I’ve Used An Under-The-Desk Treadmill Every Day For 2 Years—Here Are My Thoughts

After two years of using a walking pad every day, it’s undoubtedly still my favorite purchase I’ve ever made. Bezos may be attempting to take charge of the world, but I’ll never turn my back on him for the sheer fact that Amazon brought this remarkable modern invention to my doorstep (within 48 hours of ordering, no less). 

I’ve never been a gym girlie. I was one of those girls who always chuckled at the meme, “If you see me running, something is chasing me.” Pre-walking pad, I preferred to get my exercise in by leisurely strolling through our neighborhood twice a day. However, after a few questionable encounters walking solo, getting fed up with the ever-changing weather that would leave me feeling unmotivated, rushed, or sweaty, and getting pregnant for the second time, I finally decided to splurge on the under-the-desk treadmill. I had been eyeing one ever since I got that coveted, fancy paper and launched my career into the big old, monotonous corporate world (which I’ve since left, thanks, diploma.) 

For better or worse, I’ve always lived and died by my to-do list, and the efficiency monster inside me squealed with excitement at the thought of getting my work done while working out so I could spend more time with my little one undistracted and guilt-free. After all, I still wanted to be a hot mom, and I had always heard other women complain about not having enough time in the day to squeeze in a workout once they became mothers (especially while working a full-time job on top of that). That was not going to be me. Call me shallow, but I value my figure and my appearance too much to let anything get in the way of losing the extra baby weight I put on each time I’ve been pregnant.

The best part is that walking has never actually felt like a “workout” to me, and that has never been truer since I got my under-the-desk treadmill and desk converter. Walking at a reasonable pace inside the stable air conditioning with my Stanley within reaching distance and a solid distraction (a.k.a. work), walking became like breathing to me – as natural as it gets. Before, I used to struggle to walk 10k steps a day through my community, but now I can easily clock 30k steps or more in a working day without so much as a second thought. By contrast, sitting now feels almost unbearable. I’ve only had to pull up my chair a handful of times since getting my treadmill (due to an unrelated injury), and each time, I found myself struggling to get through the workday without eating mindlessly or nearly falling asleep at my computer.