When I tell people that I spend 80-85%% of my time on the computer, most people are surprised.
“I thought you had a bakery?”
“Don’t you decorate cookies all day?”
I don’t own a bakery (but we do sell all kinds of awesome supplies and merch in our shop, please check it out!), and I only bake/decorate cookies about 15% of my time. The rest is spent creating and editing content for marketing, running the business (supplies, classes, affiliates, content), communicating with partners/affiliates, working on the next business idea, product development, managing work for our team, traveling.
This means I am just as prone to the “sitting disease” as most of my 9-5 counterparts.
A few months ago, I wrote about the Butt Cushion That Changed My Life, and the response was overwhelmingly positive – little did I know that sharing this little part of my life (which is not *directly* related to cookies) would have so much impact!
So here I am – sharing yet another “background” tidbit that has hugely affected the way I work and how I feel.
(obligatory disclaimer: there are affiliate links in this post, and if you choose to make a purchase, I get a small commission for each sale at no additional cost to you- this is a great way to support us whilst purchasing the things you normally would)
There are 2 main pieces of equipment for my office setup that I now do not wish to live without: a standing desk, and an under-the-desk treadmill. There are tons of options for both of these products on Amazon, and you can get away with a decent product without absolutely breaking the bank but the payoff on your health and comfort and *way* worth it. Make sure you double check all reviews before purchasing.
The Standing Desk
I own THIS MODEL and find it adequate for all my needs. I like to keep my desk super clean and clutter free – the only other things on it are a second monitor and an acrylic organizer.
This desk comes with a small drawer, and has preset capabilities so that it’s one button push away from your preferred sitting or standing height. It glides up and down pretty easily. Assembly took about 20 minutes.
Standing desks take a little getting used to: if you’re standing with absolutely shit posture (like hips really pushed forward or back hunched), you’re still going to experience discomfort and pain. Do a little research on YouTube to see what a good standing desk posture looks like.
One of the greatest issues *for me* when I sit a lot is paint/discomfort in my hips and lower back. Having the option to stand allows me to stretch those muscle and engage my core a bit more throughout the day.
An Under The Desk Treadmill
I debated a long time whether or not to get one- I couldn’t justify the initial cost, even though looking back, I wish I bought it sooner. For a few hundred dollars, it’s completely changed my desk-work game. I own the GOYOUTH model. It came totally assembled, and
Most under the desk treadmills are specifically designed to max out at 3-5/6 MPH and NOT designed for jogging/running. They’re meant to be plugged into your standard wall plugs and do not require additional power. Usually, they are very compact and easy to move around and store under the bed or leaned up against a wall when not in use. Some of them also come with handles that pull up so you can use it whilst watching TV and can put your hands somewhere for comfort and stability.
The *hardest* part of this is getting use to walking and working at the same time. It’s possible, but there is a learning curve and you have to be patient. Start off at .5-1 MPH and work up from there. I can get myself up to 1.8 MPH now without too much effort and if I’m watching a video or doing content review that doesn’t require as much typing and mouse movement, I can easily ramp up to 2-2.3 MPH and start to break a sweat about 30 minutes in.
It takes time to learn how to concentrate while using the treadmill – it took me about a week of consistent daily use to teach my brain and body how to adapt to this new movement. On a good day, I can get about 7-8 miles of walking in (which is over the 10K recommended steps/day) without much effort, but if I can average 5 miles per day, I’m golden. Add this to your daily activities and decent nutrition, and we’re making a huge difference on our health.
If you have any specific questions about my setup or want to learn more, don’t hesitate to comment below! I hope this encourages some of you to take the plunge and invest in yourself and your health.
I have the exact same treadmill and am walking on it as I read your blog!!! After I threw my back out from sitting at my desk for hours at a time, my Physical Therapist told me that sitting at desks is the new “smoking” as far as being bad for your health. Now when I get home from work, I don’t feel so guilty if I don’t make it to the gym because I know I’ve at least already logged a few miles just by being at work.
I too, have been having back issues- I tried the butt cushion for a bit and it did help, but that didn’t make me any less sedentary! I think having the treadmill has been huge in bettering my work habits. So glad to hear that it’s helped you!!