I’ve finally joined the ranks of those who like to walk while they work . Initially, I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure that I would get a good workout; I wasn’t sure I would be able to focus upon my work; and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to set up such a system in my home. Well, those skepticisms have been put to rest.

Concerning getting a good workout, I have come to terms that it just won’t happen. However, if done long enough, you can certainly burn some calories. Here [one and two ] are some very interesting articles concerning this.

Surprisingly, I was able to focus on my work, but there is a trick; you have to walk really, really slowly. I think the recommended speed is around 0.7mph. It seems as if I can focus better than sitting at my desk. I think this may be due to the terrible noise my treadmill makes, which helps me block out the television.

I had to be a bit creative in order to set up such a system in my home. I already had a very cheap treadmill that my wife uses. I sometimes jog on it, but the top speed is only 5mph, so that’s a really slow jog. If you look at the picture below, you can see that the controls for my treadmill are on a slant. (Please excuse the terrible quality of these photos; they were taken with my phone.)

So, I couldn’t initially think of what could be used to set up a desk on my treadmill. I began searching, almost violently, around my home looking for anything that could be used for this purpose. I then remembered that I removed a shelf from a small bookshelf I had in order to use the bookshelf as my desk. So, I found that piece (stored under a bed) and, because of its shape, was able to attach onto the controls while resting on the arms of the treadmill. So that was great. I began using it and I found that it was very hard to type on because of the huge slant.

So, I tried to be a bit creative and wrapped some towels around the arms of the treadmill in order to raise the bottom portion of the desk. That worked for a while, but then I wanted to be a little more hi-tech. So, here’s a pic of my current setup. I basically just grabbed some old binders that I had and tied it to the desk and treadmill using some shoe-strings. Works like a charm.

I feel pretty good about this, as I feel this could really help keep me in shape. As a graduate student, I’m always strapped to my laptop. This allows me to get some exercise while still being productive. As of now, I’m trying to walk and work for about an hour per day. Upon finishing, my hips and lower back ache, so I guess this is a sign that it’s working. So, for all those who make the excuse that there’s not enough hours in the day to exercise, this may be a good option.