Mastodawn

Yes YouTube, that’s exactly what I am looking for… 🙄🙄🙄

@joel 😂

@joel you can take a laptop to a sports centre and try it for a couple hours. I did this here and I did not enjoy the experience.

𝙹𝚘𝚎𝚕 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝 ♑ 🤪6d ago

@dch was slow walking or running?

@joel @dch under-desk treadmills run quieter and are cushioned differently. I doubt a comparison to a gym is realistic. I only did theoretical research and in the end decided against it.

@florian yeah, I meant under-desk teeadmills in fact, not the real big gym thing.

@joel slow walking. My running days are mostly over. We need to persuade a vendor to bring one to #EuroBSDcon for real world testing!

@dch haha, that would be fun. Attending a conf where 50-100 people are walking if front of a walking speaker.

This would look like 90s Jane Fonda conference 🤣

dch

@joel and there I was thinking of a single demo unit! that would be funny.

@dch yeah I guess so.

But imagine the New York Times headline: BSD conference - mens sana in corpore sano to ensure healthy code. 🫢

Pete Prodoehl 🍕6d ago

@joel I think @mathias uses a desk treadmill.

mathias 6d ago

@rasterweb @joel if you’re used to a mat, my one complaint about desk treadmill is that it does not provide the kind of relief that a mat does when you just stand. And depending on the model, it can be a big pain to move it in/out of position. Mine is somewhat of a pain with the loud latches and clunky folding mechanism.

@mathias I am a bit more concern on the actual feeling of typing and mousing when the whole body is walking. But I tend to walk big steps IRL so maybe a treadmill at slow speed is nothing compared to this.

@rasterweb

mathias 5d ago

@joel @rasterweb it’s hard! I’d recommend saving it for camera off meetings and mousing aroubd occasionally. — I use the treadmill the most when I have to complete a lot of corporate trainings.

But you can practice. It gets easier. I find sometimes that thinking work interrupts my ability to walk though, and unlike the real world where your body knows how to stop unconsciously, you’ll get lurched by the treadmill.

I got in a “who said this on Slack?” game at work because I mentioned I nearly fell off my treadmill while doing the workplace safety training.

@mathias haha, woops! I also wondered if the legs could deal with the treadmill when lots of concentration is needed.

I’m starting to wonder if a static mat and a regular « change your legs position » alert is just what I need :)

@rasterweb

mathias 5d ago

@joel @rasterweb some other options I’ve seen

wobble stool that is standing desk height so you’re moving around that way
standing mats that have different surfaces so you move your feet around.
balance boards.

mathias 5d ago

@joel @rasterweb thinking about trying to type and use a balance board (basically skateboard balance) at the same time made me think about the old internet joke of “extreme ironing” for some reason

@mathias I saw those mats with bumps and stuff on it. But wondered if this doesn’t lead to the feet sitting in the only flat place after some minutes.

I also thought about unstable mat stands but recall them from the physiotherapist and I’m not sure that’s a good idea when you don’t 100% focus on them :)

@rasterweb

Pete Prodoehl 🍕5d ago

@joel @mathias I’m going to try one of these this week.

@rasterweb I’ve seen then but don’t really see how you have to move on those. I have a flat one and only move when my body notifies I’ve been motionless for to long. So I will definitively be waiting for feedbacks :)

@mathias

derpington 6d ago

@joel I did this for a while. my findings: 1) eye strain and neck pain were the biggest problems for me. 3) height and hand positioning were the next biggest problems. 2) slower speeds with an incline made it easier to avoid issues. 3) after a few hours it was a bit much, and I didn't like standing on the treadmill when I wasn't walking. So I ended up swapping between desks to either walk or sit.

I did all this with a full size treadmill that became a permanent part of the standing desk. Maybe with the smaller modern treadmills and modern motorized desks, it'd be less of a hassle to swap between walking, standing, and sitting.

Over time I used the walking setup less and less and eventually just tore it down to get the space back.

@derpington ideally, I think I would end up standing on it when it doesn’t run. So if it isn’t a general good idea, that may be an issue for me.

@joel I use a desk-bike and like it. I understand that that's not what you are asking about, but there is one observation that might be relevant: I can use it during meetings or menial tasks, but when I have to concentrate I stop cycling. Which is fine with the bike. I think I would find it very annoying if I have to manually switch off the treadmill or if it has so much inertia that it drags me along when I want to stop it to be able to concentrate.

It's also not a conscious choice that I stop cycling, rather I notice: oh, I haven't cycles the last 5 minutes

@florian hum… yeah, haven’t thought about a bike option. Not sure I like the idea because I’d be back sitting somehow. It’s probably not the same sitting as with a chair though. 🤔 I really noticed the difference on my hamstring between standing raughly 90% of the time and sitting on the chair.

Got to think about this option…

@joel there are also what I call wobbly boards. No idea what the actual term is. You stand on them to keep your balance. As a climber and (ex) tai chi practitioner they don't actually work for me. I just stand on them and keep perfect balance

I suspect the same is true for you...

@florian hihi, I may indeed keep balanced. I’m looking at vibranting mat-like stuff. I was thinking of a regular mat that would randomly buzz having the feet move instinctively. But not sure this exists…

@florian hey, the wobble balance board looks like something fun. Depending on the model, some look like wheel-free skateboards. Expect "this meeting have been a 360 and fell of" 🤣

The Ghost of Toots Passed 1d ago

@florian
Now you start doing tricks, shoveits, Ollie's, kick flips.. It will be loud!
@joel

fellmoon 🏴5d ago

@joel @florian uhm... That sounds actually very interesting... How is your general posture on the deskbike?

Getting into the routine to switch positions is already annoying but I find myself as well in the "standing causes it's own set of pains" camp currently, idk lots of room to improve I guess... But cycling at the desk sounds like the way more attractive "workout" to me.