Editor Uses His Lifespan Treadmill Desk To Get Fit at Work

Over at readwrite.com, Owen Thomas is conducting an experiment near and dear to our hearts: He's testing out a Lifespan treadmill desk in an effort to lose weight and get in better shape. His goal is to drop 20 pounds by December (he started August 1, so is just about a month in).

Owen is clocking a very impressive 10 miles per day, walking at 3 miles per hour. Good thing he's got the Lifespan TR1200-DT5, which is rated for up to six hours of daily use. A major part of Owen's experiment involves an investigation into "networked fitness and the quantified self," which refers to the dozens of apps you can use to track your diet and exercise progress. If you're like-minded, you can use your smartphone for all these fitness trackers, or you can keep it simple by sticking to the treadmill console, which tracks total steps taken, calories burned, speed, and distance traveled.

His impressions so far? Unfortunately, he's got a blister, but notes that he's pushing himself "further than [he'd] go in an ordinary day." I guess you can expect a blister after walking 10 miles a day for a few weeks. I usually walk on my desk treadmill at work in just socks, so have been able to avoid this problem. I don't go 3 miles per hour, either; my speed is more like 2.3, which allows me to do all my typical office tasks, like reading, typing, using my mouse, talking on the phone, and so on. Even at 3 miles per hour, Owen reports that he has no trouble doing his work. He does say he's getting a little sweaty, but that's to be expected at the pace and length of time he's walking. Most people will walk for shorter distances at slower speeds, so stinking up the office is a non-issue. Owen also added a fan, which he and his colleagues indicate is quite helpful.

Owen's coworkers report that they actually enjoy the quiet "soothing hum" of the treadmill, which provides "pleasing white noise to work to." They find the "quiet din of his treadmill almost meditative." Nice! Not only is he getting in shape; he's improving the working conditions of his co-workers. Way to go, Owen!

The only issue I have with Owen's experiment is his overall workstation set up. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice that his desktop is far too low. His keyboard should be at the same level as his bent elbow, and the top of his monitor should be just below eye level for maximum comfort. He needs to raise his desktop considerably in order to avoid potential ergonomic issues. He'd probably find a monitor arm and laptop arm to be helpful additions as well. I have nothing negative to say about those red pants.

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