Ask HN: Anyone use a treadmill desk daily? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Anyone use a treadmill desk daily?

23 pointsykevinator33 comments

Considering trying this but it's such an expensive investment, I wanted to get some advice first. I spend most of my day writing code or on phone calls, if you have any experience with either, I'd love to hear about it.

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Hospital workers at a local hospital have warned me personally to never use a treadmill desk. They tried them for some of the staff and after one injury per week for a while — to people’s noses, mouths, and faces — the treadmill desks were banned outright.

They are not a viable substitute for being away for monitor. It’ll work fine for a while, but the eventual injuries that occur are to the most sensitive human-social area available: your face.

Overwork isn’t worth that. Please take breaks instead of using a treadmill desk.

How did that come to pass? Was it people losing their balance and falling?

I didn’t ask, sorry. It seems safe to assume PEBCAK as an outcome of distractions, surprises, and overwork tiredness.

Computer vision to detect the face approaching and trigger airbag deployment.

I did this for a few months when working at home. I bought a used treadmill for $100, and built a desk on top of it using spare parts and material I had lying around. It went pretty well, as I was writing code all day, but sometimes I would still need to stand still or sit when doing something like writing. For what you're doing, you should be fine.

Before spending a lot of money, try out something cheap like a used treadmill and building your desk. If you love it and want something even more convenient, then you may feel more confident about spending more money on it. If you don't like it, well, you found out and didn't have to spend a lot of money!

Edit:

All I did was take the top of an old desk I no longer used and taped it to the top of the desk where the handles are. It wasn't very professional looking, but I didn't care. If you're working in an office, it may be more challenging, as a normal treadmill probably makes more noise than an "official" walking treadmill built for an office. But if you can, still try it out the cheap way first!

I do. Against all the online advice to not DIY I have a normal running treadmill (a freebie from the people we bought our house off, who didn't want to move it) with a couple of polystyrene blocks across the bars. The blocks support a bluetooth keyboard and a wireless mouse. I use normal garage shelving (also left for us) to support a 32" 2560x1440 monitor. My laptop sits on the shelves, but the one screen is plenty big enough for work.

I use the treadmill for 2 hours every day, and have done so for the last 6 months. I do 40 minute sessions, with a decent break in-between, at 5.3km/h, with the incline set to the point where I can feel it, but not to where it changes my gait or makes me sway so much that I can't type.

Honestly, it's great. Because I work from home I don't get any of the walking exercise I used to from going to and from work. But I get more now - 10kms a day, at a fairly fast pace. Combined with intermittent fasting I have been slowly losing weight over the past 6 months.

And it feels really good to walk. It was something I missed. Being able to work it into my... work... has been great.

I don't think it's probably a good idea to walk all day. After some experimenting I settled on 2 hours. I used to do 3 hours, but by the end of the week my back would be getting a bit sore.

Wow, this is exactly the situation I was looking for and your practical "get healthier slowly" approach is exactly what I have been contemplating.

If you can get a cheap treadmill I'd say give a shot. It doesn't have to be expensive to setup. Especially if you're working remotely and noise isn't an issue (my treadmill is in the garage; I have noise-cancelling headphones that help a lot, but it's really not that bad without them - and this is an old treadmill).

The (well-intentioned) concerns that I see about posture if you DIY I think are aimed at people who are planning to walk all day. To me walking slowly all day never made sense, I'd much rather walk faster for a short period of time and then return to my desk and rest.

I also think the safety concerns are overblown. I look straight ahead at my screen, which is at head height; I'd also be looking straight ahead if I was walking without working. I've never fallen, tripped, etc... I don't see how it's any more dangerous than running would be, probably less so because is everything is moving a lot more slowly.

If you do try it out be sure to put the speed up periodically to see what you can handle. I walked at 3.5 kp/h for months before my wife mentioned she was walking at 5 kp/h and I discovered I could handle faster speeds, too.

I've been using a treadmill desk almost daily for the last 2-3 years and I absolutely love it. I had two laminectomies for herniated discs about 5 years ago and the dynamic motion of walking has helped me maintain my back health better than an ergonomic chair or a standing desk would. On days when I had a lot of meetings and couldn't walk at my desk it was noticeable.

It works particularly well for me, but your mileage may vary (literally). I tend to walk fast (2.0 mph) which means I need light clothing and a fan blowing on me. That seems to be faster than most people who walk (and beyond the speed you should start at). I'm also able to walk longer than a lot of people do (I've walked a marathon distance several times during 24 hour hackathons). Contrast this with my partner who found it almost impossible to work while walking.

I tend to pace when I think, something about walking helps me think; my treadmill allows me to stay at my computer where I can still write code or make notes, versus getting up from my desk and wandering away. This really helps me switch rapidly between deep thinking and focused working.

Two things I highly recommend if you want to take the plunge: make sure you position your keyboard and monitor(s) carefully as it makes a huge comfort difference, and use a trackpad over a mouse. I've used my Magic Trackpad and had no problems controlling my cursor, but the few times I tried to use a mouse I found it very jumpy (especially at my faster pace).

If you're unsure I recommend looking for a used TR800, take a lot of breaks, and start slow. And a quiet fan can help keep you cool.

2 mph is a very slow walk... People typically say that with a standard walk you can walk a mile in 20 minutes. 2 mph means a mile every 30 minutes, or 50% slower than standard.

You are correct: it's a fairly slow walk around the neighborhood. Typically I average between 3.5 and 4 when strolling around outside.

That being said, it's fast by the standards of treadmill desk usage (judging by what I've read and a coworker that bought her own treadmill). I can't speak authoritatively but the impression I get is that most people walk around 1.0 mph which is maddeningly slow for getting around, but appropriate for mindlessly pacing while typing or talking on the phone.

It doesn't have to be. I put together my own. Here is what I purchased:

Jarvis Stand Desk Frame Only ($445) Home Depo Door ($60) Confidence Power Plus Motorized Electric Treadmill Black ($200)

So total of $700~ for basics.

Additionally, to make it look nice I added: WireTamer Cable Trays ($20) Shelf and Drawer Liner Wood Grain (x3 for a total Of $27) LED Lights ($20) Drill-able Cable Clips (x2 for $10) Belkin Power Strip ($22)

Since the higher position meant I started getting hit by the AC stream and I also didn't like people being able to see me through the windows when standing, I added: Frost King Air Deflectors ($10) Gila Privacy Window Film ($30)

Sounds cool, can we see a photo of it?

Second

Third!

I owned a lifespan tr1200 for 3 to 4 years. I use it every morning to watch TV and do a 4 mph warm-up jog before working out.

I used to walk and do work as well at 1.6mph, but it's still distracting to me even after many years. I sometimes use the treadmill while playing Xbox controller games like rocket league.

If I had to buy a treadmill desk vs a stand/sit desk I'd buy it again. I hate running because it's boring but with a treadmill desk it doesn't matter to me. Standing up all day doesnt bother me either, since I have a specialized antifatigue mat. Also I never wear the safety attachment it's not necessary

I wish they made treadmill desks past 4 mph, with incline mode. I am considering retrofitting an actual treadmill to a desk so I can go up to 8 mph. Something that you can add detachable arm rails.

Also the tr1200 is incredibly stable sturdy compared to many sit stand desk such as jarvis, bc it's really heavy and has a big crossbrace

Also I have never once fallen off my treadmill. I run three monitors and a laptop.

I run a blue yeti mic and sometimes I wear socks while using treadmill, it causes some static electricity buildup in my headphones and mic.

For reference this is my desk. My gym is right behind it, if you want to see that to let me know.

https://imgur.com/a/78m8sCr.

Its pretty easy to do a 5+ mile walk on a treadmill desk in a single day. But there's not much benefits to that imo unless your trying to lose weight

Our company has several LifeSpan treadmill desks (~$1200) scattered throughout campus. For a while, I was using one daily. My experience:

1. You're bouncing up and down while you're walking. At best, you can read something - typing/mousing is a challenge. I had little success writing or coding. I ended up using the desk first thing in the mornings while I caught up on emails, news and such. This was the dealbreaker for me in getting a setup at home.

2. I wanted a separate set of footwear for the treadmill. I suppose I was right on the edge of sweating too much to be comfortable the rest of the day in my 'walking clothes', but swapping out shoes/socks was a must.

3. It _is_ much better than not using one. For all the same reasons that any regular exercise is good - better mood, lost weight, break in the day, etc.

The desks had 'dead mans switch' leashes (strap that kills the treadmill if it's pulled out), workout computers with HRM, adjustable height desks with memory and were beefy solid machines. I think the only thing they missed was a USB charge port. I would think a cheaper machine might be flimsier, which could aggravate the bouncing issue.

When I worked at Salesforce we had these. I loved them. Especially when I had to do something like writing test coverage. It was great being able to just focus on work and walk for an hour or two without even realizing it. There is definitely an adjustment period, just like if you were trying a new keyboard.

If you have the ability to work on something uninterrupted and you get into that 'flow state' I'd say yes go for it, well worth the investment. Phone would be fine though if you have a handsfree setup.

That being said, if you work in a noisy environment with alot of distractions, walking just becomes another added stressor. An additional downside is that you can get sweaty if you forget for how long you've been walking!

How about you just go to the gym and build real strength and endurance instead of having a treadmill desk. The treadmill desk will only make yourself feel better about sitting around all day but it won't move the needle significantly on much else besides emotion.

The reason I chose the harsh wording is because there truly is no substitute for getting in the gym to correct posture, build strength, build endurance, and prevent injuries long-term among other things.

You just have to make time for it and do the work, just like with anything else worth having in life.

Walking rather than sitting or even standing has helped me with my back problems after having had two surgeries for a herniated disc. The constant motion helps prevent me from developing problems that would always develop from those static positions.

Additionally I tend to pace when I think and this means I can stay at my desk while puzzling something out. The fact that I can burn a thousand calories on an extended day of focus is just icing on the cake.

I see my treadmill desk as something that helps me work, not a substitute for the gym. Maybe dial back the judgement and "harsh wording" in the future, or at least talk to people before developing and/or sharing such a strong negative opinion.

An hour a day at the gym is no substitute for working on your posture throughout your waking hours. It'll help, sure, but it's not even 10% of your day, even less so of your week.

I'd recommended doing both. Ultimately, you need resistance to strengthen upper back / rear delts, but you should for sure be taking breaks to 'reset'.

> won't move the needle significantly on much else besides emotion.

To be fair there are worse things than feeling happier.

I'm not interested in strength or endurance, I'm solely interested in burning extra calories and back strengthening. I'll be 50 next year, my first born is off to college next year, I cannot tolerate the mental torture of the gym, it's just too boring, I have tried for 3 decades to try to like, I just don't.

"I'm not interested in strength ... I'm soley interested in ... back strengthening." :)

Nothing builds strength, especially back strength, like lifting heavy things. If you have any space at home, a squat rack (if needed to save space, free standing on each side) and a bar with some weight. Just do something like 5x5 stronglifts app and some stretching. An hour (total, for warming up, stretching, and lifting) three times a week and your world could change for the better. Mine did. You could even do this watching nor listening to some entertainment. I had back pain. Hurt to downhill on a mountain bike. Sleeping got worse. Sitting got worse. Then I started lifting and stretching (was stretching for the cycling already, but needed some new stretches for the lifting). As long as I stretch my glutes/hip and pick up heavy things, I have no back issues. The stretching is key to keep the new muscle loose.

Here's a profile of a NYTer who loves her treadmill desk: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/04/technology/personaltech/t...

Daily. Multiple times daily. I LOVE it. No more back pain. No more sciatica from sitting too long. I feel way more alert.

It took some getting used to, but now I can't imagine working without it.

I'm walking an average of 2-3 hours per day.

When I'm not walking, I swivel the monitor over to the left side of my desk, and lower the desk.

Another question for those that do, what speed do you usually walk at?

I walk at 2.0 mph. This is about as fast as I can walk without becoming too overheated, but even then I need to wear light clothing and have a fan blowing on me. Walking at 1.5 mph would probably reduce my need for cooling, and 1.0 or less just feels too slow for me.

I was able to try it out for ~1 week.

Can highly recommend.

A cheaper alternative would be two have a 'high' desk with a separate treadmill (haven't tested this one myself, but am considering this setup)

Isn't it too hard to type using it? I tried using something improvised to mimic (I used the high desk as you say) but it was too hard for me to type consistently.

Def. needs time to get used to, was l-2 days for me. But hadn't have big problems typing after that.

What about something like google glass, voice recognition, a good 4G signal with a decent PC running in the cloud, and then just go walk in a circle the countryside.

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