How I burn 600 calories a day blogging
by Jonathan Fields | 03/11/08
I tried to fight it for so long.
I’d schedule exercise for 4pm every day. When the warm weather was around, it was pretty easy. By 4pm, I’d be itching to get out into the afternoon sun. Okay, I’d miss days, but it was still a lot easier.
But, then winter came…
And, while I do yoga, limitations caused by multiple surgeries don’t allow it to deliver the cardiovascular workout and calorie-burn I need to stay healthy. Plus, with more and more of my career requiring me to write for extensive periods of time, my level of “sedentary-ness” skyrocketed. But, that all ended a few weeks ago, when I set up my…
Rocking, calorie-torching treadmill desk at home…
Whaaaa??? You heard right! That picture below is little old me walking 1 mile per hour while blogging…at my desk. I’m there from 8:30am t 12:30pm, five day a week now. And, here’s the amazing thing…
It doesn’t even feel like exercise!
One mile per hour is the equivalent of a very slow walk. It’s slower than the pace I usually follow whenever I am on the phone (I have to move when I talk or feel like I’m gonna die). You don’t really get tired, you don’t sweat and, at my weight…
By lunchtime, I’ve already burned around 600 friggin’ calories!
And, here’s the other cool benefit, I actually work faster and think better when I am moving, so I end up getting more done faster. I wish this was my idea, but I have to admit to being turned on to this by one of my yoga students, Emiliya, who told me her and her boyfriend had been doing it for months.
Then, she turned me onto a very cool treadmill desk website/blog that not only showcased Steelcase’s new commercial treadmill desk, designed by a Mayo Clinic doctor, but had a gallery showing how a bunch of people made their own versions for next to nothing.
In the end, creating my treadmill desk came down to accepting that, because a big chunk of my career now revolves around writing, I pretty much have to spend a lot of time in front of a computer every day.
But, rather than assuming that working in front of a computer “required” me to be sedentary, by getting hyper creative (and shamelessly stealing and adapting someone else’s idea), I could transform my computer time into my active time, too.
There are so many ways to customize your own treadmill desk, but bere are two more pictures of my set-up. I kept is really simple as used as much bluetooth stuff as possible to keep it almost entirely wireless…
Screen View (Apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse, shelf from $19 Target shoe-rack and Dell monitor)
Does this all mean I’ll stop doing yoga or, when it’s warmer out, go trail running, hiking or mountain-biking?
Of course, not, but, now it’ll actually allow me to do those things out of pure joy 2 to 4 days a week, when I can fit them in and not have to feel guilty about the effect my career path is having on my body any more.
It’s amazing what can happen when you allow yourself to reexamine your fundamental assumptions, think outside the box…and go for a walk!
So, anyone wanna join me on the treadmill desk journey?
I’ve got this wild fantasy for a treadmill blogger walkathon to raise money for a cause!
PS - I still have a little more tweaking to do with the monitor position and I am looking for a way to feed the TV into my monitor, too (my rockin’ wife loves to watch Ellen while cranking out the miles, hehehe!).
If anyone knows how to do this, please share the details in the comments…
If you enjoyed this article, click here to get free updates by email or RSS
93 comments
POSTED IN: Health & fitness | digg it | del.icio.us it | e-mail it |
Enjoy these related articles
Comments
March 11th, 2008 | 6:43 am
That. Is. Awesome. Too bad I don’t have a treadmill (or any room at all for one) or else I would totally do that. I definitely need to get more excercise in my life!
March 11th, 2008 | 7:02 am
I have the same problem as Allison, but I’ll definitely try this one day when the space and tredmillessness problem is fixed
Great idea, Jonathan!
March 11th, 2008 | 8:28 am
Hello from atop of my Treadmill Desk,
Congratulations on your new Treadmill Desk.
Sincerely,
Jay Buster
Boulder, Colorado
(formerly of Roosevelt Island, NYC)
March 11th, 2008 | 8:35 am
@ allison - Yeah, I’m loving it. I got a new treadmill, but I actually know someone who did this getting as used on on Craigslist, too
@ Jarkko - Hey buddy, space is definitely an issue, I don’t have much behind mine, but at the pace I am walking, I don’t need as much as if you were using it to run all the time
@ Jay - Walk on, brother! Send me a picture when you get a chance and we’ll compare notes! (typed from atop my TM desk and not even breaking a sweat)
March 11th, 2008 | 8:44 am
Wow, that is fascinating! I’ve heard of people standing, but not walking all day. Walking is one of my favorite things to do and this looks so great. I’m going to have to try it one day.
I kind of bounce when I walk though. Does that make it hard to type? Hubby thinks it might be hard drawing on a graphic tablet too.
March 11th, 2008 | 8:46 am
@ Naomi - The pace is slow enough so that I don’t have any trouble typing (and I’m a terrible typist), working on a tablet should be interesting, though, let me know how it works if you try it!
March 11th, 2008 | 9:33 am
holy cow! you were serious about the treadmill. I tot it was in jest.
March 11th, 2008 | 10:05 am
Wow, Jonathan….. what an amazing idea!! I work out at 1:00 everyday… Well, that’s my plan anyway. I actually only get to it 3 or 4 times a week because there are many times I am working on something and just don’t want to stop. I am afraid to stop working that I will lose momentum or get out of “my zone”. So, I skip working out for that day. Or, say I will work out later and later never gets here. I freakin love this idea!! Combining working with working-out. Love it, love it, love it!!
Shana
March 11th, 2008 | 10:35 am
@ sharon - totally serious!
@ Shana - It’s like a manna from health and fitness heaven for computer-bound people. Though, for those relatively new to movement, yes, even walking, I’d definitely recommend really good shoes and easing their way into it over a few weeks.
PS - I’m really curious to see how it effects my sleep over the next few months, too. Will report back on all!
March 11th, 2008 | 10:39 am
I saw the mayo clinic article too, and was definitely interested. It isn’t feasible where I am at now, however, we are buying a home soon, woohoo!
March 11th, 2008 | 10:46 am
@ Hayden - Hey, sometimes you just have to buy a new home to accommodate your computer fitness needs!
March 11th, 2008 | 11:15 am
I’d heard of exercise-bike-powered TVs and monitors, this is seriously cool. I might have to rig something up! Thanks for the inspiration, Jonathan!
March 11th, 2008 | 11:34 am
@ Michael - go for it, brother! Then, e-mail me your pictures. Maybe we can get enough people to do it to set up a little gallery. PS - love the gravatar pic, very stylish!
March 11th, 2008 | 11:44 am
Wow, this is great! We are on a trip around the world so I can’t buy it now, but I think it is fabulous.
I have just lost 50 lbs and have more to go, but I also spend more time on my laptop than I would like. I use to love to read while on my exercise bike, but this is even better.
Thanks for blogging about this!
March 11th, 2008 | 11:50 am
What did you use, how did you set yours up? It doesn’t look ghetto like the one I am afraid I will build!
March 11th, 2008 | 11:51 am
@ soultravelers3 - Congrats on losing 50 lbs, that’s an incredible accomplishment!
And, the great thing about this, in contrast to an exercise bike, is that it actually burns a lot more calories and it’s better for your skeketon, because it’s weight bearing, where riding and exercise bike is not.
Very cool that you’re traveling around the world, curious where you’re checking in from today?
March 11th, 2008 | 12:02 pm
@ Hayden - Okay, so, here’s my set-up:
Treadmill - I went with a True treadmill. It’s pricey, but it’s also about the best buy for the money in home treadmills. If you’re only going to walk, it’s probably overkill, but we have multiple users and I’ll sometimes run, so we went for it.
Monitor - Dell 20- inch LCD.
Monitor stand - Right now, it sits on top of two file cabinets, but I am going to replace that either with one of those pole-based shelf systems from IKEA or with the kind of monitor stand that gyms used to support TV’s in front of their cardio-equipment. They’re not cheap, though, about $250-275 from Gym Source.
Desktop - I bought a $19 shoe-rack from Target and just used the top from it at a shelf to lay across the rails of my treadmill. But, I am sure you can go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and get a finished shelf and even have it cut to size for a few dollars. I don’t need a big workspace, especialy since I have access to another desk, which I never really use anyway, so I kept the worktop pretty minimalist
Keyboard & mouse - I’m an Apple guy, so I stuck with the Apple Bluetooth keyboard and mouse because they are wireless they since easily with my computer. I actually tried out a different keyboard and mouse, first, but it had trouble being discovered by my computer, so I went back to Mac.
Hope that helps!
March 11th, 2008 | 3:38 pm
That is simply the best thing I’ve read all week. Awesome.
March 11th, 2008 | 4:48 pm
i can’t say that i am interested in walking while i work- but kudos to you for taking the right…uh…steps.
March 11th, 2008 | 4:56 pm
Thanks Jonathan, I have more to go, but it feels great to be going in the right direction again & finding ways to do it on the move.
At the moment I am in sunny southern Spain and we do a lot of walking on our travels which has helped me, as well as going vegan.
I crushed my knee years ago, so that is why I have favored bikes ( moving and non moving) which are kinder to my weakness.
We are in permanent travelers/global nomad family mode, so I do not know when I will test out your idea, but I like it and think it is a great one.
I always love to make a healthy choice that accomplishes a few things at once!
March 11th, 2008 | 5:09 pm
Jonathan, you seem to have stumbled upon the “Amish Secret”. I recently read an article in Men’s Health (I think) about how the Amish log approximately 18,000 steps daily, more than double what the average American does.
To paraphrase the article, while a lot of us get all excited over putting in 20 miles of running a week, your average Amish farmer simply walks twice that distance. It seems that moving your body weight through space requires a certain amount of energy, and that energy is the same whether you walk or run.
It was a really interesting article. Burning an extra 600 calories per day is no joke! I hope you have a good tailor, because you’re going to need to take in your pants pretty soon.
March 11th, 2008 | 7:40 pm
Just awesome. I must setup a rig like this to combine two of my favorite activities! Thanks.
March 11th, 2008 | 8:17 pm
@ soultravelers3 - Southern Spain, wow that sounds fantastic. Yeah, cycling is generally gentler for knee injuries, but it sounds like you’re doing quite a bit of walking around now anyway. Keep us all updated with your travels!
@ Christopher - Very cool, never heard of the Amish Secret, but it makes perfect sense.
@ Fitness Friend - Hey, I’m all for combining fun. With time being so precious, these day, why not give it a shot?
March 11th, 2008 | 8:20 pm
@ No Debt Plan - Glad to be able to share something fun for you to read!
@ Shelley - I’ve walked around the city with you and I can honestly say…I have trouble keeping up. For a Texan, you sure know how to walk NY-style! Of course, maybe it’s the fact that your legs are twice the length of mine!
March 11th, 2008 | 8:45 pm
That is so awesome. I would like to do that. How can I get my laptop to stay on the threadmill though?
GREAT IDEA!!
March 11th, 2008 | 8:53 pm
A treadmill desk…what a fantastic idea! It makes me wish I hadn’t replaced my treadmill with a recumbent bike last year. Now if only I could figure out a way to make exercising on the bike the sole source of power for my computer, I’d be pedaling at least four to six hours every weekday.
March 11th, 2008 | 9:28 pm
I LOVE this idea!
FYI my husband bought something called a SlingBox to do the TV through the computer. It works great!
March 11th, 2008 | 10:05 pm
LOL … I just saw this in my reader after mulling over Michael Martine’s post on blog content strategy while on my treadmill … which was funny enough without the fact I’m about to do some yoga!
Off I go …
March 11th, 2008 | 10:43 pm
That is one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in a long time. It seems like a brilliant solution, one I will definitely need to look into. I’m currently training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer — now I’m intrigued by the idea of being able to train and write at the same time! Thank you for sharing.
March 12th, 2008 | 6:08 am
Jonathan, I highly recommend purchasing a Slingbox and connecting it to your television. Using the included software you can then placeshift your audio/visual content to any PC or Mac on your home network or you can view / control the television, DVR, DVD player, what-have-you and watch from a supported phone over the web. It’s a life-changer!
March 12th, 2008 | 7:02 am
Wow, also i am a tapis roulant but i never blogging while i was running..i have to try. Hoping not to fall.
March 12th, 2008 | 9:13 am
[...] I saw a post that Steve Rubel did earlier on an awesome multi-tasking environment set up by Jonathan Fields. Since I’m currently in the process of shedding a few extra pounds myself, this caught my [...]
March 12th, 2008 | 10:32 am
I like the idea but I’m not sure I would be able to concentrate on both tasks at once! However, it may be worth a go as I could do with losing a few calories….
Julie
Mio Destino
March 12th, 2008 | 10:38 am
[...] tilsyneladende godt kombineres. Se bare ham her. Det kan være det er svaret på mine kaffebønner, for jeg savner mine 15 km om dagen på [...]
March 12th, 2008 | 11:11 am
Awesome setup. Kudos for the great idea.
For your wife: buy a tv tuner card (PCI) or usb peripheral. you can get them for as cheap as $20- $300 from TigerDirect or any computer warehouse. this allows you to attach a cable signal to your computer so that you can watch it on your computer screen or in your case for your treadmonitor. I have a Hauppage PVR 150 that works great on my pc.
March 12th, 2008 | 12:40 pm
This is some nice idea if you absolutely can’t go outside, like for people with injures. But why not real sport? Why don’t you find a sport that doesn’t feel like suffering, something that you like? You’ll burn more calories, you’ll train your aerobic conditions, and develop strength. For instance, playing tennis, soccer, or squash will train your aerobic condition without noticing. Rock climbing (even indoor) will train your muscles like in a gym and you won’t even realize your are doing work.
The way to exercise is to find something that motivates you to do the activity, that will keep you doing it over and over. With your technique, I promise you that you’ll give up within a few months.
March 12th, 2008 | 12:44 pm
Very interesting, how has this affected your electricity bill?
March 12th, 2008 | 12:53 pm
[...] here to view LifeHacker’s blurb on the treadmill desk Click here to view Jonathan Fields’ article - [...]
March 12th, 2008 | 1:07 pm
To get TV on your monitor I highly recommend Slingbox. This will read off your current TV and then broadcast it to any computer. I have a similar setup and it works wonders.
March 12th, 2008 | 2:26 pm
@ Everyone - So, a few things to follow up on from a number of comments.
1. I actually switched my utilities to water and wind power about a year go (for my business, too) and I buy carbon credits on top of that, so I am okay with the energy usage.
2. This is NOT intended to replace other activities that I love, this is much more just a replacement for sitting in front of a computer, rather than my sole form of exercise. It’s equally comfortable, but WAY healthier than sitting at a desk for hours and hours. As I mentioned in the column, I do yoga, run on trails, mountain bike and do all sorts of other things that I really enjoy and will continue to do. Though, especially, because I do those things less in the cold winter, being on the treadmill while I type is a big help.
3. Yup, I totally understand this is not a serious cardio workout, I do other things for that.
Big point - I just started this regime and the plan is not so much to replace the activities that I love, but to replace the sitting that previously accompanied my computer time.
And, thanks so much for the recommendations about how to broadcast the TV signal to the monitor, will definitely check out the various options offered.
Awesome comments and questions, everyone, have a great day!
March 12th, 2008 | 3:09 pm
I think this is a great idea! When I get back to Canada this month I’m going to see if we still have a treadmill somewhere. I swear we did.
March 12th, 2008 | 3:33 pm
I also walk & compute in this fashion, although I admit to picking up the tempo quite a bit when I’m breezing through RSS feeds that take so much of my day (over 5km/hr). I put my MacBook on this specialty stand I bought that has articulating arms and weights on the base (unfortunately I can’t find the website of the vendor from which I purchased the stand originally) and it works very well. I also watch my Slingbox when all the reading and typing gets too much.
I highly recommend it if you are “confined” to your desk at home for hours a day - your metabolism will thank you for it!
March 12th, 2008 | 4:14 pm
@ Jonathan - Go for it, man, good luck finding that old treadmill!
@ Keely - Yeah, I think I am actually going to try playing with picking up the pace a bit when I doing more “surfing” type activities on the computer and see how that affects both my ability to compute and my energy for my other “fun-based” activities. I’ll report back soon!
March 12th, 2008 | 6:57 pm
For watching tv on a Mac, as I assume that’s what you have since you use the keyboard and mouse, Elgato’s EyeTV is great. I bought it about 2 months ago, and it has worked great for me.
March 12th, 2008 | 7:13 pm
To start off with, I think this is a pretty good idea. I imagine that it has to be much nicer to be moving and typing than to be just sitting in front of a desk. I will have to say that the 600 calories burned from walking is likely a stretch. There’s a really great article article from a researcher at Duke University that discusses the difference between net and gross energy used during exercising. The moral of the story is that what you’re doing is really healthy, but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to add an extra 600 calories to your diet.
.
March 12th, 2008 | 10:40 pm
[...] Love this idea of simple multitasking, keeping the blood flowing while computing. Do want. How I burn 600 calories a day blogging [Awake At The [...]
March 12th, 2008 | 11:44 pm
Looks great except for one thing — you are carpal tunnel waiting to happen with your wrists bent back so far.
Angle the keyboard the other way (i.e. tip the number row down) or find some other way of straightening out your wrists.
March 13th, 2008 | 4:34 am
[...] How I burn 600 calories a day blogging [...]
March 13th, 2008 | 8:03 am
Working while walking or even light running is definitely a growing trend. I have many online meetings that are an hour or two in length with twenty or more people. The meetings are primarily discussions with headsets abd mics in an online classroom. This is an ideal time for me to use my own modified treadmill. I’m still searching for a wireless headset and mic as the wires can be a bit of a safety concern. Keep on treadputing and getting off your butt.
March 13th, 2008 | 8:36 am
@ ThatTallGuy - thanks for the tip about keyboard angle, I will definitely check into that and make sure I set it up with good ergonomics!
March 13th, 2008 | 9:11 am
[...] for me at work. Check out the gallery below of this life changing setup. >Lifehacker>Jonathon Fields [Show as [...]
March 13th, 2008 | 9:18 am
[...] Learn more about how a freelance writer / blogger might use this tool here. [...]
March 13th, 2008 | 10:40 am
[...] said that being in front of your computer could make you fat? You could burn 600 calories while reading some news in google reader or do your daily blog [...]
March 13th, 2008 | 12:25 pm
I love this. I’ve been looking for something to replace my current desk which is just your standard old desk. I wanted to find something that used less space and possibly even one that had me standing. I also wanted to mount my iMac to the wall reducing even more the amount of desk space I needed.
Right now sitting opposite my desk is my treadmill. After reading this I am now thinking I can kill two birds with one stone. Not only do I get a new desk but I’ll also get a smaller footprint desk and free up the space where the treadmill currently is.
This is brilliant.
March 13th, 2008 | 6:08 pm
[...] more easily, with something like bike pedals under my desk or a cool treadmill desk like seen on Awake at the Wheel. That picture below (see site for picture) is little old me walking 1 mile per hour while [...]
March 14th, 2008 | 1:10 am
How’s about using a laptop on that tray? The ergonomics might not be ideal, but it seems like it would be fine for web browsing.
March 14th, 2008 | 3:59 am
[...] How I burn 600 calories a day blogging [...]
March 15th, 2008 | 7:45 am
I’m not committed to this project yet, but I’m off to a good start. It turned out that a pre-finished 3′x1′ shelf from Lowe’s is exactly the right dimensions for my treadmill. The treadmill arms are the right height and non-slip. The only difficulty is that, at only 1 mph, the belt is kind of squeaky… well, that and trying to find a way to fit the treadmill in my home office!
March 15th, 2008 | 1:51 pm
Hi Jonathan - this is a ‘bloody’ good idea. Maybe I should get myself a treadmill. Not only could I write, burn of some calories, I have also had a ‘nasty’ accident abou 5 months ago. I fractured the inside AND outside of my right ankle, had to have surgery (plates and screws…VERY painful)… and I need to walk a lot for my exercise… one mile per hour sounds good to me
VERY good idea!
March 15th, 2008 | 2:29 pm
[...] Treadmill desk at home: Whaaaa??? You heard right! That picture below is little old me walking 1 mile per hour while blogging…at my desk. I’m there from 8:30am t 12:30pm, five day a week now. And, here’s the amazing thing (… read more) [...]
March 15th, 2008 | 9:44 pm
[...] [From How I burn 600 calories a day blogging | Awake At The Wheel | Personal Growth | careers | entreprene...] [...]
March 15th, 2008 | 9:48 pm
[...] [From How I burn 600 calories a day blogging | Awake At The Wheel | Personal Growth | careers | entreprene...] [...]
March 16th, 2008 | 10:55 am
Ok, you see, now THAT’s just cool.
multitasking in such a way that makes your heart smile
March 16th, 2008 | 7:45 pm
@ memobug - tried getting away with just plopping my notebook down on the shelf/desktop, but the downward angle and small screen were bad news. Wouldn’t do it for more than a few minutes.
@ viola - just make sure you take it easy and do what’s right for your ankle. I am actually just getting over a foot injury from trail running, myself, so the pace has been really therapeutic for me, too.
March 17th, 2008 | 7:47 am
[...] How I burn 600 calories a day blogging [...]
March 18th, 2008 | 12:06 am
I love this idea. I am a professional writer and sit for as much as 12 hours a day. I am prone to headaches and wear glasses - does this make the words on the screen move a lot or give you vision problems?
March 18th, 2008 | 12:41 am
We’ve gotten a social network started around this topic. Please join us at http://officewalkers.ning.com/.
March 18th, 2008 | 1:04 am
This is great! Once I get to the point where I can work from home I want to try this!
March 18th, 2008 | 6:11 am
Whoa! Guess she’s your precious kid in the pic! Gave me an idea! For almost sometime now I’m lugging my kid who prefers to sit on my lap while watching Youtube vids on a desktop while my left hand is working on a Macbook while the treadmill gathers dust.
Thank God I’m no coder.
Best.
alain
March 18th, 2008 | 7:39 am
I’m a writer and spend lots of time sitting and I did this exact thing with my stationary bike last year. I loosened the handlebars and positioned them backwards and balanced the keyboard on it. It was great except for dealing with the mouse.
March 18th, 2008 | 12:07 pm
Put a slingbox on you cable/dvr box and watch it on any computer/cellphone connected to the internet. Problem solved!
March 18th, 2008 | 2:27 pm
[...] wet cold and windy outside. He’s found a solution however that allows him to “burn 600 calories a day blogging” - a treadmill [...]
March 18th, 2008 | 3:05 pm
That is a great idea!
March 19th, 2008 | 5:47 pm
Jogging & Walking is by far the best exercise you can do. Whether you do it on a treadmill, as described in this post, or just walk around your blog a couple times a week….. It is by far the best way to trim down, and be overall healthier person…
…also, proper diet plays a role too. Great Post!!
March 20th, 2008 | 8:28 am
[...] Blogging. The new way to lose weight. [...]
March 22nd, 2008 | 11:41 am
Nice job! Glad to see it’s working well for you.
Do you FEEL or LOOK healthier at all compared to before?
Also, do you think you’ll make the big move to 2mph or even 3mph sometime?
Dom
April 1st, 2008 | 11:51 pm
Truth is that those calorie calculations, especially on machines like your treadmill are almost pure fiction. Walking at 1mph is likely only burning you ~300 calories. However, never underestimate the placebo effect.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/health/nutrition/20BEST.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17792517
April 2nd, 2008 | 4:45 am
[...] (more) Blogging your way to a healthier you: http://jonathanfields.com/blog/how-i-burn-600-calories-a-day-blogging/ @jonathanfields Filed under Uncategorized [...]
April 2nd, 2008 | 4:52 am
[...] (more) Blogging your way to a healthier you: http://jonathanfields.com/blog/how-i-burn-600-calories-a-day-blogging/ [...]
April 2nd, 2008 | 5:20 am
[...] (more) Blogging your way to a healthier you: http://jonathanfields.com/blog/how-i-burn-600-calories-a-day-blogging/ [...]
April 2nd, 2008 | 5:57 am
This man is a genius!
I have always wanted a small cycle thing under my desk. I joke that if all web heads did this then you could tall in public from people with massive legs. Look that dude is buff what does he do… he blogs dude… all day…
But this is even better.
April 2nd, 2008 | 9:45 am
A low-tech alternative is to sit on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair. It’s cheaper, doesn’t take up more space, and doesn’t use electricity. I got the idea from a PBS program that showed a 5th grade class using them instead of chairs. It doesn’t tell you calories-burned, of course, and it exercises different muscle groups (core more than legs, I think). But the more pro-active you are about it (e.g., sitting with your feet together uses more energy than than sitting with your feet apart), the more you’ll feel it. For me it’s been a great addition to my fitness / weight-loss program.
April 2nd, 2008 | 10:27 am
Not only does this make sense from a health perspective, but it’s probably doing your brain a whole lot of good too. As per studies reported by John Medina who reckons because we evolved on the move, our brains work best when we’re active
db
April 3rd, 2008 | 11:43 am
I’ve revisited this entry so many times since you first posted it. “That’s a great idea”, I kept telling myself. “But I don’t have a treadmill.”
Well, I do now. Or, rather, I’ve got one on the way and I can’t wait to get it set up so I can start burning calories while blogging. Six hundred calories per day is amazing now matter how you look at it, but to be able to burn them AND still have time to blog? Priceless.
Thank you so much for this.
April 4th, 2008 | 3:11 pm
[...] blast through Lifehacker posts a few weeks ago, this post called Burn 600 Calories a Day Typing (source) caught my eye. Long story short, Jonathan Fields built a fancy keyboard for his treadmill and he [...]
April 5th, 2008 | 9:40 am
[...] a while back I read over at Lifehacker about a man who has rigged his computer so he can type while walking on his treadmill. He’s burning 600+ calories a day doing what he’d been doing for years: working online. [...]
April 6th, 2008 | 11:32 pm
[...] the creative approach Jonathan Fields has taken with his own working environment. He literally turned his treadmill into a desk and walks while he works. Brilliant.If you’re looking for other ways to keep a healthy and [...]
April 7th, 2008 | 3:29 pm
Great post Jonathan!
Do they make the desk for an exercise bike?
It really can be easy to pick up a few extra steps each day just by walking a minute here and a minute there.
Roger Moore
April 9th, 2008 | 12:11 pm
[...] a web worker can implement. Want to burn calories and work on a computer? Look no further than the treadmill desk, as shared to me by Jonathan Fields. A very quick hack can get you working on your treadmill in no [...]
April 10th, 2008 | 3:15 pm
I have been at a treadmill desk of my own now for 2 months. First, it works. I had back issues that have disappeared. I sleep like a baby at night and during the day I feel like I am on drugs….the good kind, endorphins. I walk 6 - 8 miles a day in my home office and sweating is not an issue unless I want to ramp it up a little while I am reading on the internet. I have lost 18 pounds already so I am a convert. The cost of the WalkStation is a concern for me but there is another product that offers more flexibility to use you own treadmill during the day as a desk and for exercise after work. It is called the TrekDesk. Pricing isnt set yet but it states on the TrekDesk website that it is going to be very affordable. They also are offering a pretty snazzy exercise ball chair that swings onto the treadmill (or off) for those moments when you have to sit. The website is http://www.trekdesk.com and has a lot of information on studies which focus on the long term benefits of walking.
May 5th, 2008 | 12:26 pm
Jonathan it’s friggin’ brilliant. I used to be a personal trainer on my feet all day and about a year ago I transitioned into a marketer… sitting on my butt all day in my home office. Even though I enjoy marketing more than training I have definitely packed on a few pounds. I do the same amount of good eating and exercise as before but instead of running around making my clients exercise I sit behind a lap top and cell phone now.
I think what you’re doing with the treadmill is awesome. I have a buddy who does it with a stationary bike and loves it. I need to get my butt into gear and do something similar as well
Totally cool!
May 13th, 2008 | 6:06 am
That is a sweet setup I need to make something like that for myself (the belly keeps growing not the muscles)
What do you call blogging/jogging?
bjogging, jlogging, maybe blogjob hmmm that almost sounds dirty..
May 15th, 2008 | 5:21 pm
[...] is an interesting post by Jonathan Fields on blogging on this treadmill. This idea has been around for a while now. Here [...]