Written By: Cole Edwards

A former social worker has invented a new approach that will allow millions of working adults to walk the walk and talk the talk.

Steve Bordley, founder and CEO of the Arizona-based TrekDesk, designed a desk small enough to fit around virtually any treadmill that allows for the user to walk while busy at work, thus not having to take any extra time out of their day.
The invention comes at an opportune time with the American Heart Association reporting that an alarming 68 percent of American adults or either overweight or obese. Over 75 percent of Georgia working adults spend at least a third of their day sitting behind a desk, which often leads to the development of diabetes, heart disease and even early death.

“There are 50 million treadmills out there in this nation but only a small percentage of all those machines actually get used,” Bordley said. “My idea was to build something affordable and something as simple as attaching a desk to a treadmill so people can start getting healthy again.”

TrekDesk, which currently runs for $499 on Amazon.com, can be easily assembled within 30 minutes and fits tightly over any standard sized treadmill, allowing for a mile of walking to be accomplished in the time it takes to complete one spreadsheet.

The idea for TrekDesk originated in early 2007 when Bordley was involved in a severe accident that placed him in a wheel chair for six months and unable to walk without the use of a walker or crutches for more than two years.

“I had always been very active and suddenly I no longer could even walk properly,” Bordley said. “Stress began to set in, and the weight piled on seemingly overnight.”
Forced to improvise how best to fight off weight gain and apathy, Bordley had the idea of placing a rubber top across his treadmill to serve as a rudimentary desk while he continued to work from home.

Within six weeks, he lost 25 lbs and became determined to begin developing the TrekDesk for others to start getting healthy again.

With the recommended setting being only two miles per hour, TrekDesk helps users unknowingly walk 25 miles per week, burning 900-1200 calories a day.

“We encourage our users to walk very slow speeds, almost as if they were simply walking down the hall,” Bordley said.

Bordley is quick to point out that his invention is the desk itself, not the treadmill, which is sold separately and simply placed beneath the desk.

In a May 2012 article, Livestrong.com added the TrekDesk to its comprehensive list of “20 Fitness Gadgets that Actually Work,” calling it “the perfect solution for those who think better on their feet.”

According to Livestrong.com, prolonged sitting is just as bad for the body as smoking. The treadmill will help workers feel energized rather than fatigued.