A self-confessed computer geek lost 6lbs in a month by exercising as he worked. Kevin Walters was keen to boost his exercise routine without going to the gym.
So after taking to TikTok to see what ideas people had he discovered the perfect solution. The walking pad trend sees people exercise while at work behind a desk.
So Kevin decided to give it a go - and was delighted with the results. For despite not changing his diet he managed to drop almost half a stone simply by upping his walking as he worked.
The software developer at Xlinesoft bought a walking pad and new desk and got started. This is how it went.
Getting started
To start the challenge, Kevin purchased a walking pad, a standing desk and a Fitbit to count his daily steps. Kevin admits that the outlay wasn't cheap and he wasn't 100% sure he could concentrate on walking and working at the same time but if he could walk the 10,000 steps a day then it would be worth the risk.
He said: "I watched all the people on TikTok using these walking devices and thought it would be great if I could do that while working. I do suffer from motion sickness though so was a little concerned that it would be a waste of money.
"The initial set-up wasn't cheap, the desk cost around £250 and the treadmill cost £350, I got both of them from Amazon, after reading many reviews."
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A bad start
Motion sickness is common when you travel by car, boat or plane, but most people don't complain of motion sickness at work. To make things worse, motion sickness can be brought on by reading or using electronic devices.
Kevin says "My treadmill came before the new desk so being the impatient person that I am, I set up the treadmill and was hunched over trying to work while walking. It was a disaster, my neck and back started to hurt, I felt dizzy and was nearly sick within an hour of starting my new routine."
Getting over motion sickness and walking 10,000+ steps a day
The TikTok trend of using a walking pad calls for the use of an adjustable or standing desk. By using an adjustable desk your body is in the right position so you aren't bending down to reach your mouse or keyboard and you don't have to strain your neck looking at your monitors.
Kevin says "The adjustable desk made all the difference, I was able to concentrate on my work without having to think about walking and was able to walk 35,000 steps within a few hours. According to the Fitbit app, this meant I had walked 24.88km and burned 4148 calories that day.
"Being a software developer means that I don't get to exercise much and after working 10-12 hours a day I rarely have the energy to go to the gym after work. Being able to walk while working is brilliant."
Health benefits of walking
Unlike fad diets or exercise routines, walking is one of the easiest exercises to do and has many health benefits. Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat.
Walking can also make your bones and muscles stronger while improving your mood, cognition and help with getting better sleep too.
Kevin said: "Every day around 2-3 pm I would feel tired and my productivity would go down. Since walking every day I no longer feel that afternoon slump and have more energy than before.
"I wasn't sure if I would get any results in terms of weight loss and didn't take any before pictures but looking at the scales after walking 10,000+ steps a day for 30 days I had lost 6lbs in weight. This is amazing for me as I had continued to eat my normal diet which does consist of more fast food than I care to admit.
"More importantly, as a type 1 diabetic my blood sugar levels have never been so controlled and are now in the normal safe ranges 95% of the time. This trend has no doubt added years onto my life."
A word of warning
The more frequently you walk and the further you walk the greater the health benefits but when starting you should be careful not to overdo it. If you haven't walked far before or this is your first time getting back into exercise you should start with slower and smaller distanced walks.
Kevin says "I found walking easy so within a few days I had walked over 100,000 steps and my knees got painful and I had to take a day off. If I was starting again I would start out walking less and then build up to it."
