Switched from a standing desk to a cheap treadmill desk setup, productivity went up 30% in three weeks

I got tired of just standing around at my desk in our office in Austin. So I grabbed a $150 walking pad off Amazon and a little riser for my keyboard. First week was rough, almost tripped twice. But after that I started knocking out tasks way faster. My manager even asked what I changed. Has anyone else tried a weird desk hack that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.grace5d ago

Drop the riser and get a cheap laptop stand that tilts. You're probably still hunching over. I did the same thing last year and realized my neck was killing me after two weeks because I was looking down at the screen. That's gonna kill your productivity way faster than standing still. Also put a cheap anti-fatigue mat under the walking pad. It cuts the wobble and makes it feel smoother. My trick was setting the speed to 1.2 mph and just forgetting about it after the first few days. Now I can't work sitting down anymore period.

cora_perez5d ago

The neck pain thing is real, I felt that in my own neck just reading your post. I had the same issue where I thought standing was enough but the angle was still off and I was basically just staring down at my keyboard all day. Took me way too long to figure out that a slight tilt makes all the difference, you're spot on about that. And the anti fatigue mat tip is gold too, I put one under my desk chair wheel mat and it helped a ton with the wobble. It's funny how once you get it right you can't go back, I'm the same way now where sitting at a desk just feels wrong.