In my continuous search for the ultimate computer workstation, I decided to give a reclining desk a try. While I love my treadmill standing desk, I have found that too much standing can be just as rough as too much sitting. Even with frequent breaks, my legs got tired and my low back would hurt after a day's work. Inspired by this way-too-expensive reclining desk by Altwork, I sought out to design and build my own version for a fraction of the cost. I built two versions, starting with a prototype model (V1) and later an improved model (V2) with more structure and better aesthetics. Here's how I did it.

As a Ph.D. student, I spend a tremendous amount of time at my desk, and over the next year I will be living at it as I write my dissertation. This realization sent me on a quest to find an affordable ergonomic battle station for doing my work. The trend of using standing desks over sitting desks has been growing for a while now. After a lot of reading, it looks like a pretty strong consensus that sitting all day is pretty bad for your health over a lifetime. Standing is better, but the real problem is just immobility. Staying mobile is the best thing you can do, so rather than build a standing desk, I built a treadmill desk so I can walk while I work. Inspiration for the idea came from the Baltimore Sun article on the awesomeness of my friends Dorry and Somer, where I first heard of the treadmill desk idea.