As a software developer, I spend the majority of my time sitting at a desk. In the past, I worked in an office but still managed to get some physical activity through my daily commute. I had occasional back pain, but it was infrequent. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We shifted to remote work, and my physical activity decreased significantly. My daily step count dropped to an average of 500 steps, and my back pain became more frequent. I bought a good chair, which helped, but I knew that the lack of exercise was the real issue.

Under desk treadmill

With the pandemic behind us, I still work from home most of the time. To address the lack of physical activity, I decided to purchase a treadmill. In November 2023 I bought a “LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR12000-DT3 GlowUp Walking Pad” for €1,074 (≈ $1,136). I’ve been using it for a year now, and it has held up well.

The TR12000-DT3 treadmill is larger and heavier than I expected, which makes it difficult to move out of the way when I want to switch between walking and sitting. The build quality is excellent, and it has not malfunctioned once during a year of daily use.

Walking while working has been surprisingly easy. I typically walk at a speed of 2.5 km/h (≈ 1.5 mph). Typing is no issue, but writing can be more challenging. I find it difficult to focus when walking faster than 3 km/h (≈ 2 mph) or slower than 2 km/h (≈ 1 mph). The noise level is also related to the speed of the treadmill. Walking at speeds below 3 km/h is generally acceptable for my housemates, but faster speeds can be annoying, even if they are on a different floor.

The LifeSpan treadmill comes with a retro control console, which I find unnecessary. I would have preferred a small remote control instead. The console displays the time, steps, calories, distance, and speed. The step count is very accurate, but my phone already does that. The console also has Bluetooth connectivity, which can be used to sync with the LifeSpan mobile app, but I have no use for this feature. The console is connected to the treadmill by a wire, but the power button is located on the base, not the console. This means that I have to reach down to turn the treadmill on or off, which is a minor inconvenience.

Did it improve my health?

I wanted to know if I exercise more after purchasing the treadmill, for this is measured my daily steps using my smartphone. Over the past 12 months, I have averaged nearly 13,000 steps per day. My step count remains relatively consistent when averaged on a weekly basis. The previous year, I averaged almost 12,000 steps per day, indicating that the treadmill did not significantly increase my daily step count.

Although my daily step count remained relatively unchanged, my behavior did shift. Last year, I still took my kids to school, which accounted for a significant portion of my daily movement. Now that they are older and more independent, I no longer accompany them to school. Consequently, the treadmill helps cover some of the daily walks I would have otherwise missed. Before the treadmill, I would often take a walk during my lunch break, but I find it more challenging to motivate myself for an outdoor walk now. My evening routine has also changed. Previously, I would take a small evening walk after dinner to reach my 10,000 daily steps. Now, I achieve this before dinner, resulting in more lazy evenings.

Conclusion

Initially, I assumed the treadmill would compel me to walk more, but it did not. Instead, I transitioned from three daily outdoor walks to mostly indoor walking at my desk. While this change might seem like a net negative, I assume the changes in my daily activities during the same period might have caused me to walk less without the treadmill. Thus, it is plausible that the treadmill did help… or I am merely finding excuses to justify the purchase.

The LifeSpan treadmill is sturdy and worth the investment, if you do not plan to move it frequently. However, the bulky control panel occupies too much space for my preference.