How To Organize A Treadmill Desk

Knowing how to organize a treadmill desk properly can be the difference between propelling yourself to productivity heights while also encouraging the most comfortable, safe and ergonomic desk layout possible.

Unfortunately, many people simply set up dark treadmill desk and put no further thought into organising it so that it can optimize how they work and feel.

Besides, organizing a desk is something that many people don’t even give a thought to, let alone know how to do.

If you’re going to invest time, money and effort into using a treadmill desk, then you might as well learn the best way to set it up and reap as many benefits from it as possible.

In this article, learn about 5 simple proven techniques to set your desk treadmill up for success.

This includes tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else on the web.

With a treadmill workstation, you’re essentially getting paid to walk! There’s not too many people that can claim that!

Physical inactivity contributes to over 3 million deaths worldwide every year. That’s 6% of all deaths which could have been prevented. Source

Organize A Treadmill Desk - Desk with laptop and screens

Consider your workflow at a treadmill desk

Before even considering the workflow of your desk, the best location to position the treadmill desk will be a key factor in ensuring that you’re setup for success. At a standard office desk, the majority of people operate on a left to right workflow.

This means that their received documents on the left-hand side of their desk, process them at the centre of the desk, and then moves onto the right-hand side of the desk when they are finished.

This workflow may differ when you are working from a treadmill desk.

The treadmill table may need to be divided based on activities that you can perform while walking on the treadmill on one corner of the desk and activities that you can perform while sitting on the other side of the desk.

Although this might be difficult unless you have a completely separate desk for sitting at, a large treadmill desk or an L-shaped treadmill desk.

However, if you have the luxury of a portable under desk treadmill, such as the compact and lightweight Sunny Portable Stand Up Treadmill, then you can simply remove the treadmill by wheeling it out of the way and moving your chair into position.

Since it’s easier to consume information while walking, items that you need to read along with a telephone might be best placed where you’re using the treadmill.

Creating content is easier while standing or sitting, so these types of activities could be placed at this part of the desk, such as the computer, keyboard and mouse.

If it’s an all-in-one treadmill workstation and space is at a premium, you could simply just move the keyboard and mouse to the side while you review content and documents.

Or perhaps you’ll be doing all your content creation and consumption on the computer anyway. If that’s the case, then no real adjustment to your desk layout will be needed.

If you need some inspiration or advice on the best tasks to complete while walking v sitting, I would recommend reading activities that you can perform while walking on an office treadmill.

The speed that you are using a treadmill desk at will also influence what tasks you can perform best while walking.

On average, people including beginner treadmillers will walk at a speed of under 2 mph on a treadmill workstation.

Tip: A general rule of thumb is that it’s easier to consume content than create content while walking.

Consider your desk layout

The shape of your standing desk will be influential in determining where you can store objects, how much space you have, and the best workflow that you can adopt.

If you are in the process of purchasing standing desk, knowing the best type of height adjustable desk for you along with the key criteria to look for when choosing the perfect desk will prevent issues arising and promote a better workflow that suits your needs and desires.

Treadmill bases are constructed for walking, running and being stood upon. Placing furniture, such as chairs, on top of them could easily damage the treadmill and the chair. Furthermore, it could cause you serious injury.

Therefore, when you want to sit down, you will need to have a chair positioned nearby or on the other corner of the desk.

When you need to sit at a treadmill workstation, there are two primary layouts that you can choose for the treadmill workstation setup to allow you to sit at the desk:

Wheel your treadmill base out of the way or to the side so that your chair can slot in.
Arrange the treadmill desk so that you can use your chair on one side of the desk and the under desk treadmill on the other side of the desk. – works better with large tables or L-shaped desk layouts.

Note that these configurations only work when the treadmill base is not attached to the standing desk.

Some small simple, yet extremely effective desk organization tips can vastly increase your productivity.

Determine treadmill workstation storage requirements

There’s nothing more unproductive or disruptive to your work environment then in cluttered desk. Often, people fail to declutter their desk and office area and end up collecting piles of documents, reading materials and office stationery that they no longer need.

That in addition to an inadequate filing system can create a havoc workspace.

I actually feel a bit of anxiety and I definitely notice that my attention is drawn to the clutter until I remove it from my desk.

Do you experience this too?

The below guidelines should be followed to put some organisation on your treadmill workstation:

Aim to keep as few items on your desk as possible.
The only items that should be on your desk are items that are used on a daily basis.
All other objects should be stored based on frequency of use, type of item, e.g., stationary or paperwork, cables and chargers.
If you need to use paperwork and cannot work off soft copies, there should be dedicated storage areas for incoming and outgoing paperwork.

Examples of storage solutions that you can use include:

Drawers
Cabinets
Desk organiser
Shelving
Table drawers
Wall hooks
Wall pegboard

If you’re serious about putting law and order on your desk, you’ll want to read how to organise your desk drawers – 12 fool proof steps.

Why not take it one step further and organize your paperwork in 9 proven steps.

Tip: Decluttering your desk on a daily or weekly basis helps to minimize rubbish and unnecessary objects that you’re holding on to.

Keep cables tidy at a treadmill desk

Cable chaos can occur when there are wires coming from the monitors, keyboard, mouse and printers. In the case of a treadmill-based desk, you also have to consider the cables for the under desk treadmill and standing desk itself.

Fortunately, we’re in an era where wireless devices are becoming more prominent the office.

Switching to a wireless keyboard, mouse and even headphones can liberate you from the cable clutter and also minimises the number of wires that you have to endure and work around.

Cable trays and cable tidies can significantly improve the organisation of wires from equipment. Even simple DIY tricks, such as Velcro straps securing the wires to the under surface of table will keep them secure and out of the way.

Ensure that there is enough slack in the cables when the standing desk is both raised and lowered.

Plus, it can also make the area much neater to work in and safer too as there is less of a risk of someone tripping over the cables or something damaging them.

Who else has gotten up from their desk with their headset on and nearly took the ears off themselves? I have and I still feel the pain.

Furthermore, by positioning your treadmill workstation as near as possible to the wall sockets, you can reduce the trail of messy and haphazard cables lying around the place.

Following the checklist for a perfect home office will catapult your office, your comfort and productivity to new heights of success

Tip: Aim to keep your workstation free of the 3 C’s: clobber, cables and clutter.

Organize A Treadmill Desk - Cables at a desk

Consider the area around the treadmill desk

While this article so far has focused on the treadmill desk itself, the area surrounding the treadmill workstation should not be neglected.

Bags, clothes, shoes and other miscellaneous items can take up space and pose a trip hazard if they are not neatly stored away.

The below tips will help ensure that the area surrounding your treadmill workstation stays in a clean, cable and clobber-free state:

Ensure that there is at least a 2m clearance around the treadmill workstation, particularly at the back of the treadmill base where you need to get on and off the treadmill.
Ensure the clearance area is CLEAR of clobber, cable and clutter.
Keep the area clean and vacuum or sweep it on a regular basis.
Remove any objects in the area that you do not use on a regular basis.
Following an office or room cleaning schedule.
Remember to also clean under the treadmill base as well as around it.
Assign a dedicated storage area to bags and frequently used items, e.g., clothes hook for hanging coats or bags.

If there are any items touching off the treadmill desk, it can cause noise and vibrations. If you think noise will be a concern for you, check out this treadmill desk noise comparison list.

I’ve previously highlighted the pros and cons of walking workstation of a treadmill desk, and if you haven’t yet read these, they are worth even a few minutes of your time, even if all you read are the expert tips.

Tip: Following a 6S lean system is guaranteed to create a sustainable neat and tidy workspace.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to organize treadmill workstation properly, be prepared to experience more comfort, productivity!

Thankfully, once you set the area up for success, it’s relatively easy to maintain it.

Remember that cable management, decluttering, regularly cleaning the desk area along with the area surrounding the treadmill workstation and following a rigorous program of only keeping what you really need will ensure that the workspace is a clean and comfortable haven to be in.

If you’re keen to get out of your death chair and introduce movement into your workday, study, gaming or whatever static activity you complete, then treadmill workstations are only one of a range of means to get moving.

Before ever using a treadmill desk, you should know what to look for when choosing a treadmill desk.

If the mind-blowing range of health benefits of getting up and walking by using a treadmill desk sound attractive to you, then check out my personal favourite products listed below for the under desk treadmill that I would recommend.

However, treadmill desks won’t suit everybody, and far be it from me to try and recommend something to you that won’t work for you!

Fortunately for you, I have been looking into the many other ways which can be employed to introduce movement into your workstation.

The below items are what I’ve looked into so far in order of preference:

My top 5 personal favorite products so far are the:

My aim with this website is to help you on all matters related to your home office and your work area. With that in mind, if you have any questions or comments on the above, please drop them in the box below. I’d love to hear them!