Before I got my treadmill desk, I would sit all day.
I am very active when I am not working.
I run, swim, bike, or play tennis almost every day.
However, I work as a patent attorney, and I sit from dawn to dusk working on documents and solving legal and technical problems.
As a result, I got a blood clot in my leg.
Part of it broke free and hit my lung.
I thought I was going to die.
After recovering, I started looking for ways to do my job and still stay active while I worked.
Fortunately, my colleague had just installed a treadmill desk in his office.
I thought it was an impractical idea.
I didn't see how one could walk and work at the same time.
However, I was desperate, so I tried working on his treadmill.
Admittedly, it seemed unnatural first.
However, after a few minutes I became accustomed to walking and typing.
After an hour, I forgot that I was walking.
After that, I set up my own walking desk at home, and then another at the office.
I got an expensive treadmill for home because I also run on it.
However, I picked up a cheap used treadmill for my office, and it has been more than adequate.
I don't walk and work all day.
Sometimes I get tired of walking.
And sometimes, when I really need to concentrate, it is much easier to sit and think.
There are a number of ways to handle this.
There are desks available that allow you to walk on a treadmill in a high position or sit in a chair on the treadmill at a low position.
This is very advantageous because one can transition from walking to sitting without changing one's work set up.
I didn't go this route initially because such desks are more expensive and I was still uncertain that I would like walking and working.
Instead I simply set a tall stool on the track of my treadmill and sit there.
This makes it easy to switch between walking and sitting.
Another option that lets one walk part of the day and sit part of the day is to use a laptop computer.
One simply works on the laptop at the treadmill, and then carries the laptop to a regular desk to continue working.
In my office, I use a very powerful desktop computer, so I have monitors both on my regular desk and at the treadmill desk.
When I switch from walking to sitting, I just move my keyboard and mouse and switch the default monitor.
I typically walk 10 km/6 miles a day.
I find that for most tasks I am more alert and productive.
Since I am a barefoot runner, I walk without shoes.
However, if you wear shoes, you will need a very good pair - you can walk many miles in a week.
I know many walking workers who have lost weight (though some admit to being hungrier too), and everyone agrees that they are more fit.
If your job is getting in the way of improved fitness, I recommend you try walking while you work.