Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To brag about my amazing life hack? lighthearted!

158 replies

yesimbragging · 10/01/2022 09:58

NC because if replies are snidey and dent my ego I'd like to go back to my usual username and pretend this thread never happened Grin

I put on a little weight over lockdown, as WFH in my small flat I was walking less than 1000 steps everyday. So I bought an exercise mini trampoline and tried to get into the habit of using it while watching Netflix.

The thing is, I always have found any exercise really tedious and boring and like I should be doing something else more productive with that time, and thought how great it would be if I could get some work done on my laptop at the same time as exercising.

I looked into standing desks, and they are SO expensive. Like £200. But then I remembered I have an old music keyboard still stored at my mum's. I pinched the stand, and placed the lid of a plastic storage box over it, and I've made a standing desk!

So now I get paid to work out. My feet don't actually leave the mat of the trampoline, so I'm not bouncing all over the place, but according to FitBit, my heart rate averages around 175, burning over 500 calories an hour, and the time passes quickly as I'm concentrating on work, not the monotony of exercise.

As you can probably tell, my work doesn't involve Zoom calls or anything Grin

I'm just rather pleased with myself solving my lifelong hatred of exercise and love of multitasking all in one go I guess, and I haven't really got anyone to tell Blush

To brag about my amazing life hack? lighthearted!
OP posts:
ineedsun · 10/01/2022 10:27

You’ve not answered, how do you read / type while moving?

yesimbragging · 10/01/2022 10:33

Lean slightly forward, resting my wrists on the laptop, perfectly fine. It really makes no difference to typing as your hands and wrists are kind of anchored to the laptop and don't move.

OP posts:
SmallPrawnEnergy · 10/01/2022 10:38

I really hope you’re a downstairs flat.

MmeD · 10/01/2022 10:39

I've lost six inches off my arse in about 3-4 months

Get out of my way!

yesimbragging · 10/01/2022 10:43

@SmallPrawnEnergy

I really hope you’re a downstairs flat.
There's a shop downstairs but they play loud music all day long so wouldn't hear and I work a lot of nights so only use it when the shop is shut anyway. I'm not sure why you think it would disturb them though - I'm not jumping on the floorboards.
OP posts:
Knittedfairies · 10/01/2022 10:45

It's great that you've found something that works for you but I do question the 500 calories per hour bit; you'll disappear after a day's work!

CanofCant · 10/01/2022 10:46

@MmeD

I've lost six inches off my arse in about 3-4 months

Get out of my way!

Haha! That was my response when reading! Off to peruse the Argos website now...
ineedsun · 10/01/2022 10:46

This is really dangerous, I’ve got covid and am bed bound and bored. I’m so tempted to buy one!

RaskolnikovsGarret · 10/01/2022 10:46

Amazing. But how do you concentrate? Do you think I could draft or review complicated documents while doing it? I don’t think my multi tasking skills are up to the job.

yesimbragging · 10/01/2022 10:47

@Knittedfairies

It's great that you've found something that works for you but I do question the 500 calories per hour bit; you'll disappear after a day's work!
Oh hell I'm not doing it all day!!
OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 10/01/2022 10:48

I think you should probably invest some of the money you've saved in a new Fitbit or an accurate heart rate monitor!!

fillingbilling · 10/01/2022 10:49

Sorry if I've missed this but

  • could you type properly
  • could you have a meeting and it not be obvious what you're doing?
AlternativePerspective · 10/01/2022 10:50

What are the guidelines for how much time you should spend on there.

Most exercise equipment has a guideline, so at the very least you should take account of how much time you should spend on there vs how much you actually are.

I wouldn’t have thought that an hour’s worth of trampolining is actually considered that healthy tbh, and a heart rate of 175 bpm really shouldn’t go on for too long.

Ozanj · 10/01/2022 10:51

I’m sorry but no. Your fitbit is definitely overexaggerating. There is no possible way standing still at your desk all day burns an extra 500 cals per day. What do you do with your wrists while you stand? DH has a habit of swinging them out or moving them slightly when he’s tired & that massively ups his stepcount but he has actually gained fat and become unhealthier due to a standing desk as he has used it as an excuse to stop going out for his usually lunchtime brisk walk.

Crayzeefrog · 10/01/2022 10:51

This is brilliant OP. Sitting all day is so bad for you, which is why standing desks were made. Adding movement in there is just great (whether or not the Fitbit is accurate!)

ReviewingTheSituation · 10/01/2022 10:53

175bpm vs 130 when running?!

A - I'm impressed at the 130s when running and
B - how can standing/kind-of-bouncing on a trampoline be 175bpm - surely you'd be massively out of breath at that heart rate?

YouokHun · 10/01/2022 10:53

@Cofifeefee

What are you doing on here? Get yourself off to Take A Break for real appreciation Grin
Though that risks having the Mick taken out of you on Facebook’s Take a Shite page, which may really dent @yesimbragging’s ego!
Pinkdelight3 · 10/01/2022 10:54

I can't picture this at all. So you're standing on a little trampette, leaning forwards and typing but - what? bending and flexing your knees so your bottom half goes down and up without making your top half wobble? Or just jigging very slightly with straight legs? Is it constant movement? Do you get out of breath? I'm really baffled as to how it would be a work out without more exertion.

Appleseesaw · 10/01/2022 10:55

Six inches off your bum? This sounds amazing.

redandyellowbits · 10/01/2022 10:55

This is bloody brilliant, I am sat at my desk all day long and thinking of getting a standing one.

If I can combine with a cheap trampoline and do it for an hour or so a day I would be on to a complete winner - I am so sick of getting old and flabby sat on my arse all day.

Thank you OP!

yesimbragging · 10/01/2022 10:56

@emmathedilemma

I think you should probably invest some of the money you've saved in a new Fitbit or an accurate heart rate monitor!!
Hmmm I think maybe you should try it yourself before poo-hooing the idea from nothing! Smile Strange that no other physical activity triggers this heart rate, how can fitbit tell?

@fillingbilling I wouldn't do a Zoom meeting I don't think, maybe out of shyness or could be distracting for others. Typing is fine if you sort of lean your weight on the laptop a bit.

To brag about my amazing life hack? lighthearted!
OP posts:
AlternativePerspective · 10/01/2022 10:58

OP how old are you?

GertrudeKerfuffle · 10/01/2022 11:01

'There are all sorts of exercise desks - treadmills, bikes, wobble boards, yoga balls.

This is very far from new!'

@WouldIBeATwat yes I know but I've never heard of a trampoline desk before. Although now I've found this:

www.fastcompany.com/90607676/this-company-is-trying-to-make-trampoline-desks-happen

FawnDrench · 10/01/2022 11:01

As long as you're wearing a couple of pitta breads on your feet you'll be ok.

Thingstodotoday · 10/01/2022 11:04

She’s lost six inches off her arse! Who cares what the fitbit is saying!? Tempted by this now!