Treadmill Desking
Inspired by fellow Canadian YA author Arthur Slade and others, I've taken up walking on a treadmill as I write, watch videos, and browse the web.
It took a while to get a setup that would work for me, as our treadmill is an old fold-up clunker with slanting arms, so my husband had to figure out how to create a platform that was strong enough to hold the laptop but also could be folded up along with the treadmill when not in use.
Fortunately, my husband is a genius. Here's the laptop platform in its tucked-away position:
And here it is all set up and ready to go, with the laptop in place:
Now, watch a short clip of me walking and typing (and even dancing a little) at the same time!
After three days of using the treadmill desk off and on, I could easily see myself getting into the habit of working on the treadmill at least half the time. It's not hard to do 30-45 minutes of writing or browsing before taking a break for another 30-60 minutes and then going back again, and it's a nice healthy change from sitting for 6-8 hours a day.
The drawback of this particular treadmill (though I really can't complain, as it was given to us free) is that it's REALLY LOUD, and also quite bulky. If I really get on a roll (ha) with the treadmill desking, then I think I would invest in a lighter and quieter model like the one Arthur shows in his video. But if I put on my headphones I barely notice the background noise, so I can see myself using this particular setup for a few weeks or months at least.
And hey, maybe I'll even lose a few pounds in the process! Or at least stop being so ridiculously out of shape...
It took a while to get a setup that would work for me, as our treadmill is an old fold-up clunker with slanting arms, so my husband had to figure out how to create a platform that was strong enough to hold the laptop but also could be folded up along with the treadmill when not in use.
Fortunately, my husband is a genius. Here's the laptop platform in its tucked-away position:
And here it is all set up and ready to go, with the laptop in place:
Now, watch a short clip of me walking and typing (and even dancing a little) at the same time!
Click to viewAfter three days of using the treadmill desk off and on, I could easily see myself getting into the habit of working on the treadmill at least half the time. It's not hard to do 30-45 minutes of writing or browsing before taking a break for another 30-60 minutes and then going back again, and it's a nice healthy change from sitting for 6-8 hours a day.
The drawback of this particular treadmill (though I really can't complain, as it was given to us free) is that it's REALLY LOUD, and also quite bulky. If I really get on a roll (ha) with the treadmill desking, then I think I would invest in a lighter and quieter model like the one Arthur shows in his video. But if I put on my headphones I barely notice the background noise, so I can see myself using this particular setup for a few weeks or months at least.
And hey, maybe I'll even lose a few pounds in the process! Or at least stop being so ridiculously out of shape...