Building a treadmill desk

Moonliner · 07-25-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catfiend

What do you like most about working on a treadmill desk? What do you like least? Just trying to get all of the information I can before making my own decision.

There is a lot of good. I tend to stay more focused and as a result the day goes faster and I get more done. The more I walk the better I feel. I sleep better and overall have more energy. That effect could be physical or just in my head but I don't really care much which it is. The effect is real. I do know that (as mentioned above) I can walk a lot farther in the real world without discomfort since I started used the Treadmill desk.

There are some down sides....
If I'm working on a very detailed/thorny problem then walking turns into a distraction and I have to go back to the desk. So don't think you can just get rid of your old desk and chair.

To ease moving between the desk and treadmill, I setup an a/b switch-box for the monitors and attached and extra USB keyboard/mouse. I have also picked up a pair of cheap radio-shack brand wireless headphones so I can rock out and not get tangled up in wires.

Some days I just don't feel like walking and have to live with the guilt.

Co-workers have a wide range of reactions (geek, dork, wow, where can I get one....) and I had quite the fight against the evil forces of management that were sure this radical idea would cause the complete collapse of western civilization.

Design wise, you need to be able to rest your forearms level on the desktop to give you adequate support for typing and mouse moving. If you scroll back up you will see the design I came up with has a 'U' shaped cutout and was custom built to match my height.

I have settled in at 1.2mph as the pace I use. Any faster and I have trouble typing or start sweating. I expect it also helps that I am able to set the temp in my office. I keep it at about 68-69 degrees. On the plus side most visitors don't stay around too long.

Overall I rate it five stars - double plus good, how in the hell did I ever live without it.