Let’s face it, walking on a treadmill is boring if that is all you are doing. Working at your treadmill desk can make working more pleasant, but after a few hours your legs are going to be sore and you’ll probably want to quit using the treadmill desk. But don’t give up on treadmill desk usage! It is a wonderful way to get fit, improve your posture and stay fit! [easyazon_image align=”none” height=”368″ identifier=”B00MD20ONG” locale=”US” src=”https://getfitandhealthyathome.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/03/51xHUAgSRtL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]
Start Treadmill Desk Usage Slowly
Not everyone can adapt to walking for hours on end after being used to sitting for hours at a time. Therefore, walking and working requires some adjustment. Start with an hour and work your way up. You can do an hour on and an hour off. Build up to seven or eight hours a day over the course of two months. It doesn’t have to be a sudden switch.
Do Something Fun at Your Treadmill Desk
Sometimes your concentration is compromised by the walking and working. You can’t fully focus on your work while you are getting used to walking and working at the same time. Don’t worry. The automaticity will come. In the meantime, adjust to working at your desk by doing fun stuff online. These things can include:
- Watching funny videos
- Scrolling through social media sites – facebook, twitter
- Posting on your own social media sites
- Gaming (Please don’t tell me you do candy crush!)
- Workouts (There are plenty on youtube!)
- Grab some barbells and get an arm exercise in as well!
Make Sure the Ergonomics are Good for You
Walking and working will be just as bad for you as sitting and working if you have to hunch over to see your laptop screen. Make sure that the screen is eye level and the keyboard is at about a 90 degree angle to your elbow for the most comfort. This is going to require most people to purchase a monitor stand or a laptop stand to elevate it. (That has been my experience, but at six feet tall, I tend to tower over most of my friends! I’m not sure how the ergonomics are working for shorter people, but I still imagine that they need to elevate the monitor slightly.)[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B01M74EC0P” locale=”US” src=”https://getfitandhealthyathome.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/03/51p2s8qI7ML.SL160.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]
Pimp Out Your Walking Treadmill Desk Workstation
Let’s face it, it is more fun to work when you have cool tools and they make life easier for you. One of the biggest downsides to treadmill desk workstations is that they don’t have drawers. This is understandable because many of them are adjustable and some of them are so tall that the emphasis for the producers of these desks is to get height and now worry about drawers. So, what will you need?
- A place for file folders and hanging file folders[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B0012VIJGS” locale=”US” src=”https://getfitandhealthyathome.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/03/51f2BYLHYb1L.SL160.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]
- Storage for pens, pencils
- A mouse and a mouse pad – It is so much easier to use a mouse than trying to use the touchpad on your laptop while you are walking[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00000JRRD” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]
Lots of work is done on computers, but you will want to make sure that you have some space at your desk for jotting notes. You will also need to stay organized. A box near your desk with hanging file folders will help you stay organized and keep what you need nearby. [easyazon_image align=”right” height=”160″ identifier=”B001603YQU” locale=”US” src=”https://getfitandhealthyathome.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/03/41MxGL42BSL.SL160.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]
You can purchase stackable letter trays to keep some of your papers organized, however, this will take up some of the space on your desktop, so you may want to stay organized with hanging file folders that are placed on the floor or a separate filing cabinet nearby.
Keep Your Walking Treadmill Desk Organized
Let’s face it, no one really wants to sit down at a messy desk and work. Likewise, you will be really reluctant to walk up to your treadmill desk and want to conquer the day when papers are strewn everywhere. Take my advice and get organized! Use the file folders, the pencil holders and keep it all neat. Your walking treadmill desk workstation will seem more inviting when it isn’t cluttered with papers. [easyazon_image align=”left” height=”130″ identifier=”B00H5CVCN0″ locale=”US” src=”https://getfitandhealthyathome.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/03/510ijTTwS6L.SL160.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]
Pretend You are On a Real Walk
Sometimes it is just yucky outside and there isn’t anything you want to watch on hulu or netflix. There are virtual walks that you can go on to pretend you are outside. If you haven’t walked and worked that day, get off your butt and go on one of these virtual walks. It definitely isn’t the same as walking in nature, but it will get you using your treadmill. The more you use your treadmill desk, the more comfortable you will be with it and soon you will begin to love it!
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