For anyone who spends a lot of time on the computer, or watching TV etc, and who feels they would really value getting a lot of exercise, and saving time, I highly recommend a standing desk with treadmill. Today, post-covid, now that many programmers and coders are working from home, they often do this for 8 hours a day at work. I'm still only comfortable walking about 6 hours a day, max, after a couple months doing this, but I will obviously reach 8 hours with time. Usually most days, I walk about 5 hours a day with no problem.
I know this wouldn't work for everyone, cause some people might not have the skills in motivating themselves to make the change — but I was successful in this, and I'm not that well known as the most motivated person. In my case, it was very important to me not to be paying a monthly fee at a gym or yoga studio etc and spending the travel time going there and back. Also, I don't like to work out outdoors, due to pollution and weather. I didn't even like spending the time getting changed and then showering after a workout (cause I'd rather shower at a more convenient time), and this resolved it because I don't break a sweat while walking.
I've met someone who did the same thing with an indoor cycle, but mine is a much less expensive option. The total of what I spent was likely about $370 CAD, so the price is high even for this with all things included : The desk, the treadmill, and good walking shoes with arch support (assuming you don't have them).
On Amazon, these 2 items of the desk and treadmill were $300 plus tax (with delivery). The treadmill was only like $150 (cheap for a treadmill), the reason being because it's a simple one just designed for walking which cannot handle running. However, used ones are around for about the same which have better capacity — it's just that I don't have a vehicle to pick it up.
I myself have found that I can completely focus on writing, working etc, with absolutely no problem at all — and typing is not an issue at all, as the hands are fully grounded on the desk. I walk at about 1.6 km an hour, a very mild pace. I step off the treadmill when taking sips of a drink to protect against spills, but I have never spilled my drink. It took me quite a long time to figure out how to use my phone while walking, but I eventually got the skill developed, at least for just a little texting.
Keep in mind, it took me about 5 days to initially get used to it. Initial difficulties included soreness in the back and other muscles (and a need to stretch frequently). Physical things like that will vary from person to person, but it should be possible to adjust. It's important to listen to your body and stretch, as well as allow for a slow build into walking longer, but I found that the aergonomics of the desk height were the main thing, and the need to stretch often was gone after the first week.
I don't like to give weight loss advice, but needless to say, this can be a huge way to burn calories in order to lose weight without going on a diet. I'm burning 650 calories a day, now, without spending any extra time or money, so it is such a good way to avoid dieting. Keep in mind, the amount of calories you burn during this time will vary from person to person, and it's largely about your heart rate, not to mention of course your age and weight. Tracking calories can be tricky. That's quite a science.
It's important to get enough protein. Thanks to making sure of that, I found my body was not getting too tired. But sometimes I would be tired from walking, and I realized it's because I needed to eat protein, or even carbs sometimes (but generally speaking it's more about protein I think). I mean, the tiredness is gone by eating protein — I could feel it happening immediately in my body.
If I had children who wanted to watch TV for long hours in the day, I would make them do it on the treadmill. If I had been doing this as a child, I think I would be a much healthier person today, because I used to watch like 4-6 hours of TV a day as a child after school 😂😂.
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