Do I want an under desk treadmill? And if so, which one?

[Carol in Cal.]

And how do you get off of those things if there isn’t any handle?  Will I break my neck?

Backstory:  I have a ridiculously sedentary life.  I spend a ton of time sitting in front of a computer typing away.  I got a mount at Costco so I can stand in front of the computer instead—it is designed similarly to a scissor lift and sits on a table and raises the computer to whatever level you choose.

But I’m still feeling pretty inert.  I want to be moving more.  

I don’t want one of those bicycle things that you sit in front of and pedal on the floor.  I want to feel like I’m actually walking.  I want to move in a standing position rather than a sitting one.  I do know the tricks—pace while on the phone (although it’s hard because when I’m on the phone I often have to refer to things on my computer.), go up and down the stairs one extra time every day, park at a spot far from the door.  But I need to take my exercise up a level from this.

[mathnerd]

An easier option is to get a balance board made of solid wood. Every one in my family uses one for 1-2 hours a day. Your muscles are engaged when you balance yourself while working.

[Catwoman]

6 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

An easier option is to get a balance board made of solid wood. Every one in my family uses one for 1-2 hours a day. Your muscles are engaged when you balance yourself while working.

I don’t want to hijack Carol’s thread, but do you have a link to the balance board you have? I have a Bosu, but it’s huge, so I don’t think that would work. 

[Catwoman]

Carol, I have a friend who has this under desk treadmill, and she likes it... BUT although you can buy it on Amazon, it’s not sold by Amazon nor is it shipped by Amazon, so I decided against ordering one. I was concerned that if I got one and it didn’t work, it would cost a fortune to return it, and I didn’t want to deal with the potential nuisance of dealing with actually getting the refund from a company I have never heard of, once I sent it back.

Here is the link just so you can see what it looks like:

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Treadmill-Motorized-Exercise-Wireless/dp/B0895DRWVY/ref=sr_1_9?crid=38OPYJL0JZZC4&dchild=1&keywords=under+desk+treadmill&qid=1621834865&sprefix=Under+desk%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-9

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the under desk treadmills on Amazon look suspiciously similar (ok, exactly alike!) so if you could find a well-rated one that is shipped by Amazon and says Free Returns on the listing, it might be worth a try. My friend likes the one she got because it’s quite small and compact, and she says it’s easy to move. She bought it during the past year, so I haven’t been at her house to try it. I know it’s too short and the motor isn’t strong enough for running, but she says it’s good for walking. She is average height, so if you’re very tall, the length of the treadmill would be something to take into consideration.

[mathnerd]

@CatwomanI have one in this style:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079J6SQ6G

and another in this style:

https://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-Wooden-Wobble-Balance-Board/dp/B0711Y2NZZ

Both require different kind of balancing motions.

Edited May 24, 2021 by mathnerd

[Carol in Cal.]

9 hours ago, mathnerd said:

@CatwomanI have one in this style:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079J6SQ6G

and another in this style:

https://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-Wooden-Wobble-Balance-Board/dp/B0711Y2NZZ

Both require different kind of balancing motions.

I ordered the side to side one of these, thank you!  It does sound like a good place to start.  It arrives tomorrow so I can try it out quickly.

[Carol in Cal.]

9 hours ago, Catwoman said:

Carol, I have a friend who has this under desk treadmill, and she likes it... BUT although you can buy it on Amazon, it’s not sold by Amazon nor is it shipped by Amazon, so I decided against ordering one. I was concerned that if I got one and it didn’t work, it would cost a fortune to return it, and I didn’t want to deal with the potential nuisance of dealing with actually getting the refund from a company I have never heard of, once I sent it back.

Here is the link just so you can see what it looks like:

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Treadmill-Motorized-Exercise-Wireless/dp/B0895DRWVY/ref=sr_1_9?crid=38OPYJL0JZZC4&dchild=1&keywords=under+desk+treadmill&qid=1621834865&sprefix=Under+desk%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-9

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the under desk treadmills on Amazon look suspiciously similar (ok, exactly alike!) so if you could find a well-rated one that is shipped by Amazon and says Free Returns on the listing, it might be worth a try. My friend likes the one she got because it’s quite small and compact, and she says it’s easy to move. She bought it during the past year, so I haven’t been at her house to try it. I know it’s too short and the motor isn’t strong enough for running, but she says it’s good for walking. She is average height, so if you’re very tall, the length of the treadmill would be something to take into consideration.

This is the kind I was thinking of.  I have my stand on a conference room type table from IKEA, and so there is plenty of clearance underneath it.  

It’s just hard to picture using it.  I assume that you turn it on and it moves at a steady clip.  But not having used these before, it is hard to picture getting off and on while it’s moving, since there is no handle for balance.  I am not all that tall, and I don’t want to run, just walk, so it’s OK from that perspective.

[Carol in Cal.]

Funny thing about these balance boards—because that kind of exercise has become so prevalent I have started to seek out harder places to land my feet when hiking, to give me practice with uneven terrain.  Before, I used to seek the easiest spots, pretty much instinctively.

[prairiewindmomma]

Dh had a treadmill desk at work pre-covid. When we bought his Uplift desk for at home, he just got the bamboo rocker balance board, the gel mat, and the motion stool as he didn’t have enough space for a treadmill setup. It’s been something, but not the same as a treadmill.

[MerryAtHope]

So, do people type as they walk? I march in place and do various stretches and lifts on a standing mat, but I can stop any time to type. I’m having trouble imagining walking as I type!