Everything started with my job. I’m a software developer. It’s a great profession but comes with a sedentary lifestyle.
At first, I could compensate for the hours of sitting to some extent. I used my bike for the daily commute to the office and went to the gym a few times per week. But let’s face it, I was still young.
Over time, you can’t compensate for 8 hours of sitting at the desk (plus the 1 hour sitting at lunch and the 2 hours on the couch in front of Netflix). At least not with a bit of bike riding and going to the gym.
Home Office, Kids & The Bodily Decline
The problems started after moving to the outskirts of the city and an unpleasant episode named COVID. I ended up working from home.
Meaning no commute and less biking.
Things got worse after the kids. Two toddlers and a full-time job meant no spare time anymore.
Meaning no time for the gym.
What followed is probably a typical decline of a software developer in his mid-thirties: gaining weight and suffering from antagonizing back pain.
Solution: Standing Desk?
As I said, you can’t compensate for the 8+ hours of sitting at the desk, especially if there’s no time to work out.
The obvious solution is getting a standing desk.
Well, I did. Switching from sitting to standing helped to some extent, at least at the beginning. Soon, I realized that I didn’t use it that often. Why? Because I really didn’t like standing. The position is very static, and honestly, my posture was even worse than while sitting. My back and shoulders started to hurt.
So, this wasn’t the solution.
Solution: Walking Pad!
Then it hit me. If you can’t compensate for 8+ hours of sitting and standing isn’t the solution either, why not walk?
Turns out lots of people already do this. There’s even a whole category for under-desk treadmills called walking pads. I wasn’t aware of that.
The decision was simple. After a bit of research, I ordered an adorable walking pad that had great reviews on Amazon. Getting that particular device wasn’t the best idea as it turned out a couple of months later (more on that in an upcoming post). But I never looked back.
Results after 4 years of walking at my desk
It’s been more than 4 years since I got my first walking pad. I couldn’t go back.
- My back pain is basically gone (as long as I don’t fall out of a small stretching and exercise routine).
- I lost a lot of weight (and to be honest, gained some of it back during an extended workation with too much food and beer and too little activity).
- I feel a lot fitter in general.
- I can even focus better at work.
What’s holding you back?
If you read this you’re probably interested in getting a walking pad as well. At least you’re curious about the whole idea.
But what’s holding you back? Any particular doubts or problems? Let me know in the comments. I’m happy to help out
