I will go back to writing translation-specific posts, but here’s an update on the treadmill desk based on my (admittedly still limited!) experiences this week.
- So far I still really like it, the adjustment has actually been much easier than I thought. I had planned to start by using it a few hours at a time, but I’ve found that I can use it for almost all of my work time. If I need to really focus on something on my screen, I just stop the treadmill and stand on the belt, then turn it back on. I haven’t noticed a major change in my work speed or accuracy.
- It’s worth experimenting with the treadmill speed. So far I’ve found that the recommended pace of 0.8 or 0.9 miles per hour often feels unnaturally slow. Right now (as I’m typing this) I’m using 1.2 miles per hour and it feels much more comfortable. Also, I find that if I’m just reading, for example reading my RSS feeds, I can do 2+ miles per hour.
- It’s amazing how quickly the distance adds up. Last night I checked my e-mail and almost didn’t turn the treadmill on because I thought I would only be at the computer for a few minutes, and lo and behold I walked half a mile. And we’ve all heard the health recommendations about walking 10,000 steps a day; even at a very slow pace of 50 steps a minute, you’ll reach 10,000 steps in a little over 3 hours.
- A vibration dampening mat really helps. My office has a hardwood floor and my treadmill, a ProForm Crosswalk LS, is on the loud side. In the Home Depot flooring section, I bought a thick rubber “anti-fatigue mat,” which you sometimes see in restaurant kitchens, and put it under the treadmill’s motor section. This cuts the noise drastically, to the point where it’s now at the “white noise” level. The Steelcase Walkstation promises that it’s “whisper quiet,” but for $125 for the used treadmill and $20 for the rubber mat, I’m quite happy with my setup.
- There’s a Ning group for people who use treadmill desks, Office Walkers.
Have you considered the advantages of the Trekdesk? You can read more at http://www.trekdesk.com, it is a treadmill desk and exercise ball chair that fit existing treadmills.
Thanks for your comment; the Trekdesk and the exercise ball attachment both look like excellent attachments! I’ll admit to being hopelessly frugal, and the “desk” part of my treadmill is just a piece of plywood shelving across the arms of my treadmill; when I need or want to work sitting down, I either use my laptop at the kitchen table or (I know, this is really terrible!) sit on the treadmill surface on a bar stool, but the Trekdesk definitely seems worth a try too!
Corinne, just saw this and remembered your posts. Has links to blogs like “Treadmill Desk” (Subtitle: Design and Build Your Own Treadmill Desk). Just amazing. See you in Orlando.
HTML tag didn’t work. Here’s the link: http://snurl.com/4nkt3.
recently purchased the 1200i model treadmill from Lifespan fitness and I have used this treadmill for about two weeks now. I am very pleased with the treadmill. I particularly enjoy the layout of the treadmill. It has a perfect size console, depicting the information very clearly. It is almost overwhelming that some treadmills have humungous dashboards in front of you when you are running. The LCD screen is very clear and easy to read.;
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