If you've been thinking about getting a walking desk, do it!! I bought this TR1200-DT3 treadmill base and got a standing desk from another company and am loving the combo. (The standard LifeSpan desk that can be bought with the treadmill wouldn't work for me without lots of addition$ to raise up computer monitors to eye level, etc.) The treadmill is solidly built, super quiet (my footsteps make more noise), and as sturdy as anything I've used at the gym.

Working and walking felt a tiny bit awkward for the first 30 minutes or so and after that I kept forgetting I was on a treadmill. I'm typing this at a leisurely 1.1 MPH pace and can pretty much do everything walking that I can when sitting at a desk.

I'm a grad student and work part time from home for a software company and was sitting way too much. I don't have as much time to go to the gym these days, so this is a great low-impact way to stay active, sneak in exercise, and help beat the mid-day energy slump. I'm really happy with the treadmill and am looking forward to using it for years to come. (Posted on 3/9/13)

I've been using the TR1200-DT3 for about 1.5 months, and I absolutely love it. It's built very, very strong and is extremely quiet. I bought this version of the treadmill because I have a built in desk that doesn't move and because I have four monitors--so I can't simply plop a laptop or single monitor up on a desk such as the one that comes with the TR1200-DT5. Also, I want the option to sit when I want to, because I don't think I'll ever be walking 8-10 hours per day (and, in fact, these treadmills only support 6 hours a day).

The treadmill really is quiet. I often participate in conference calls and I use a Polycom speakerphone right from my 11' x 13' home office. No one on the call can hear that I'm walking. The motor itself is virtually silent and the only sound you hear is the belt slipping along the treadmill track (very quiet) and your feet hitting the treadmill. Because you'll be walking slowly, your feet don't make much noise at all (or at least mine don't). I walk barefoot on mine.

Also, it's easy to move. There are wheels on the front end, and all I do when I want to switch between sitting/walking is lift up the back end a bit and roll the treadmill away from my sitting area. I don't even unplug it, so it's easy to do.

I'm currently walking at 1.3 MPH. This may not seem like much, but for me it's a sweet spot because I have to do a lot of thinking for my job and a lot of typing, and this is a comfortable speed. The thing about a treadmill desk is that it's not really about speed--I get speed workouts in when I run and therefore tax my cardiovascular system heavily at that time--it's really about moving your body throughout the day. Walking at a slow pace accomplishes exactly what a treadmill desk is for--getting your body moving. There are a lot of muscles involved in walking at a slow pace. These muscles are all over, too: your feet, calves, thighs, hamstrings, groin, hips, glutes (your butt), obliques...honestly, all the way up to your head. Pain that I used to experience while standing up, say, in a long checkout line has vanished. I've got a pretty strong back but for some reason standing up in a still position would really bother me after even five minutes (and I'd be forced to stretch), and now that pain is gone.

Another thing that I notice in my situation is because I work in the downstairs portion of my home, which tends to be cooler than upstairs. During the colder parts of the year (I'm in the Boston area) I would have to wear a heavy shirt and heavy socks to stay warm, and even then I'd be a little on the chilly side. While walking on the treadmill I wear nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, with bare feet, and I'm plenty warm.

The biggest hurdle for me was that I have four monitors and a built in desk, and though I was hopeful it wouldn't be difficult, while walking my monitors were a little bit too low for me. This became annoying after walking for a while. I had to stare strongly downward at my main monitor and even my upper monitors were below my line of straight-vision. What I ended up doing was building a monitor stand that can raise/lower at the press of a button. I wrote a detailed blog post about it here, for those that are interested: http://steveseymourblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/BuildingTheUltimateTreadmillDeskPartOne.html#!/2012/11/BuildingTheUltimateTreadmillDeskPartOne.html. It's a seven part blog post, so hang in there if you think my situation applies to you. I hope my posts inspire someone to go for it, because now I truly love my treadmill desk configuration. Honestly, it's not that hard to do even if you don't have a ton of carpentry skills. I purposefully kept the building of mine simple with the hopes of leading someone else to a great treadmill desk configuration.

Don't hesitate: start walking while you work!!! (Posted on 11/18/12)

I've had my TR1200-DT3 for about 6 months. I should have bought one of these a LONG time ago! It's easy to set up and use. The treadmill is super quiet and I generally go 1 mph while I work. A very easy pace. I walk for half my work day and stand through the other 4 hours. My health has improved greatly and this machine has worked flawlessly. I have no idea how long it will last, but when it eventually wears out (whenever that might be), I plan to buy another. I highly recommend this product. (Posted on 10/26/12)