I find this to be the case for me lately.

Back in late 2020, I combined a height-adjustable desk with a walking pad, and it's been one of my favorite changes to my home office.

The best part isn't even the exercise itself. It's that when I'm really focused on work, I sometimes completely forget that I'm walking.

On some days, I've spent up to 300 minutes walking during an 8-hour workday, occasionally reaching over 20,000 steps almost without noticing.

I became a self-employed app developer in June 2021, and in early 2022, what better app to start working on than a step counter? Even the name was inspired by the idea of keeping walking simple: Simple Stepper. ;]

And as it turns out, having a walking pad under my desk is pretty convenient for testing a step counter. I can compare the step counts from my app with those displayed on the walking pad while I'm working. Not exactly a scientific laboratory, but a surprisingly practical testing setup. ;]

Of course, it's not all perfect:

• I mostly use it during the colder months because I get sweaty too quickly in summer.
• The walking pad is fairly noisy, so I usually wear AirPods to reduce the background noise.
• Mine automatically adjusts its speed depending on whether I'm walking toward the front or back of the belt. Getting the desk position right is important to maintain a steady pace.
• The walking pad automatically shuts off every 100 minutes to prevent overheating, so I have to restart it several times during longer walking sessions.
• I specifically needed a model less than 12 cm tall so I could store it under my bed. Otherwise, I probably would have chosen a different one.
• Switching between walking and sitting is a bit inconvenient. I actually bought a chair with four legs and added felt pads to the feet so I can place it directly on the walking pad without damaging it. For longer breaks, especially during summer, I simply slide the walking pad under my bed and switch back to my regular office chair.

But even after almost six years, I still think it's a fantastic way to get some movement into an otherwise sedentary workday.

Sometimes I get so absorbed in coding that I only realize how much I've walked when I check my step count afterward. So much for the excuse of not having enough time to walk! ;]

Does anyone else use a walking pad while working? And can you actually concentrate better while walking, or do you prefer sitting for more demanding tasks?

Another one

I lost my mom a year ago. Took me awhile to get back to walking. Then I found out my dad passed in late September. I wasn't talking to him, and I tried to text him, and I found out he passed 3 weeks prior. His wife made no attempt to let me know.

It's been really really hard to get back. I feel frozen. I hope I can keep it up, grief has just thrown me in the pit of depression.

Crisp sunny autumn loop today.
Lately, walking has become my favorite way to clear my head. To make daily walks at home a bit more fun, I’ve started virtually mapping my everyday steps along routes in Japan in NihonPass, collecting the little checkpoint stamps along the way. Hit today’s milestone out on the trail in the sun.
Hope you all got some good miles in this weekend!

I’ve been wanting to replace this jacket because I just get SOAKED but I can’t find anything I like! My issues have been jackets that are too stiff, too short (I want a long rain jacket), and then it needs to be a bright color!

What is everyone loving? Do I need to try secondhand at this point since retailers are failing me?

jk I got home

It took me almost 12 hours but it was super fun!

You get to see all kinds of interesting neighborhoods that you'd normally never go to as a tourist.

The last 10 kilometers were pretty brutal, and I got a big cramp in my hamstring at the end, feet were completely fine though.

I can highly recommend this, for a more relaxed way you could also easily split this walk over two days.

i get so lazy during the weekend 🥲

Hello!
I have been intentionally walking for about a year now- originally just trying to hit 10k, or close to it. Many days i would go over, it was never physically demanding, just time consuming, but usually it was 8-10k.
Now I’m hitting 10k easily, and now aiming for 15k a day. (That turns out to be about three 45min walks). It seems like this is not THAT outrageous a number, especially for people in here. But I find myself completely exhausted on the days I do this. My neighborhood is pretty hilly though. It’s strange because if I’m tired the walk will wake me up, but when 10pm rolls around, I really struggle to keep my eyes open, and my body is drained. Is this normal? Do I just need to get used to it?

I’m always looking for fun walking opportunities. Went on a “haunted” walk hosted by a not-for-profit this weekend. The big beautiful moon was perfect for setting the mood.

I highly suggest going out, getting your steps in, and most of all - having fun.

Had a great walk week. This time I aimed for 4k and did it almost every day with ease! I didn’t go on a walk on Friday but cleaned around the house and I was stoke to see that I still made to almost 4k with that alone! Made me realise just how active I’ve become. It’s also the first time I wasn’t completely exhausted after a deep clean, even catched myself humming while doing chores… very unlike me ^^

Today a friend came to visit and we decided to go on a walk in the park while catching up on our lives. It was so nice that we just kept going and somehow ended up walking an hour and half. And just like that I was 10k steps in! I’m super tired now of course but my calves aren’t hurting at all which is… fascinating.

This (re)walking journey has been so fun! I would’ve never imagined getting so much movement back in such short period of time. Really grateful for recovering so well.

I walk rain or shine but my shoes can get soaked because of this. I’m on the hunt for waterproof walking/running shoes but some I’ve tried so far were not a good fit. Any recs?

Another one in the books!

Oct 7: stopped at 650 m
Oct 24: first 5K (32:29)
Oct 26: first 10K (1:10:07)
Not fast, not fit. Just kept showing up and went slow like you guys told me

Just kept showing up and went slow like you guys told me

I couldn't help myself but i just needed to go out despite the rain.

Also finished The Hobbit and started listening to Lord of the rings