Treadmill Desk Review: LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk
Looking for a treadmill desk review? In this post, I’ll review the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk.
I’ve been wanting a LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk for a long time. I had never heard of a treadmill desk before — but as soon as I did, I knew I had to save up to buy one.
I’ve had lots of requests for a review post on the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk so I wanted to share my experience. And yes, I am typing this review as I walk on my treadmill desk!
Why Get a Treadmill Desk?
Recent studies show that sitting for extended periods of time reduces life expectancy and causes weight gain. According to a new study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, sitting for more than three hours a day can cut your life expectancy by two years. In 1999, The Mayo Clinic studied whether sitting more leads to weight gain. In 2006, the American Cancer Society linked sitting to shortened life spans.
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Treadmill Desk Review: LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk
The LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk won the Best Buy Award by Treadmill Doctor and it’s LifeSpan’s most popular model.
I am so glad I got the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk. It’s the wisest investment I have made in years. I’ve gone from extremely sedentary to extremely active thanks to this baby. It’s now easy for me to get my steps in every day. And the time flies because I’m busy working while I’m walking.
I’ve only been using it for a few weeks and I’ve already lost 15 pounds (I’ve lost 15 pounds in 7 weeks — the first few weeks I was just walking and doing the kettlebell and the last few weeks I’ve been using the treadmill desk exclusively).
How I Use the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk
I am using the FitBit to lose weight and get in shape. (Read my post: How I Lost 10 Pounds in 1 Month Using the FitBit.) It is my goal to get at least 10,000 steps every day.
If you’re one of those people who enjoys running, then it’s easy to get 10,000 steps in in a short period of time. But I personally cannot stand running (bad experiences in middle school gym. And I have bad knees due to the arthritis I had when I was in my 20s). So walking for a few hours a day is really what works best for me.
Plus, even if you do run every day, sitting all day long is what is bad for you. If you work long hours sitting, at the very least, you should get a standing desk, but a treadmill desk is ideal.
It is SO MUCH easier to get my 10K steps in with the treadmill desk. You see, I have a very sedentary job. I spend at least 12 hours per day in front of the computer. Now I can work while I get my steps in.
What I do is I get up every morning between 5 and 7 am and I start walking on the treadmill while I check my email, write blog posts, and knock things off my to do list.
It takes me about 2.5 hours to get 10,000 steps walking at 1.5 MPH. If I start at 5 am, I’m done and showering by 7:30 am when it’s time to get my daughter ready for school. And then I’m finished for the day — AND I have already gotten a bunch of work done.
I can do 10K steps in a shorter period of time if I walk faster. If for some reason I don’t get my steps done in the morning (which I vastly prefer,) I can always hop on at the end of the day and log 10K steps in an hour or an hour and a half watching Netflix or reading a Kindle book.
Photos of My LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk Setup
Here are some photos of my treadmill desk.
I’d really like to have my treadmill desk in my home office, but we don’t have room. So right now I have it set up off to the side of the living room, next to the kitchen. It’s actually kind of nice here, since I am so close to the kitchen. I can just hit pause and step into the kitchen to put something in the slow cooker or soak rice or whatever.
I set up a big monitor not only so it’s easier to see and easier on the eyes. Also because it’s better for your posture. You don’t want to be looking down at your monitor — this way I can look straight ahead while I walk.
Treadmill Desk Review: Questions and Answers About Treadmill Desks
Question
Is it hard to type while you are walking?
Answer
No, not at all. I walk slow, at about 1.5-1.8 MPH. It’s very easy to type. I can’t type when I walk faster than 2 MPH, but you can certainly browse the web or read Kindle books or watch Netflix at a faster pace.
Question
Isn’t it expensive?
Answer
The LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk is $1,299. Yes, it’s an investment, but it is an investment in my health.
Here’s one way to look at it: I pay $60/month for a family gym membership at the YMCA. In a little over 24 months, my treadmill desk is paid off. (And let’s be honest, how often do you even use your gym membership? I hardly ever go so it really is a waste of money for me. I’m actually going to cancel it since I only ever used it to lift weights and now I do kettlebell at home instead.)
Another thing to consider: The average cost of a new car in the U.S. is $30,000. So the treadmill desk costs less than 5% of what you would pay for a car.
Most everyone has a car these days. Why wouldn’t you spend a fraction of what you would spend on a car to be healthier? Heck, trade in the car and ride your bike and get a treadmill desk! (We only have one car right now that my husband and I share. I ride my bike as much as I can.)
Also, if you work for yourself or have a side business, the treadmill desk can be considered office equipment and may be tax deductible (see your accountant).
Question
What about the exposure to electricity? Isn’t it bad for you? Wouldn’t it be better to walk outside?
Answer
Yes, it would be better to walk outside if you can arrange your life so you have the time to do that. I don’t have time since right now I have to work a lot of hours every day.
Also, you have to think about good, better, best. Yes it would be BEST to walk outside and not be on the computer, but if you have to be on the computer anyway, then a treadmill desk is the way to go.
Question
Couldn’t you just make a treadmill desk instead of buying one?
Answer
Yes, you can. You can just buy a LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk (without the desk) or you can use an existing treadmill.
I didn’t happen to own a treadmill and I figured I wanted an adjustable desk that was super sturdy — and it wasn’t that much more to get the Treadmill Desk.
Also, I am not handy and didn’t want to spend time thinking about how to do it. I just wanted to get started on my treadmill desk!
Question
What about buying a used treadmill desk on Craigslist or something?
Answer
I personally don’t recommend that route. I know someone who bought her treadmill desk on Craig’s List and it broke within a few days.
Treadmill desks are really hot right now and so I don’t think you will find a lot of used ones for sale. But if you do, that’s great!
You also need to consider that you don’t know how someone used a treadmill desk — they may have used it more than the recommended hours per day. With a new treadmill desk, it comes with warrantees (the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk has a lifetime warranty on the frame, a 3-year warranty on the motor, 2 years on parts, and 1 year on labor).
Question
Where can I buy a LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk?
Answer
I bought mine on Amazon. I didn’t have to waste time going to the store (and it’s hard to find stores that sell treadmill desks anyway).
And the shipping is free. They will call you to arrange a delivery time.
I also did not want to have to lug big heavy boxes myself (and they are really heavy!). When you order on Amazon, a couple of guys come and unload the boxes for you wherever you want.
Question
Is it hard to assemble the LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk?
Answer
It’s very easy. I had mine set up within an hour. You just set up the desk according to the instructions and then you slide the treadmill desk beneath it.
Also, if you order on Amazon, you can pay for installation. It’s $250, but if you get paid more than that per hour, it’s worth it.