Standing desk vs treadmill desk
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point ....
That's where the blogger has died from too much treadmill use. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
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Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point ....
That's where the blogger has died from too much treadmill use. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I actually saw a commercial the other day about a bicycle desk. You could just sit on the seat or you can peddle while you work. That looked kind of interesting but I don't know how it would be for your back, neck and shoulders. It might create a whole new set of problems for your upper body.
Lisa Marie Sidlow
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I had an idea once to hook an excercise bike up to a generator, and power the PC by cycling. Compiling would require extra effort of course, but I wasnt shure if all that movement while typing would actually work. :) Anyway, never tried it. But the best thing is to cycle to work, or, if it is too long a trip, leave the car 5 kms away form work and cycle the rest. Hrd to do in the rain, but I cycled 18 kms a day for two years to work, in all weather, and I have to say it is great. You work better, can drink more, and generally your health is incredible. And except for winter it is actually lovely. :) (Mind you, I was cycling thourhg one of Europes most beautifuil medieval cities, stopping for a coffe and croisant on the way, a few beers in the bar on the way back. Very nice. :) )
============================== Nothing to say.
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I actually saw a commercial the other day about a bicycle desk. You could just sit on the seat or you can peddle while you work. That looked kind of interesting but I don't know how it would be for your back, neck and shoulders. It might create a whole new set of problems for your upper body.
Lisa Marie Sidlow
I really enjoy biking, but I think sitting on a bicycle seat for hours a day would be hell. Some people have suggested recumbent bikes, but then you're knees get in the way. Also, one blogger tried biking before switching to a treadmill and said that it took a lot more thought to keep pedaling than it did to keep walking. Probably because your body knows at some level that if it stops walking on a treadmill it's going to hurt.
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Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point ....
That's where the blogger has died from too much treadmill use. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
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I had an idea once to hook an excercise bike up to a generator, and power the PC by cycling. Compiling would require extra effort of course, but I wasnt shure if all that movement while typing would actually work. :) Anyway, never tried it. But the best thing is to cycle to work, or, if it is too long a trip, leave the car 5 kms away form work and cycle the rest. Hrd to do in the rain, but I cycled 18 kms a day for two years to work, in all weather, and I have to say it is great. You work better, can drink more, and generally your health is incredible. And except for winter it is actually lovely. :) (Mind you, I was cycling thourhg one of Europes most beautifuil medieval cities, stopping for a coffe and croisant on the way, a few beers in the bar on the way back. Very nice. :) )
============================== Nothing to say.
I'm already biking to work. It's only 3 miles, but it's uphill both ways (for at least a portion). I have really enjoyed the bike commuting. Before that I was on the bus, and it's been really nice to not have to worry about the schedule. The problem is that I live in Maine (northern US), and winter has finally started. It was ~10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and it was painful just riding my bike to the bus stop this morning. Once the snow starts, I'm going to put the bike away for the winter. That also misses a bit of the point. Apparently even if you exercise regularly, you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
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I'm already biking to work. It's only 3 miles, but it's uphill both ways (for at least a portion). I have really enjoyed the bike commuting. Before that I was on the bus, and it's been really nice to not have to worry about the schedule. The problem is that I live in Maine (northern US), and winter has finally started. It was ~10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and it was painful just riding my bike to the bus stop this morning. Once the snow starts, I'm going to put the bike away for the winter. That also misses a bit of the point. Apparently even if you exercise regularly, you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
What if you break up the sitting with lying down? :-D
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I've got a walking desk at work, and I hardly ever use it. I find it works for simple tasks like reading email and stuff like that, but it's hard to write even moderately complex code while walking, YMMV though. I do HIIT, crossfit, and paleo to stay in shape. Over the last few months I've been watching my macro-nutrient intake and done some intermittent fasting to edge closer to 10-12% body fat, so I'm relatively healthy without it.
Curvature of the Mind now with 3D
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I'm already biking to work. It's only 3 miles, but it's uphill both ways (for at least a portion). I have really enjoyed the bike commuting. Before that I was on the bus, and it's been really nice to not have to worry about the schedule. The problem is that I live in Maine (northern US), and winter has finally started. It was ~10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and it was painful just riding my bike to the bus stop this morning. Once the snow starts, I'm going to put the bike away for the winter. That also misses a bit of the point. Apparently even if you exercise regularly, you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
Everyone has a 100% chance of dying so I'm not sure how that could be increased by sitting.
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Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?
Somebody in an online forum wrote:
INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I have been using a Geekdesk[^] standing desk for about six months. It has an upside and a downside. There's also the good and the bad of it. Good: * I find standing part of the day helps me focus. I do a better job of getting things done and not wasting time. * Alternating between sitting, standing and walking feels better. * When I need to think or I lose focus, it's easier (and better) to just walk away rather than open a new browser window and start procrastinating. * I can sit or stand as the task, my energy and my back dictate. Bad: * Standing too long actually exacerbates my back pain. I have found that standing feels better than sitting when done in moderation, but is no substitute for actual exercise. * Expensive, and you could get a similar setup with a tall desk and a tall draftsman's stool for a lot less. (I already had an investment in a good desk chair. * Requires more care regarding cable length and routing for your equipment. Most days I start out with the desk down (sitting). After the morning coffee & email tradition, I move the desk up and work standing until lunch. Whether I work standing in the afternoon depends on mood and my back. Desk goes back down for the evening between 3-5 PM. I can't comment on the supposed health angle other than to say that sitting all day can't possibly be healthy, but it's also possible to hurt yourself by standing too long if you don't pay attention to other aspects of physical health and fitness. I can see the treadmill desk being helpful in this regard, but typing while walking seems like a bad idea. I'd rather take the dog for a walk (not a euphemism) and clear my head for 30 minutes. YMMV. If you're curious, I recommend setting up something temporary and seeing how it works. Don't go all standing up at once. Ease into it. Make sure your monitor is high enough that you're looking straight at it when standing. If your neck hurts, it's too low still.
Director of Content Development, The Code Project
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I've not tried these types of work stations, but... I like to break my work day into 2 chunks. 4 hours working, then DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) and a shower at home (over 2 hours including lunch), then 4 more hours working. I seem to be able to do this 3 days of a 5-day work week. Also, every day (that I don't play DDR) I walk to the cafeteria, which is 5 minutes in each direction. Not too long a walk, but should get a little blood flowing. I think this could be improved on a larger scale if company cultures were changed. At my company, it's not stated one way or the other that it's OK for me to take such a long lunch break, but nobody has complained so far. Nobody else I know at my company takes these types of breaks. If they did (or if the company encouraged employees to do so), I probably wouldn't feel so guilty about taking them, and would probably take these types of healthy breaks more often.
Somebody in an online forum wrote:
INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
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I keep reading articles about how sitting 8 hours a day is going to kill me, so I'm looking at alternatives. From what I've read on various blogs standing is actually more tiring than walking and comes with another set of risks. With that in mind, I'm thinking of building a desk onto a treadmill I already own (and never use). Every blog I've read about people using treadmill desks goes into detail about how they built theirs and how excited they were when they first started using it, and how much weight they lost in the first 6 weeks or so. Most of the blogs go dead silent at that point with a couple reporting back after a year. The people who report back after a year swear they are never going back to sitting desks, but I'm wondering about the others. Did they enjoy the walking desk and just get bored of talking about it? Did they begin to hate it and just not blog about they day they dragged their treadmill into the yard doused it with gasoline and threw a lit match at it? If you've used a standing or walking desk: 1. Did you like it long term, or did the shine wear off and you returned to sitting? 2. Did you notice any of the increased productivity/focus that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 3. Did you notice any of the increased energy/feelings of well being that many of the bloggers reported? Did this last long term or did it wear off after a few months? 4. Did you lose weight as a result of standing/walking? Did that last long term? 5. How long was it between when you say all of the time to when you walked or stood all of the time? If I don't have an easy way to raise and lower my monitors, how long am I going to need to keep moving them from my sitting desk to standing/walking desk? Obviously I'm going to New Years resolve to use a walking desk, I'm just trying to get an idea if I'm just trying it out with a slim chance of success long term (still have to try), or if it's likely to just be the way I work for years to come?
I've been trying to find something like a balance arm that dentist's use for the overhead light. Would be great to sit for a while, swing it up and stand for a while, swing it over to recumbent bike, etc. no luck so far. all I have is a cheap drafting table that swings over the recumbent, which I use just for reading (I'm not coordinated enough to bike and type and chew gum...)
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Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?
Somebody in an online forum wrote:
INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
I just can't see that working - the Hula Hoop desk just won't catch on.
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I'm already biking to work. It's only 3 miles, but it's uphill both ways (for at least a portion). I have really enjoyed the bike commuting. Before that I was on the bus, and it's been really nice to not have to worry about the schedule. The problem is that I live in Maine (northern US), and winter has finally started. It was ~10 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and it was painful just riding my bike to the bus stop this morning. Once the snow starts, I'm going to put the bike away for the winter. That also misses a bit of the point. Apparently even if you exercise regularly, you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
How cold is that in Celcius? I cycled in -7 in Belgium a few years often, it was damn cold. A friend in Holland had -20 Celcius one day!
Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
Benefit of going for a smoke every hour. Down the stairs, stand for a bit, then back up again. :)
============================== Nothing to say.
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I've been trying to find something like a balance arm that dentist's use for the overhead light. Would be great to sit for a while, swing it up and stand for a while, swing it over to recumbent bike, etc. no luck so far. all I have is a cheap drafting table that swings over the recumbent, which I use just for reading (I'm not coordinated enough to bike and type and chew gum...)
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How cold is that in Celcius? I cycled in -7 in Belgium a few years often, it was damn cold. A friend in Holland had -20 Celcius one day!
Jeremy Hutchinson wrote:
you are much more like to die if you sit more than 6 hours/day.
Benefit of going for a smoke every hour. Down the stairs, stand for a bit, then back up again. :)
============================== Nothing to say.
Erudite_Eric wrote:
How cold is that in Celcius? I cycled in -7 in Belgium a few years often, it was damn cold. A friend in Holland had -20 Celcius one day!
It's about -12 celcius. There are people who bike year round here, even when it gets below zero (-18 c), so in theory I could just but some more equipment to keep me warmer and some studded tires to make snow travel safer, but I have a feeling the fun of biking is gone for me until spring no matter what I do.
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I've got a walking desk at work, and I hardly ever use it. I find it works for simple tasks like reading email and stuff like that, but it's hard to write even moderately complex code while walking, YMMV though. I do HIIT, crossfit, and paleo to stay in shape. Over the last few months I've been watching my macro-nutrient intake and done some intermittent fasting to edge closer to 10-12% body fat, so I'm relatively healthy without it.
Curvature of the Mind now with 3D
Andy Brummer wrote:
I find it works for simple tasks like reading email and stuff like that, but it's hard to write even moderately complex code while walking
I definitely see myself having to stop and maybe even sitting while working on more complex code. At the same time, I frequently stand up and/or pace when trying to puzzle something particularly complex, so who knows.
