Does anyone have experience with under the desk treadmills?

joans1976

Hello! I work 12-14 hour days at a desk job and I am basically glued to a phone and a computer. I can get up for about three minutes every hour to walk but that is just not enough steps. My back also tends to hurt if I am still too long. I have ordered a stand up desk. I was also looking into getting one of those under the desk walking treadmills and was wondering if anyone had one or had experience with them. Cost, quality, etc. I am in the US. TIA.

Letsdothis749

Hi!

I don't have a lot of specific info for you, sorry, but here's what I do have:
Yes, I've used one briefly. It's an interesting experience. (This was back when desk-treadmills were basically unheard of, so it's been a little while and I only used it a handful of times.)

If a lot of your work is on the phone noise is going to be important.

The one I used was large and industrial because it was provided by the company. That probably won't work for you because you might have to take care of transporting it if you leave.

How smooth it was was important to me because I had to be able to read. Some treadmills stop and start. Having the safety-shutoff is a pain if it has that, because I would cross my arms towards the center of the computer sometimes to use the touch pad (not an issue you usually have when running.)

Most of my other thoughts relate more to the desk. Make sure it's at least relatively stable in case you have to brace yourself.

Also, having worked a job where we were not permitted to sit in the course of the day, you might want to arrange for a way to be able to sit when helpful.

Do you have enough space for that? If not, there are some treadmills that lie flat on the ground without handlebars and which also fold the walking platform itself in half. I don't know about how that effects the quality, though.

Sorry, I couldn't help more.

IAmTheGlue

I have never tried that, but I am going to have to be sitting for longs periods of the day again in a few weeks when school starts back up as we are doing online classes for my son.

I have trouble sitting still, so I have a recumbent bike that I line up beside his desk. It’s the Marcy brand and I got it from Amazon and removed the hand rail around the seat. I turn the tension down and it’s basically silent. I pedal quickly with the loose tension (think spin bike) it helps me stay in one place to help him on the computer.

I also ordered a balance ball chair. It has not arrived yet, but it is the “Gaiam Ultimate Balance Ball Chair” from Dicks sporting Goods. If I like it I will probably get the child size version also.

I know one other thing people use at a standing desk is a wobble board, but I have not personally tried that. Good luck!

joans1976

@Letsdothis749 and @IAmTheGlue thanks so much! The ones I’m looking at are under the desk, no handlebars and for walking only. They have wheels on one side so you can pick them up and lean them against the wall. They seem like a new-ish thing so I’m hesitant to try but my step count is suffering the days I work. I’m really trying to get healthier!