5 Ways a Desk Treadmill Changed My WFH Life for the Better

It seems like everybody is walking these days, especially with the rise of the Hot Girl Walk or "mental health walk" trend that's circulating the internet right now. I love using walking as a form of exercise, but sometimes it feels overwhelming to have exercise as another task to add to my day. Don't get me wrong—I'm still taking walks with my dog around the block, but stopping every few feet for her to sniff something doesn't exactly feel like exercise!

That's where my new obsession comes in: the desk treadmill.

Along with many others, a little over two years ago, I unexpectedly started working from home. In this time, I went from working from the couch to my kitchen table to eventually moving and having enough space to put together a home office—something I never thought I'd have! When putting the space together, the first thing I thought about buying was a standing desk since I knew I sitting down for way too long each day. Not too long after I got this space set up, I took on more work responsibilities.

It wasn't until I was working much longer hours that I realized I needed to figure out how to be more active in my day-to-day. Around this time, I also was influenced by our Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer, Hillary Kerr (not the first time I've been influenced by her!), and bought an Apple Watch to start tracking my exercise minutes.

Especially when life is busy, it's really easy for me to put exercise—something I'm already less-than-enthusiastic about—on the back burner, however, when I started seeing just how little I was moving in a day on my Apple Watch, it gave me a reality check about how being so sedentary could be impacting my health.

So, I turned to Google to see if I could find something that could help me stay active and get my work done all at the same time. Almost immediately, desk treadmills started popping up. People were raving online about how it not only helped them get moving throughout the day but also helped them find better focus and avoid the midday slump.

I definitely don't have space for a full treadmill, so I narrowed in on options that were portable and compact. Ultimately, I decided on one—the GoPlus 2 in 1 Folding Under Desk Treadmill—that has a collapsible handlebar (for extra stability and safety at higher speeds) that I can store under my bed and roll out when I want to use it.

I fell in love instantly and haven't been able to stop telling people about it since. Not to be too hyperbolic, but it's really changed my life for the better.

Here's how…

#1: No matter how busy my day is, I'm able to be active without sacrificing time for something else.

I love hopping on the treadmill and powering through a walk while knocking out emails so I can get my exercise minutes but still have enough time to do all the things I need to do after work. If I did a proper workout, it would eat into that time.

#2: It's helped me finally beat the midday slump.

I can't possibly be the only one that gets incredibly tired after lunch. My previous remedy when I was feeling sluggish and in desperate need of a midday nap was to drink more tea or eat a sugary snack as a pick-me-up, but both things that would lead to an even worse crash later in the day.

With the desk treadmill, I'm able to get my blood flowing enough to wake me up and snap me out of that midday fog. Oftentimes, I feel even more energized than I did in the morning!

#3: I feel more creative and am able to get better focus while I'm moving.

By moving my body, I'm able to get into a rhythm as I'm working, especially if I'm trying to brainstorm a solution to a problem or work on a high-level strategy task. The movement keeps me on task and somehow helps me focus better.

#4: It's the perfect exercise for when I'm not really feeling it. 

Let me be clear: My use of my desk treadmill is not exclusive to when I'm working. Anytime I want to get my exercise minutes in for the day, I'll roll the treadmill out in front of my TV and will walk while watching a show, or I'll pop on an audiobook to pass the time.

It feels easy enough to where it doesn't really feel like I'm starting a workout (I don't even have to wear proper workout clothes every time!) and as I get moving and into the groove, I can increase the speed and intensity.

#5: It's helped me manage my stress.

As someone with anxiety, it's not uncommon for me to spend my day feeling stressed. Hopping on the treadmill and getting those exercise endorphins have been so beneficial to my mental health. It clears my head and I feel better equipped to take on whatever has been overwhelming me after taking this time to move my body.

All in all, getting a desk treadmill has been one of my best decisions. I use it almost every day during the week and it's helped me be active more consistently and has overall improved my well-being. I'd hands-down recommend it to anyone who is looking to get more movement into their day.

More Desk Treadmills and Other Workout Must-Haves

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