I bought a used treadmill this summer and made my own version of a walking desk with materials I had around the house. I am determined that I will not continue to get more and more unhealthy just because I have to spend a lot of time working (usually in front of a computer). I am mostly up and about at school or when leading workshops, but my actual desk/screen time spent working outside of the classroom setting tends to be twice as long as that spent in it. It’s critical for me to reduce the number of hours I spend working so my life has a little more balance, yes, and I’m working on it. However, the job still has to be done and grading never ends… This desk is one of my solutions.

I tried a standing desk last year but it just made my legs and feet hurt so I disassembled it. I think this will work much better since it incorporates movement and regular shifting of weight.

This won’t get me in shape but it should slow the effects of too much sitting. It’s not that easy to concentrate, write, or type, even at a very slow walk, but I am getting better at it. For now I work a couple of hours at a stretch and then, when necessary, I put my little bar stool on the treadmill and sit awhile. Then I force myself to walk again. You can see that I am in the middle of several projects and didn’t bother to clean up before I snapped this photo. Sorry about that.

What do you think?