I’m working from a walking desk (Treadmill desk)

My Walkingdesk setup

 

In 1998 I became independent. As I work usually at my clients side, I have invested a lot in computers, yet almost nothing in my local office. I bought a desk from IKEA and used some second hand desk I got from friends & family.

About the time we first started talking about changing our house, I read about a standing desk. For someone who was a former DJ  and now sitting most of the time, that appealed to me. As a DJ I had a standing desk 😉

I was not sure about standing, I’m not as young as I was when I was DJ-ing all night.
Then I came across the idea of a walking desk.

The idea, is that you walk about 1.6 miles (2.4 km) an hour, while working. The theory behind, is that our body is more made to walk then to sit still. The minute I saw this, I was immediately sold. That is what I wanted in my home office.

When we started to discuss the plans of new house, I mentioned that to my architect. At that moment I was convinced that I should first have my new office and only then invest in a walking desk. Fast forward to the moment I saw the blog post from Peter. Peter is the ceo of Leanpub, the company behind the tools we used to produce our book: who is agile.

When I saw the video, it struck me. I was doing BDUF. I was designing an office for a walking desk, without knowing how it worked. I told Els (my wife) the same day, I’m going to buy the walking desk now. With that experience I will know how I should arrange my new office.

At the start of the x-mas holiday I went looking for a treadmill in Belgium that I could use in my office. In the US, there is treaddesk. Unfortunately no information to buy it in Belgium.

I finally ended up on a website with lots of treadmill and prices. (Tip for websites of shops: If you don’t show your prices online I don’t consider you a serious choice.)

As I had never run on a treadmill (yes, I am ashamed to say, that in all my staying in hotels, I never made use of these facilities.) I did want to go to shop to try out the different types.
I explained what I wanted to do, the shop owners had never heard of a walking desk. Yet they were very helpful. They explained what parts I had to de-assemble (or better not assemble when setting up the treadmill.)

I selected the T830 treadmill from DKN technology

Peter his second video, convinced me I also wanted an adjustable desk. I wanted such a desk, so that I can both walk and sit at the same desk, without having to touch my setup.
I only found one company (Steelcase) that delivers such a desk in Belgium.

After almost 2 months of working on my initial setup (2 normal tables on top of each other) my adjustable desk arrived. Already now, I know that this is how I want to work.

What about typing and mouse movements?

A lot of people ask me if I can really type or work with a mouse that way.

Check out our 2013 new years video. I finished the last 2 minutes while walking. And that was in the first week of having my treadmill.

This text has been typed while walking. If you might see spelling mistakes, this has more to do with my knowledge of English then the walking desk.

Actually, the last month I sometimes felt I had a problem standing. And then I realize I had been standing for 10 minutes and I had forgotten to turn on the treadmill.

Remember these “I will be 5 minutes at my computer and then you look up 3 hours later” moments?  I typically don’t turn on my treadmill for that. Now after 10 minutes I realize it’s taking longer. And then I make a conscious decision: stay on my desk and turn on my treadmill or actually stop working.

Other advantages?

I can focus on work much longer as before. (25 min VS 3 hours)

Want to know more?

Here is a video I shot from my computer, while walking

Here are some pictures of the walking desk in multiple setup’s.

Do you really move more?

I have a Fitbit One stepcounter since the 24 December.

Since then I stepped 800.858 steps.

That is 588 KM in 55 Days. (Remember most of day I am working at client side)
Yes not all these steps our on my treadmill desk. I still walk while waiting for my train.

Yet I know that before I had a walking desk. I NEVER arrived at 10.000 steps a day. Now I am almost never below 10.000.

Side effect: I never was a runner. I never had either: the energy, the courage and the times I tried it, I never had the physical condition. Since I have my walking desk, my condition has improved so much that it’s actually possible for me to go for a run.

Why do you do it?
It’s NOT  my intention to loose weight.
As a child I was always very very very thin (I weighted 27 KG – yes 27- when I was 11)
As a adult I’m weighting +80 KG.
In both occasion, people were telling me I should watch my weight.  They told me I had an unhealthy weight. In both occasion they had reasons. I have stopped listening to these people. I don’t care about my weight.
(When I burned down my parents house, I have learned that what people think of me, does not matter.)

So why do I walk while working?
I walk at my desk, because I’m convinced that my human body is not made to sit, at least not for + 8 hours a day.
Articles like this one confirm my bias.

Pictures of my walking desk

What do I have on my desk:

  • Elegato keylight
  • Streamdeck (15 buttons)
  • Atem Mini Extreme Pro
  • Rodecaster Pro II
  • Sony ZV-E10 camera instead of webcam
  • desktop microphone arm
  • calDigit dockstation
  • netgear 1000 gb switch

Thinks to improve

  • a real Laptop stand
  • a monitor arm to easier position my screen.
  • a huge powered USB Hub
  • Move the lift buttons to the middle of the table. Now I can’t reach them from the other side (Done)
  • More light around my screens, to give me eyes more rest
  • a small network hub for extra pc
  • I know that DKN has an tablet app. It would be nice to find one that supports the T830. Now the treadmill display is sitting my desk. Not a big problem, yet a little annoying.
  • a better piece of wood to put on my treadmill and below my chair. (I never use my chair)

In 2019 I replaced the treadmill with a AirRun-Z (also from DKN)

In the new home-office the treadmill is in the ground

2017-12-07 09.18.44

Since the covid-19 lockdown, already + 10 people joined me. What about you?

Reuters came filming during the lockdown.

Articles that mention walking desk

 Examples of people on treadmills

People who disagree

Other related topics

Where to buy a treadmill

 UPDATES :

  •  69  days  > 1.029.401 steps     755 KM.   +/- 14.919 steps a  day
  • 104 days > 1.563.040 steps  1.148 KM.    +/- 15.029 steps a day
  • 188 days > 2.841.964  steps  2.092 KM.  +/- 15.117 steps a day
  • 202 days > 3.118.535  steps  2.294 KM.   +/- 15.438 steps a day
  • 279 days > 4.125.382 steps 3.048 KM.    +/- 14.786 steps a day
  • 342 days > 5.059.533 steps 3.730 KM.   +/- 14.794 steps a day
  • 363 days > 5.433.411 steps 4.004 KM      +/- 14.968 steps a day
  • 497 days > 7.250.225 steps 5.332 KM       +/-  14.588 steps a day
  • 903 days > 12.352.475 steps 8.996 KM    +/- 13.679 steps a day 15.267 floors
  • 1.106 days  > 15.398.485 steps 11.221 KM  +/- 13.923 steps a day 18.820 floors
  • 1.848 days > 26.794.661 steps 19.353 KM +/- 14.499 steps a day 27.526 floors
  • 2.728 days > 37.747.755 steps 27.577 KM   +/- 13.837 steps a day
  • 2.909 days > 41.359.436  steps 30.202,99 KM +/- 14.218 steps a day (2020/11/18)
  • 3.169 days > 46.852.081 steps 34.140,24 KM +/- 14.785 steps a day (2021/08/05)
  • 3.790 days > 58,796,566 steps 42,648.69 km +/- 15.513 steps a day (2023/04/18)
  • 4.033 days > 62,551,100 steps  45,326.24 km +/- 15.509 steps a day (2024/01/09)

During the first 74 days of Covid-19 lockdown I did 2 million steps. Which is about 27.000 steps a day.  

No wonder I’m much fitter. Yet because I was working from home, I also had more unhealthy eating habits so I actually gained weight.

If you have a fitbit yourself, you can connect with me, and we can encouraging, stimulate, push eachother to keep stepping.