Ideal treadmill desk setup
August 10, 2020 6:40 AM Subscribe
I have decided to get a treadmill designed to pair with a desk to help me fight pandemic related weight gain. This is the model I am getting. What do I need to know about having a treadmill desk that might not be intuitive information?
I have a contraption that I can put my computer on that allows me to raise it to comfortable standing height, adjust angles etc. I have an external bluetooth keyboard if I need to use it. Do I really need an exercise mat under the treadmill? If yes, why, and if yes, would a yoga mat or two yoga mats next to each other work equally well? I plan to use it mostly on a slow setting but will increase the speed during conference calls. This treadmill is built to not get fast enough for jogging which is fine by me.
I have a contraption that I can put my computer on that allows me to raise it to comfortable standing height, adjust angles etc. I have an external bluetooth keyboard if I need to use it. Do I really need an exercise mat under the treadmill? If yes, why, and if yes, would a yoga mat or two yoga mats next to each other work equally well? I plan to use it mostly on a slow setting but will increase the speed during conference calls. This treadmill is built to not get fast enough for jogging which is fine by me.
I've been thinking about getting a treadmill desk myself. A few things I've considered:
* Quality of treadmill - cheaper ones are louder, have too weak of a motor (hitching when you step), or are loud, or just shouldn't run for hours on end.
* As mentioned above - Ergonomics of keyboard & screen matter extra - typing and reading while moving is tricky. I've considered a larger monitor and boosting font sizes.
* What kind of work? I'm a programmer, so a fair bit of my day is reading and exploring existing code. Meetings will have you bobbing up & down on video, to the amusement of your coworkers.
* I'm looking at a sit/stand desk - so how can I sit? I've seen platforms w/ flat treadmills, so a chair can be placed on top (using the treadmill deck as more floor). But that starts getting pretty custom & fancy.
I don't think the mat is necessary, except for protecting the underlying floor, or providing a touch more cushioning. As long as the treadmill isn't sliding around, which seems unlikely, I don't think it'd be necessary.
The treadmill you linked has a pretty small deck vs the more expensive lifespan models. That means you can't really meander as you walk, you'd have to stay pretty strictly straight. That may or may not be an issue.
posted by cschneid at 8:42 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
* Quality of treadmill - cheaper ones are louder, have too weak of a motor (hitching when you step), or are loud, or just shouldn't run for hours on end.
* As mentioned above - Ergonomics of keyboard & screen matter extra - typing and reading while moving is tricky. I've considered a larger monitor and boosting font sizes.
* What kind of work? I'm a programmer, so a fair bit of my day is reading and exploring existing code. Meetings will have you bobbing up & down on video, to the amusement of your coworkers.
* I'm looking at a sit/stand desk - so how can I sit? I've seen platforms w/ flat treadmills, so a chair can be placed on top (using the treadmill deck as more floor). But that starts getting pretty custom & fancy.
I don't think the mat is necessary, except for protecting the underlying floor, or providing a touch more cushioning. As long as the treadmill isn't sliding around, which seems unlikely, I don't think it'd be necessary.
The treadmill you linked has a pretty small deck vs the more expensive lifespan models. That means you can't really meander as you walk, you'd have to stay pretty strictly straight. That may or may not be an issue.
posted by cschneid at 8:42 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
The exercise mat is to protect the floor from the treadmill feet and the material that is scrubbed off of your shoes. I don't use one.
Two yoga mats would be fine.
I'm taller and I like a longer/wider treadmill
They are heavy and you'll want two people to shift it around
They have rollers at the front and you can move them back to make room for a chair. However, I use an exercise ball on top of the treadmill or a chair to the side when I sit
posted by pdoege at 8:46 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Two yoga mats would be fine.
I'm taller and I like a longer/wider treadmill
They are heavy and you'll want two people to shift it around
They have rollers at the front and you can move them back to make room for a chair. However, I use an exercise ball on top of the treadmill or a chair to the side when I sit
posted by pdoege at 8:46 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've had a treadmill desk for about 5 years. Ergonomics of screen and keyboard/mouse is critical as mentioned above. Making sure you can easily turn the treadmill on/off is also important. I have never had mat under mine, but it has little adjustable legs and sits on the carpet just fine.
The treadmill can be quite loud, so I never use it in mtgs where I'm an active participant. I do use it for conf calls where I only need to be there and don't need to speak/can keep my camera off.
Make sure your audio set up (speakers/headphones) is loud enough to carry over the sound of the treadmill.
Generally speaking they are heavy and bulky and you'll likely want to keep it under your desk. With that in mind the biggest thing I didn't think about was what i would sit on when I wasn't using the treadmill.You may be limited in options depending on the width, a regular office chair likely has too big a base. I sit on a stool that fits on the inside of the treadmill. I also have a fatigue mat for when I'm just standing on it, which is more often.
posted by snowymorninblues at 10:30 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
The treadmill can be quite loud, so I never use it in mtgs where I'm an active participant. I do use it for conf calls where I only need to be there and don't need to speak/can keep my camera off.
Make sure your audio set up (speakers/headphones) is loud enough to carry over the sound of the treadmill.
Generally speaking they are heavy and bulky and you'll likely want to keep it under your desk. With that in mind the biggest thing I didn't think about was what i would sit on when I wasn't using the treadmill.You may be limited in options depending on the width, a regular office chair likely has too big a base. I sit on a stool that fits on the inside of the treadmill. I also have a fatigue mat for when I'm just standing on it, which is more often.
posted by snowymorninblues at 10:30 AM on August 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
If the computer you're talking about is a laptop, you really, really want to have your screen propped up eye level and a separated keyboard down at about elbow level and comfortable for typing. Spending the day walking with your neck curled down to look at a laptop screen will wreck you.
posted by mhoye at 6:58 AM on August 10, 2020 [3 favorites]