nordic Track 5.7 Treadmill. If you want, checkout my more in-depth TrekDesk review for more details on that.

In the final analysis, moving to a treadmill desk is an excellent decision for your long term health, and I highly recommend it.

I typically spend up to 8 hours per day on my treadmill desk, sometimes more, and sometimes less. When I first got the TrekDesk setup with the treadmill, I was going hard – too hard – trying to go about 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) throughout the day. As it turns out, my body simply wasn’t up to that particular challenge at the time, and although I soon cut things back to 2 mph (3.2 km/h), my body protested for weeks regardless.

If you’ve been sitting for the better part of the last few years like I had, and you’re planning on switching to a treadmill desk setup, then please understand that your body needs to be strengthened. This is a good thing, but as the old saying goes… no pain no gain.

I’d recommend making sure you have a decent pair of shoes to wear as well. Sure, you’re working at home, but those slippers or Crocs (my personal favorite) simply aren’t going to cut it. Make sure you have something with good support that is meant for either walking or running. You need it.

So the first few weeks my body protested, but gradually got with the program regardless. Often times I would take a break from walking and simply stand at the desk, which I actually quite enjoy. Occasionally I found myself longing to just flop into my comfy office chair and stare at my big screen from there, but it is useful having eliminated that particular option from the mix, by mounting the screen on the wall at the trekdesk. Now, four months in, the craving for a nice chair has pretty much disappeared. So has the daily aches and pains, some time ago actually.

If you’re yet to take the plunge, don’t be discouraged by hearing about the transition phase, it really hasn’t been that bad, and everything is well worthwhile anyhow. At the end of the day, do you want to be healthy, or don’t you?

So here we are in April, I’m still going mostly 3.2 km/h, although lately I’ve started upping that a little, to around 3.6 or 3.8 km/h. At that rate, depending on the length of time I spend walking, I’ll go from around 5 km to 20 km a day. Yeah, I do have lazy days at 5 km, and then there are better days pushing 20. That should show you I don’t actually walk ALL day long, most days. Sometimes I do, and on those days, I’m still sore. I’m getting there though!

I keep a spreadsheet of my progress each day, tracking date, weight that morning, and kilometers walked. I just ran an average and discovered that my overall average distance since I got started has been 10.11 km per day. Initially I figured I was just going to walk the entire time, but things haven’t worked out that way. Regardless, I’m happy to report that I’ve traveled about 668 km so far! That equates to something like (rough estimate) 64,000 calories burned! Not to mention of course the muscles strengthened, health improved in other ways, etc.

One thing I do is on occasion if I feel like sitting down, I simply use a stool and place it on the treadmill. I’ve got a couple 2×4′s that I lay on the track to give me a little extra height and also to distribute the weight across the platform more evenly. That has worked well for the days when I’m simply not in the mood for walking.

In terms of working, I’ve found that using the TrekDesk setup with a treadmill is actually quite easy for most things. Common tasks for me include reading, typing, some graphic design, and video editing. Occasionally if I’m going to be reading a good chunk, I’ll kick the speed up a notch or two. I’ve found I can do most other things quite comfortably at 3.2 km/h, although for fine detail stuff, like using Photoshop, I’ll sometimes stop the treadmill and just stand for a bit.

A couple other notes on the health situation:

• Don’t use too much of an incline. I suddenly ended up with shin splints one day, and after adjusting the incline back down to 1.0, they quickly disappeared.
• For best results, I’d recommend some form of other strength training exercise. I’m fairly terrible at this, although I do have a chin up bar that I use occasionally. Don’t expect that just because you’re walking lots now you’re going to be the epitome of health and fitness. The rest takes work too.
• Weight loss: yes, I’ve been losing weight. It’s hard to tell how much is due to walking and how much due to intermittent fasting; however in general things are going well.

Well, that’s more or less where things are at. If you have questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments area.

For quite some time I was sore all the time; my body simply wasn’t used to standing this long each day, and it wasn’t used to walking that much either. However, as the initial shock wore off, my body is getting on board with the program.

I’m sore far less now, and I can walk longer.

A few weird aches and pains have surfaced though.

Last week I had a weird pain in my forearm. In response to that, I increased the height of the TrekDesk by one setting, after realizing that my wrists were still at a bit of an angle. Now there’s maybe only a half inch drop between my elbows and the resting position of my wrists when I’m typing, and the pain went away as quickly and mysteriously as it arrived.

Then I got shin splints in the same manner. I realized I had the treadmill set at 1.5% incline, and that was a possible cause, so I dropped that to 1.0, and took it easy over the weekend, and again, problem solved.

One thing I still need to look into is better shoes though.

So overall, I’m very much enjoying my treadmill desk setup, I think it is a tremendous step forward for my health, and really something that I should have done a long time ago!

Part of the problem is I’ve bit off more than I was ready for. I’m amazed at how far my body’s overall strength must have slid during my years slouched in an office chair, but the ongoing pain in my body each night is testament to the fact that something major has changed!

When I first hopped on the treadmill, I figured I could easily go fairly quickly. Of course, it didn’t help anything that my friend Dave got setup with one of these things at the same time as me, and due to the fact that he’s used to running on a regular basis, has been able to rip it up at 4 or 5 miles per hour, all day long. He doesn’t have a fancy TrekDesk like me, but he has managed to burn through a treadmill already!

Me, I was happy going at 3 miles an hour, though I’ve since toned it down a hair.

Now, I usually start off at the beginning of the day at a paltry 1 mph just to get the blood flowing, but I quickly move it on to 2 mph as I find that pace much more comfortable.

Last week I went through a spell with a bunch of pain in my lower back, due to the standing mostly I think, rather than walking. So I’ve been experimenting with some stretches, and so far I’ve had good results.

Gradually my body is catching up with this new level of activity… the legs, feet and back are all becoming slightly less sore with each passing day, and although it may seem like I’m complaining here, I’m not. I’m thrilled that I now have a means of exercising on a regular basis that doesn’t require me to do anything outside of my normal routine.

For an admittedly lazy guy like me, that’s huge.

This post is my TrekDesk Review – hopefully it will give you the information you need before making a purchase decision.

Click here to check current prices.

I bought the TrekDesk online, and it arrived a few days later in a gigantic box that barely fit in my car. It did though – thankfully! For anyone curious about the box dimensions, they are 38″ x 38″ x 14.5″. A nice big square. Everything is nicely packed in styrofoam too, so there’s very little chance of damage while shipping.

Ease of Installation

It took me a little over an hour to get the TrekDesk fully setup. It is molded plastic, and you’ll need to screw the metal brackets into the bottom when it arrives. That’s the most time-consuming part, really. One thing I did not do is setup the desk on a perfectly flat surface. I only had carpet nearby, so I made do with that. In hindsight, I would have liked to have used a flatter surface, as I think I would have got a better join between the two halves. That seam is right smack in the middle of the work area, so take a moment and make sure you’re getting it nice and tight, and level.

I did use a level though, and I’m happy with the result. You’ll also need a screwdriver (powered, preferably!).

Stability

Prior to purchasing the desk, I read another TrekDesk review where the guy was complaining about stability. Personally I’ve not had any problems with stability, probably in part because my setup doesn’t really rely on the TrekDesk for anything more than a work surface. I’ve mounted my computer and extra monitor on the wall, so the heaviest things are out of the way. That leaves my keyboard and mouse, and whatever papers I may have kicking around… not exactly the kind of stuff I’d be worried about having fall over.

The desk does wiggle a bit from side to side; however that’s not really a problem. I don’t use it for support while walking, simply for a reference of where I am. There’s a big difference to touching something for a stabilizing reference versus grabbing onto something for support. If you’re having to hang off your desk while you work, I doubt whether this is the best thing for you to be doing!

All that said, vertically the desk is quite strong and can easily support my full weight (yes, I’ve hung off it).

Click here to check current prices.

Work area

Due to the fact that the TrekDesk was designed to be used in tandem with a treadmill, the work area directly in front of you is actually fairly small – just 18 inches of desk space. That’s the narrowest part. Because of that, I would venture a guess and say you might run into ergonomic problems if you were trying to sit a monitor right there on the desk in front of you. Also, it would likely be way too low for you…. my thoughts are it is best not to go there. I wall mounted mine, and it works terrific. That puts the screen an extra 5 or so inches behind the edge of the desk, which I find much more comfortable. I’ve got a large screen – 27″ – and you just can’t get too close to the thing!

Okay, apart from the space directly in front, the TrekDesk curves around to either side of you, which is a cool feature and a great use of space. Each wing is about 20″ deep, so you have lots of space for other stuff if you need it.

Construction

As I mentioned earlier, the TrekDesk is built out of molded gray plastic. It is basically two halves of desktop, with metal bracing underneath for support. The whole thing is fairly light, and yet I’ve found it fairly strong. Easily strong enough for what I need from it, that’s for sure.

The TrekDesk is height adjustable – I’m about 5’11″ (180cm) and I have it set on level 3, out of 10. That means that I could essentially raise it by about 7 inches yet, if I needed to.

Accessories

The TrekDesk comes with a few different accessories: a couple of deep cupholders, a stand for propping up reading material, and a set of file organizer things – like an inbox / outbox.

I’ve not made too much use of the stand or box thing, but the cupholders really are cool. They hang off the side of the desk, and allow (remind you, even!) you to keep a drink handy throughout the day. As I mentioned, the desk does wiggle a little from side to side while working at it, and knowing that your cup is safe inside one of those holders is always nice.

Now that being said, in the morning I usually bring a coffee pot to the desk with me and work with a mug on the go. That mug doesn’t work with the cupholders, and yet I’ve not had any problems. We’re not talking about a circus ride here – just a gentle wiggle.

All the accessories fit into the desk with a handy mounting system, giving you a fair bit of flexibility.

Using The TrekDesk With A Treadmill

Okay – this is the probably the part that everyone is looking for right? How does it work, in conjunction with a treadmill? Well, I got a Nordic Track 5.7 Treadmill, which is working great. At first I was concerned the treadmill was going to be too large to use with the TrekDesk, but I shouldn’t have worried. In fact, it all works quite nicely together.

With my computer wall mounted, I have easy access to the control panel of the treadmill, and although I can’t see the display from a standing position, I don’t really need to either, because I can login to the iFit website and check my stats there! (Live!)

In terms of desk space, I have a 20″ x 55″ deck and I find it a good size. Another treadmill I was looking at was only 18″ wide, and although that probably would have worked, in the end I opted for the extra margin of error on either side. I figured if I’m mindlessly walking, I don’t need to be stepping off the side of the thing by accident right!

Also related to deck space, I was initially concerned that I would need a 60″ deck to make it work, what with losing the 18″ for desk space. Again, I needn’t have worried. My normal strides have my foot leaving the deck about 8″ from the end of it. So while I wouldn’t recommend a 50″ deck – I think that is too short – a 55″ is just fine. I’m sure you could make the 50″ work though, if you had to.

I’ve also tried running on this thing, and although its hard to get much work done when going quickly, the desk configuration does still allow you to use the treadmill at higher speeds. This could be handy if you just wanted to watch a movie for a bit, and get a faster session in.

All in all, I highly recommend the TrekDesk. Click here to check current prices.

I repost it here for your edumacashun:

First up, do my best to measure roughly where things were going to be hanging, and then find a stud to secure the wall mount to. I used a wall mount from Monoprice.com (exact model here), which I got for just over $30, and is by the way, exceptional quality. I got two of those, one for my 27″ iMac and the other for the separate 24″ monitor I like using.

So once I got that on the wall, the next step was to install the special mounting plate I’d purchased from Apple, in order to interface the iMac with the VESA adaptor plate from Monoprice. (Side note – that adaptor cost $50!)

In the adaptor plate kit, they provide a little cardboard card, kind of like a business card. You insert that into the back of you iMac where the stand goes, at the top. There’s a click, and then the computer is able to tilt further. Lay it face down on a towel and you’ll see the 8 exposed screws.

Remove the screws, and take the stand off.

Next, line up the iMac VESA adapter bracket thing. I found that it didn’t fit exactly squarely, so I had to put the top screw in first to clamp it down a bit, and then the side screws were able to line up once I’d done that.

Side note – I think everything that Apple sends out their door has had an entire engineering team work on the packaging. You should have seen the packaging this little kit came in… it was beautiful. Strong, clean and minimalist, as always. But for a mounting bracket? That was a little surprising.

Ok, once you’ve got all those screws in the adapter, it is time to mount the VESA 100×100 mounting plate onto the adapter. Line it up, and get those four screws in.

With that securely mounted to the 27″ iMac, I then tried placing it on the bracket that was on the wall.

Unfortunately, I had mis-measured and ended up having to shift the whole thing up a couple inches, thus leaving new holes in my wall. No big deal.

As a matter of reference, I did some researching and found that the ideal placement of the monitor is to line up the top of the screen with your eye level. I actually made mine about an inch higher than that recommendation, and it has worked fine for me. In my situation, that gives just a little extra room underneath for operating the treadmill.

And the finished result?

I ended up running into problems mounting the second monitor, because it was going in that angled corner, and turns out there aren’t any studs available in there! So I had to get creative on that one. Perhaps another post!

I’m pretty happy with that.

And it’s not meaningless distance either – my body is feeling the difference.

For one thing, I’m actually tired at the end of the day. Physically tired, not just bored with the monotony of work! (well, its not THAT bad ). It really highlights the pathetic level of fitness I’d slumped to (literally). Last night my legs were sore, my feet, and my back a bit too, from standing.

That’s all to be expected though, I think, as my body regains strength in these areas that haven’t been getting properly used all this time. I’m quite curious to see how I’m feeling after a full month on here. I expect that as I get stronger, the aches will disappear.

On the plus side, the other day after work I felt like I’d been working out. You know that high you get sometimes from physical activity? I felt like I had more energy, and it was great.

Also, I’m really loving the time I get on the couch after work now. Haha.

What would have been really cool would be if I could have found a doctor to give me a full physical prior to starting this, complete including bloodwork and everything, and then give me another complete one at 6 and 12 months along. I think that would be most interesting, to see the results.

Well, I guess I should wrap up this entry – last night I managed to get my second monitor mounted on the wall, so stay tuned for a post on how that went.

Anyhow, in the past few weeks, I found myself working in my basement on a regular basis (I moved the computer etc down there) because I’ve been doing a bunch of recording and needed the extra space. Well, breaking free from the mahogany desk allowed my brain to entertain thoughts of leaving it entirely… in favor of a Trekdesk setup with a treadmill.

I guess I’m now permanently positioned down here in the basement. It’s a much bigger room, but colder. And further from the kitchen .

Joking aside, the intent of this post was to show a picture of how the TrekDesk is setup with my Nordic Track 5.7 Treadmill.

So there you go – I’ll get a better picture up a bit later (that one is just off my phone). But it gets the point across.

One thing I was worried about when shopping for treadmills was that I wouldn’t have much deck room to walk after adding the desk on top. So I measured the Trekdesk, and it is only 18 inches wide right in the middle. I’ve got a 55″ deck, and so I’ve actually got plenty of room left after the desk is in place. Today I even tried jogging on the treadmill, and didn’t find that the desk really limited me at all, so perhaps the odd day I’ll boost up the speed and get a proper workout in!

If you’re using a laptop, then then the desk will work fine for you. I’ve got a 27″ iMac that I’ll soon be mounting to the wall behind the treadmill… along with a secondary 24″ monitor on one side or the other.

Quick update: today I walked 15.0 km (9.32 miles). I’ve started a spreadsheet to track my progress, and one day soon I’ll figure out a way of making a fun graphical representation of my progress on here. Until then, I’ll leave it up to your imagination how far 15 km will get you!

]]> http://www.treadmilldeskreview.net/trekdesk-setup/feed/ 0 http://www.treadmilldeskreview.net/trekdesk-first-day/ http://www.treadmilldeskreview.net/trekdesk-first-day/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:29:01 +0000 Jonathan http://www.treadmilldeskreview.net/?p=5 In late 2011 I decided to finally bit the bullet and order a TrekDesk and treadmill to help lose some weight in 2012 and improve my health.

Well, today (January 6th, 2012) is the first day I’m operational, and so far I’m loving it. I’ve been on the thing for less than 3 hours, yet I’ve already clocked 6 kilometres, and supposedly, 500 calories burned.

In fact, I’m writing this blog post while walking at 3 km/h – that’s 1.86 mph for my American friends. In the reviews that I read prior to purchasing the desk, I saw the 1.0 mph number thrown around quite a bit.

Well, I tried walking at that pace (1.6 kmh) and found it mind-numbingly boring. It felt like I was half awake, stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night or something.

So, I picked up the speed nearly immediately to 2.5 kmh, and that felt a lot more comfortable. However, in the course of my workday, a couple hours later I found myself diving into a bit of a lengthy document where was just reading… no typing required.

As such, I figured it was a good opportunity to up the speed a bit, so I boosted it to 3.0 kmh. Immediately I noticed a nice difference; the speed now felt like I was going somewhere, whereas even at 2.5 it had felt pretty leisurely. Excited at the difference I noticed, I immediately typed a note to a friend on Skype, and realized that typing was just as easy for me at that pace as previously.

So, having passed on from simply reading, I’m typing this blog post at the new speed, and I’ll probably use this as my default speed going forward.

As a baseline for posterity, today I weigh 220 lbs – some of that I’m sure still from the Christmas food craze. I’m hoping to see that drop over the coming weeks and months though, and I’ll keep you posted.