BUILDATREADMILLDESK.COM

Update: 1 1/2 Years on the Treadmill Desk

2010-01-20T19:43:00Z

It's been almost 1 1/2 years since I set up my treadmill desk and I wanted to give everyone an update. I still LOVE my treadmill desk. I walk on it every day and don't know what I would do without it. Whenever I'm at my computer I'm walking.

I don't know how much weight I've lost because I don't track my weight that way but I know I've definitely toned up, especially my legs. And I feel like I've lost some inches. My clothes are much looser on me.   I've also had 4 or 5 people comment (unsolicited) that I look thinner and ask if I've lost weight.   Am I supermodel thin? Uh, no. Am I thinner than I was? Yes. Am I more toned and do I feel better about myself? Absolutely!

As far as how many miles I've walked so far I can't really say as I no longer track them. I would guesstimate between 1,000 and 1,5000 miles.   It's moved from being a really neat new thing for me that I tracked everything about to being just a regular part of my office that I don't really think about - like my computer or printer. It's just there and I can't imagine being without it. I just get on and walk these days. I keep my pace at about 1 mph which is about the speed I walk when I'm out at the park walking and talking with a friend.

Overall I still give the treadmill two big thumbs up. It's really amazing and I still totally love it. I will ALWAYS have a treadmill desk from now on. It is an essential part of my office equipment.   If you're thinking about setting one up for yourself but aren't sure - give it a shot, then give yourself a week or so to get used to it. Once you do, you won't ever want to go back.   It's amazing.

100 Miles and Counting!

2008-10-02T21:00:00Z

Earlier today I hit the 100 mile mark on the treadmill (yeah!) so thought I would give an update on everything. It has been a few days shy of 4 weeks since I first started and overall things are going great. Here are some things I've learned, changes I've made and so forth.

-- I feel a LOT better. I have more energy and overall just feel a lot healthier. I haven't changed my eating patterns in any way except that I don't feel as hungry as I did before I started so I'm not snacking as much.

-- I haven't weighed myself yet but I can really tell a difference in my body. I don't know if it's obvious to anyone else yet but I can definitely tell it's changing. My legs are a lot firmer than they were when I started. My legs had gotten a bit flabby but now they are firmer. They aren't as firm as I would like quite yet but they are getting there.   Also, my belly is flatter. It still has a ways to go also but it's getting there too.

-- The walking/typing/reading action has become second nature at this point. It isn't a big deal typing and walking even at higher speeds. My normal range now is between 1.6 and 1.8 mph. Sometimes when I'm concentrating a lot I turn it lower but overall I keep it pretty steady. The only other time I turn it down is when I'm on the phone. I usually walk around 1.2 mph when I'm on the phone.

-- The speed I started out walking and working at earlier in the month which was around .8-1 mph seems way too slow for me now. So, I think it's one of those things that as you get used to it and more comfortable with it you naturally increase your speed.

-- Tennis shoes are a must. At least for me anyway. Sometimes at the end of the day I will change from my tennis shoes into my sandals and then forget I have them on and will walk for an hour or so while I mess around on the computer.  When I do that I notice my feet hurt later that night. When I wear my tennis shoes I never have that problem.   My feet and legs hurt a bit at the beginning but now they don't hurt at all - unless I wear my sandals and walk for more than a few minutes like I said. I think it's just a matter of your body getting used to walking 5-6 miles a day.

-- One thing I've noticed that I never expected is that I'm not on the computer as much as I was when I was sitting.  Now, when I'm at my computer I mainly seem to spend the time working.  I still surf some but not nearly as much as I did before. Now I seem to get more accomplished and I'm at the computer for less time. I wasn't really expecting that at all but it's been a nice side benefit.

-- The whole "finding a chair for the treadmill desk" angst I went through earlier was a complete waste of time.  I don't have a chair at my desk at all anymore and don't need one.   I wish I had made my desk less wide. I made it big enough to fit both a chair and a treadmill. Completely unnecessary. I sat every so often for the first few weeks as I was getting used to the treadmill but I moved the chair about 10 days ago and haven't missed it at all.

Overall I am still THRILLED that I have my treadmill desk and wish I would have gotten it sooner.

Do you have a treadmill desk? If so I would love to hear about your experiences with it.  The more information the better for everyone.

The Treadmill Desk - Week 1

2008-09-15T17:27:00Z

It's been a week to the day since I began using my treadmill desk. Here are my thoughts on it in no particular order:

I'm a lot more used to the movement now and the process of walking, typing and reading is a lot easier and feels very natural.

My feet and legs ached a bit the first 3 or 4 days. I think I overdid it at first but now I'm having no aches or pains at all. I guess I'm getting used to the activity.

I've walked almost 23 miles so far. The last week was kind of unusual as far as my schedule goes - I was out of the office a lot more than normal - so I expect to walk more this week.

I'm still getting used to what speed to walk at but I'm going a lot faster now than I did the first couple of days. As I'm typing this I'm walking at a speed of 1.8 mph. When I'm just reading - not typing - I go about 2.0 mph. When I'm on the phone I turn it down to about 1.0 mph. It isn't a big deal to adjust the speeds now. It happens naturally and I do it without thinking.

At the higher speeds I get a bit sweaty. At the lower speeds I don't.

I recommend tennis shoes at all times. I wouldn't walk on this wearing sandals, dress shoes, etc.

I still think this thing is AWESOME and I'm so glad I got it.

Treadmill Noise Level

2008-09-10T22:49:00Z

Great news! I was able to figure out how to do a video with my camera. Here is a video so you can get an idea of the noise level of the treadmill. It's a low whirring sound. As you can tell, my footsteps make more noise than the whirring. As I mentioned in an earlier entry I've been on the phone a lot while I've been walking on it and no one has heard it in the background. If you put the volume setting below directly at the midpoint that is about as loud as the treadmill sounds to me in real life.

Walking on the treadmill desk treadmill - going 1.2mph

First Full Day with the Treadmill Desk

2008-09-09T23:55:00Z

First off this thing is AWESOME!!! I am so glad I have it. Now for the nitty-gritty:

I've walked almost 5.5 miles at my treadmill desk today. Yeahhhh! I feel healthier already. lol!

The little bit of dizziness that I first experienced when I was walking and looking at the computer screen went away. I figured out that I only have it when I look straight down for more than a few seconds while walking and then look up again. It takes me a few seconds to orient. When I just look at my computer screen I don't have it. Solution: I only glance down every now and then and not for long. The dizziness hasn't been a problem today and I don't figure it will be. It's just a matter of getting used to working while walking.

I still haven't figured out a comfortable walking speed yet. I've varied it all day and still haven't come up with one that fits all occasions. Right now I have it set to 1.2 mph but when I'm on the phone I turn it down to .9 mph. Currently I'm still trying to figure out the best speed to keep it at. It seems like I have a different one for reading, for typing and for talking on the phone.

It's strange too in that at first, at the speed of .8-1.0 mph feels like I'm walking very deliberately, almost as if in slow motion. I don't really notice it now.

I've been a tiny bit hotter than I normally am. I'm not sweaty or anything but I have noticed a slight warmness to the room with my movements.

After the first half-hour or so yesterday the walking movement hasn't really bothered my reading the computer screen or typing at the keyboard.

It's the end of the day and my feet hurt a bit and my legs are a bit tired but nothing too bad.

Overall, the first day has been a great success and I'm super thrilled with day 1 of the treadmill desk.

Tread Desk Customer Service Grade: A

2008-09-08T22:53:00Z

The treadmill is still very new and I'm still getting used to it but I give Tread Desk, the company I bought the treadmill from a grade of A. They have been excellent to deal with and I highly recommend them.

The first treadmill got damaged in transit which was a bummer but wasn't their fault. They responded beautifully by first sending out a replacement part and then when that didn't solve the problem sent out a new treadmill. No hassles or attitude at all. They were a real pleasure to work with. I wish all companies were as customer service oriented as they have been.

Cool thing about the Treadmill

2008-09-08T22:50:00Z

I've been on the treadmill for almost an hour total. One cool thing I've discovered with it is that if you turn the treadmill off and then come back to it and turn it back on it remembers how far you went and how long you have walked. This makes it really easy to track your total distance and time walked. Pretty neat!

The Treadmill is Here!

2008-09-08T21:47:00Z

The new treadmill is finally here and it works!!!! Yeahhhh! They were due to deliver it on Friday but it turns out a mess up at UPS caused it not to be delivered before now.

I've been on the treadmill at my desk for about 15 minutes and it takes some getting used to. I'm not used to it yet. I'm going about 1 mile an hour which seems really slow to me but when I walk and look at the screen or look at the screen and type I get kind of dizzy. It's getting better than it was at first so I have a feeling it's just something that I need to get more comfortable with and used to.

I've also raised my keyboard up to my desk top as that's more comfortable. What's funny is that while I was standing on the treadmill that wasn't working it fit better at the lower level on the keyboard tray.

I'm going to keep at it for a while and see how it goes.

No Treadmill News Yet

2008-09-06T01:29:00Z

I thought the treadmill would arrive this week but it isn't looking good. The UPS drivers stop delivering here in a half hour. I thought for sure I would get it today at the latest. UPS had some issues due to Hurricane Gustav so that may have put the treadmill delivery behind a day or two. Still, I'm pretty bummed. I'm having some back issues and need help moving the old one out and putting the new one in so I scheduled my handy man to be here tomorrow to help. Oh well. Hopefully I will get it soon.

Treadmill Issues

2008-08-29T17:41:00Z

True to his word, Jerry overnighted me a new control panel but unfortunately the electrical short which occurred when my friend and I tried to fix the damage caused to the treadmill in transit was within the circuit board or wiring of the treadmill itself and wasn't in the control panel. So, Jerry sent out a new treadmill to me today which I should have next week. As soon as I get it and set it up I will provide an update.

The last time it went out on a Monday via UPS and I got it on a Friday so I'm hoping since it's going out today I will get it next Wednesday or so. The holiday weekend could delay that by a day or two but hopefully by late next week I will be walking.

On a different note, I have been standing on the treadmill at my desk for the last week now. My feet hurt a bit but I've upgraded to thick soled tennis shoes which seems to help. Even with those at the end of the day my feet are a bit sore. I'm hoping that once I start walking instead of standing still it will alleviate some of the ache.

Treadmill Issues Part 2

2008-08-26T19:51:00Z

Jerry is overnighting me a new control panel. Fingers crossed that it solves the problem. I'm a bit bummed I'm not up and walking yet but I know I will be soon. Jerry seems like a really good guy and has been nothing but helpful throughout this experience. Even with the issues caused by the damage done to the treadmill by UPS I would still recommend Tread Desk as a company. They have done everything right to help me.

Picture of Treadmill Desk

2008-08-25T23:10:00Z

Here are a few pictures of my treadmill desk. Here are pictures from the front, the back and of the cabinet.

Treadmill Issues

2008-08-25T16:32:00Z

As you know from my last entry the treadmill I bought had some technical difficulties. The owner of Tread Desk, Jerry, called me back first thing this morning and was absolutely FANTASTIC! He couldn't have been nicer. Apparently the issue was that during delivery UPS dropped the treadmill hard on one side. This caused part of the motor to lodge against a pulley. This blockage prevented the tread from turning. What's great to know is that they test out all the treadmills before they are sent to make sure they are working.

I had my friend Phil come over and thanks to Jerry walking us through it we were able to get the treadmill turning just fine.

Again, Jerry couldn't have been nicer or more patient. Big kudos to Jerry for his help! I wish all companies gave such great service!

Update: the treadmill is turning but we did something to the electrical board while working on the motor and it isn't working. It was working before so I think a wire got jiggled. Jerry is on it and is working on a fix for it now.

The Treadmill Desk is Here!

2008-08-24T19:45:00Z

Jason delivered the treadmill desk on Saturday. It is HUGE! It is much taller and bigger than I envisioned. Someone asked him while he was making it if I was a giant because the desk is so tall. From the front it has the feel of a raised customer service counter. It's a perfect height for me for the treadmill, it just feels so big and tall. The desk is so much bigger than my previous desk it's going to take a while to get used to seeing it in the room instead of my old desk.

The one thing that needs to be changes is the keyboard tray which is too low but Jason said he would come back and fix it. He also needs to enclose the shelving unit on the side. It was left open but it's visible from the front and doesn't look good. You can see all the wires and cords. He thought the desk was going to be facing the wall instead of with its back to it (my fault, I should have made that clear) so the cover he put on to hide the cords is on the wrong side.

As soon as I get my camera hooked up and everything cleaned up, I will provide pictures of it.

Now if I can get the treadmill to work I will be all set.

Delays

2008-08-23T16:36:00Z

A couple of delays have cropped up. My old desk is out and my new desk was due to be delivered at 9:00 today but there was a delay and it won't be able to be delivered until this afternoon. No biggie.

The biggie is the treadmill isn't working. I got it out of the box yesterday and set it up. Everything seems like it should work - the power is on, the console display is lighting up, but when it counts down to start the treadmill doesn't move. It makes a little sound and then I get an error message flashing on the console display. I have tried everything I know to do but can't make it work. I called Tread Desk last night and again today to get some help with it. I hope they aren't closed for the weekends as I don't want to wait until Monday. I also hope I don't have to send it back. The tread is heavy.

One More Day til the Desk Arrives

2008-08-22T22:16:00Z

The desk arrives tomorrow and I'm still getting ready for it. I was going to give away my current desk so it would be out when they come to deliver the desk tomorrow but I've decided I better keep it for a bit so that way if I don't like the new desk I can go back to my orginal one. This entailed cleaning out the garage to make space for my old desk and hiring someone to move my desk there. It's really heavy and I can't move it myself. I thought about asking a friend or neighbor to help me move it but it's so heavy I'm not sure I can lift one side without screwing up my back (it's still hurting a bit from me moving furniture earlier this week.) Since I don't want to risk my back I decided just to pay someone a few bucks to move it for me. The guys are coming over after 5:00 today to move it. Except for disconnecting my computer and monitor everything is cleared out and it's ready to move.

Getting Ready for the Treadmill Desk

2008-08-19T03:51:00Z

Since my new treadmill desk won't have drawers I decided to make room in my office closet for the items in my current desk's drawers. The end result is a complete reorganization of all the closets in my house. I bought a shelving unit at Lowe's that was super easy to put together (it's the smaller burgundy/black unit below.) It didn't require tools at all and only took about 5 minutes. I think it looks pretty good. I also got some baskets so I could put my office junk in there and things wouldn't look so cluttered.

Here's a picture where you can see part of the closet. It feels great to have everything organized. I hope it stays that way.

Chair for a Treadmill Desk

2008-08-16T18:12:00Z

Okay, now that the glow from the delivery of the treadmill and getting the treadmill desk materials has faded a bit I realize I need to get a chair for my treadmill desk.  Although I can't imagine it right now, I may not want to walk on the treadmill all day every day.

So, the search is on for a chair for the desk. The good thing about an adjustable desk is that the desk comes down to the height of your chair whenver you're tired of using the treadmill. Since I didn't want to pay $1500 for just such a desk I'm stuck trying to get a chair that works with the fixed-height treadmill desk I'm having built.

Again, not as easy as it would seem.

I thought it would be a no-brainer to just get a drafting chair. They are tall. The problem is they aren't tall enough. I need a chair where the bottom of the seat cushion is 35 inches from the floor. Most drafting chair seats are 29-31 inches from the floor.   After a lot of searching I couldn't find a drafting chair tall enough. Strike one.

Almost all office chairs have the same base specifications which means the top of almost all office chairs will fit into almost all bases.  I really like my current office chair and would like to keep it if possible so to keep it I just need to either find a tall enough base or find a way to get my chair taller.

I found a place that sells spare office chair parts here.  They sell a 16 1/2 inch gas cylinder which may extend my chair enough distance. I've got an email into them now to see if it will. I think it may be too short but I'm holding out hope it will work.   It's the weekend and they aren't open but hopefully I will hear back from them on Monday.

Also, I've looked at tall bar stools. The ones I've seen are 34" or 36" tall. I'm not sure if they would be good if you're doing a lot of sitting but at this point I don't plan on doing much sitting but I don't want to screw my back up if I do end up sitting more than I think. Hmm. Something to think about ....

Pictures of Treadmill Desks

2008-08-16T07:14:00Z

Someone wrote in and asked me what a 'normal' treadmill desk looks like. There doesn't seem to really be a 'normal' that I can tell for these.

Since mine isn't built yet I can't show you what mine looks like but here are some pictures oftreadmill desks- some are fancy ones built by companies, other treadmill desks are built by regular people like you and me. If you click on the page buttons at the bottom of the page with the pictures you can see a lot more pictures. Some are pretty cool.

...

The Treadmill is Here

2008-08-16T02:09:00Z

The treadmill arrrived! Yeahhhh! I was worried it wouldn't get here in time for the desk but it's here already. I ordered it last Saturday which was a week ago today. Talk about fast!