Building a treadmill desk
 

As I have mentioned in two other threads now, I have started the process of building a Treadmill desk.

It's a fairly simple concept, you take a standard treadmill and build a desk on top of it so that you can walk and work at the same time. Walking at a very sedate .07mph can burn a lot of calories in a work day. I am hoping to be able to walk up to 5-hours per day but we'll have to see how that goes.

So far I have completed step #1. I purchased a treadmill and brought it home. Damn those things are heavy.



Now all I have to do is figure how how to secure a desk to this thing. Plan-A is to use the huge cardboard box this thing came in to create a template that lies on top of the handrails. Unfortunately the handrails are not at the correct height for a desk so I'm going to have to devise a way to raise the desktop and still keep it stable.

Somehow, I didn't notice your previous mentions of the treadmill desk, but it's an interesting concept. I wonder if anyone did a bike desk. I wonder if I'd get sick of walking.


I think Plan A with the cardboard box for a template is an excellent idea. You can even use it, along with helpers, to determine the right height. I don't know how low the handles are to your body, so is it possible to use a thicker material. Or, could you have a special mount to raise it up higher? I keep picturing a mount that is attached on both arms, one on each 'corner' of the desk, with joints that would allow it to go forward and back, then lock into the position you like. At the dental office I used to work at, we had keyboards with a similar functionality, and I think using a similar 'locking' concept could be stable.

Keep us updated!

Or, what about doing something similar to the blog image - where you could have an external structure that acts as an overlay?

Space is an issue so I am attempting to make it fit the confines of the treadmill itself.

I'll set the thing up tonight and take some initial measurements (Note: the photo in the first post is from Google images, mine is still mostly in the box)

I'm thinking that the back of the desk can rest on the top of the instrument cluster or on the arms where they attach to the cluster and the font of the desk on the arms (with some type of extender)

Two things though that I am sure you thought of -- you are going to have to see the control panel to get the treadmill to start, and putting a desk on the handrails cuts the actual treadmill underneath in half (at least thats what it looks like from that picture), which can be kind of dangerous - you need enough space to actually walk (you don't want to be concentrating on carefully shuffling and not falling off, you actually want to concentrate on work, lol).

Are you wanting to put your computer and everything up there like the photo? I was just curious :) (And I'm curious to see how this project will turn out, its a cool idea!).

In the meantime... are you using the treadmill? :)

I know that our makes an excellent clothes hanger.

Correct. My thoughts so far are: A) The desk will be high enough that I can reach under and hit the start, B) I'll build in a trap door, C) I'll remove the entire instrament cluster, splice in some extra wire and mount it off to the side.

I live for danger, It keeps one on their toes. Don't forget I'm not planning on Jogging or running just walking at a very slow steady pace. Also I selected this particular treadmill partially on the length of it's tread. It's longer than it looks in that photo. Plus the desk will have a U-shaped cutout where I stand to add some extra room.

Yes and no. I will be attaching one or two monitors using monitor arms, and I have a wireless keyboard/mouse that I will be using with the desk. The tower case will remain safely on the floor away from the treadmill.

I just brought it home last night, it's still in the box, so no. However I am walking a mile each morning if that counts for anything...

The next thread Moonie creates will be one that is titled something like "I broke my ankle using my treadmill desk". (Or at least that what would happen to me.)

Perhaps you can utilize an adjustable under-desk drawer to manage your monitor and mouse. Lower it as you need it, raise it as you don't.

:p