The Perfect “Poor Man’s” Standing and Treadmill Desk

For those who don’t know, I do a lot of writing, and a lot of crafting. It’s my job, essentially. Up until now, I’ve been sitting while working. Unfortunately, I learned that the more I sit, the more years I’m shaving off of my lifespan, which, unlike this new desk, is the complete opposite of “cool.” Fretting, like the anxious person I am, I became determined to try one of these newfangled “standing desks” that have swept… well crept… onto the market. The first thing I noticed was that a few slabs of wood elevated off of the ground with no chair costs twice as much as a normal cheap flat desk does. Why? Beats me. Maybe because they only want rich people to exercise so we can differentiate between rich and poor at first glance (because we need more ways to do that, right?).

Not fitting into the “I’ve got tons of money to blow on wood and steel legs” category, and really adoring DIY projects, I looked into other options. As it turns out, there are much, much cheaper alternatives, and in my opinion, way cooler ones. So before you dump about three hundred bucks on a standing desk, check out what I did:

Hey, you can see my house from there!

Corny jokes aside, so far, this has been a bangin’ awesome setup, and it only cost me sixty bucks, as opposed to the usual hundreds that actual standing desks go for. Not only is this sucker incredibly sturdy (it can withstand about 1000 lb. load), I think it looks a lot cooler in silver wires than it does in traditional desk form. It’s twice the size of my old desk, and I have a lot more room to move about. The only drawback is that my feet are really tired. I did not get a comfort mat for this because I plan to get a treadmill for it! A treadmill that, at most, will cost me about two hundred dollars. A traditional treadmill desk that you can buy from the market ranges in the thousands. So, two hundred and sixty bucks for a treadmill desk is… pretty damn sweet for those of us who want to have the healthy option, and don’t have a Swiss bank account or rich mommies and daddies.

So, what is it exactly, and where can I get one to turn into my own standing desk?

Good question!

I bought this bad boy from Wal-Mart. It’s simply just a 5-tier wire storage shelf. The shelves are adjustable, so you can move them to the level of your eyes and hands, and once connected, they feel pretty damn firm. I found it in the home section, in the shelving isle. If your Wal-Mart store doesn’t carry them (or you have no idea WTF Wal-Mart is), there are other stores that do. I saw one at OfficeMax that looked identical to the one I’m using. Definitely look into getting one that’s especially sturdy, that can hold lots of weight, especially if you have more stuff. I don’t really have a lot.

As far as the treadmill goes, I’m going to post updates on that as it occurs. I am definitely planning to purchase one, since I heard that moving is better than just standing there. And I get to lose weight in the process!

So, if you’ve been wanting to check out a standing desk, and/or treadmill desk, this might be the option for you.