It's widely acknowledged that sitting for long periods of time is not good for health, but for many of us, the choice doesn't exist. After all, we have to spend many hours sitting at the workplace, and we can't avoid it.
What we can do, is we can find ways around it.
One of the problems with prolonged sitting is that it builds tension in your legs and muscles, which can result in long-term problems. If you were to find a way to exercise your legs while sitting, you'd be able to get rid of some of the negative effects.
One way to do so is to use a standing desk so you can keep alternating between sitting and standing, but this doesn't always work for everyone. Some people may not be able to get used to working while standing, while others may simply find standing desks annoying.
But there is another way around it! An under-desk bike can provide you with the exercise your legs need even while you're sitting. Let's take a look at some benefits of an under-desk bike.
Benefits of an Under Desk Bike
Releasing Endorphins
Exercise results in your brain releasing endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel happier. When you're at work, you're slowly using up your mental and physical energy which can make you feel dull and tired.
Having an under-desk bike can help because the workout gives you the boost you need to feel fresher and better, and gives you more energy. This helps with productivity levels and can make it easier for you to get your work done without draining yourself.
Better Mobility
If you've ever had to sit at your desk for a long time (and most of us have!) you'd know how hard it is when it's finally time to stand up. Your legs feel stiff and tense and you don't really want to get up, even though you're tired of sitting.
This is because sitting for long periods makes the fluids in your body stop flowing as much as they would when you're moving around. With the under-desk bike, because you're using your joints and moving your legs, this doesn't happen. The fluids keep flowing and your muscles don't become tense, so when you eventually stand up, you don't feel pain or stiffness.
Burning Calories
Of course, any kind of exercise helps you burn calories, and an under-desk bike is no different. It'd be an obvious benefit but not everyone realizes how much it can help over the long term. By sitting still, you're obviously not getting any exercise or burning any calories.
With an under desk bike though, you can easily burn up to 150 calories in a day if you're pedaling at a medium pace. If you pedal faster, you burn more calories.
150 calories may not seem like much, but when you put together all the calories you'd lose over all the days you spend at work, it can become a large number!
Most importantly, 150 calories a day is still better than burning no calories.
Concentration
You'd be surprised to find out that an under-desk bike can also help with concentration. We already talked about how the bike can trigger the release of endorphins in your body, but that's not all. Exercise also reduces the level of cortisol in your body, which is a stress hormone.
When stress levels are reduced, you can get rid of problems like brain fog or creative block that may be hindering your ability to focus.
When you're feeling stressed, or can't focus, all you have to do is turn the pedals for a while, and the nervous energy goes away, leaving you with a fresh mind and improved concentration.
Better Health
This would be obvious, but an under-desk bike can really help with improving your overall health.
Some people question whether it can really do as much, since at the end of the day, you're still spending all that time sitting. But just pedaling under the desk can be very beneficial.
This is because the movement you're making in your lower body is giving you a workout, even though your upper body is at rest. By working out your legs, you're still improving the blood flow toward your leg muscles, which means that your heart is also working harder.
It may not feel like a proper workout because you're not sweating buckets and getting out of breath, but even subtle workouts like this can do wonders in the long run.
In fact, giving your legs the exercise also improves the stamina you have over time. Since it's still a relatively mild exercise, don't expect yourself to suddenly become very fit, but it can help a lot more than sitting still in one place for many hours.
Stops Fidgeting
If you're the type of person who fidgets, you'd know how much it can bother you to just sit still. There is a lot of nervous energy being pent up, which can make the fidgeting worse. Having something that can release this energy is very helpful, but not everyone has a good outlet.
Some people will just tap their feet on the ground, while others will swing theirs. Neither of these is necessarily harmful, but they aren't beneficial either.
The under-desk bike helps by providing a healthier and more productive outlet for all that energy. It's not so stressful that you get tired or can't concentrate, but just enough to get rid of the pent-up energy so you can focus on your work better.
Reducing Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is what results in diabetes. It is a condition where the insulin in your body can no longer use the glucose in your blood to release energy, which results in spiking blood sugar levels, and this can quickly become harmful. Diabetes can easily escalate into bigger, more serious problems like heart disease and strokes.
Giving yourself a workout, no matter how small changes the way your body uses the sugar in your blood for energy. This stops the sugar levels from rising and keeps you healthy.
Improved Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a problem that people all around the world face. Not only can it result in more problems, but it's usually caused by other issues like stress and bad overall health.
With an under-desk bike, you can reduce your blood pressure and get rid of the stress that caused it to begin with.
Make sure not to push yourself too hard though. This may stress you out more. You want to take it at a leisurely pace, so you're getting the exercise you need without tiring yourself out too soon.
Over time, you'll notice that your blood pressure, and maybe even your resting heart rate goes down.
Improves Posture
One of the biggest causes of bodily aches and pains for almost everyone is that they have bad posture. This can lead to other problems like musculoskeletal disorders which can last a long time.
Using the under-desk bike forces us to sit in the right position because if we don't, the pedals will just not turn. The entire time you're using the bike, you're maintaining the correct posture. This means that not only are your legs getting the exercise, but your spinal health is improved too.
Flexispot Under Desk Bike V9U
With so many benefits to an under-desk bike, there's no reason for you to not get one for yourself. Whether it's for your home office or your workplace, an under-desk bike can help you stay productive and healthy while you work.
The Flexispot Under Desk Bike V9U is great because it doesn't require any installation, and can just be rolled into place with the casters. All you have to do is take it out of the box and start using it.
The seat is adjustable, so you can use it at whichever height you need. The adjustment is easy too - all you need to do is press the lever which moves the seat up and down. The bike itself is very compact, so it fits easily under your desk without taking up too much space.
The seat is also made to be comfortable, with good quality, long-lasting fabric. It can withstand weights up to 300 lbs.
The pedals are very quiet, so you don't end up disturbing people around you (or yourself!) and stay focused on your work. There are eight resistance levels that allow you for healthy movement regardless of how fit or unfit you are. The LCD display also lets you track how long you pedaled, the distance, and how many calories you burned.
Sitting is definitely not good for long hours, and it would be ideal to move around more than just sit in place. But this is not always possible, and we have to find alternative solutions. Having an under-desk bike is one such solution since it can at least help you maintain or improve your health rather than let it get damaged further.
