Sitting for long stretches of time can have a number of health ramifications, but there is only so much you can do when your job calls for it.
While sit-stand desks are one way to solve the problem, the truth is that most of us aren't used to standing and working, and could have difficulty with this. Not to mention having to adjust between sitting and standing can be a hassle and for some, can get distracting.
This isn't to say that a sit-stand desk is a bad idea, but there are other options to solve the same problem - such as a desk bike.
What are the benefits of a desk bike, and why should you opt for one?
Why You Should Get A Home Office All-in-One Desk Bike
Endorphins
Any form of exercise will cause your body to release endorphins. These are a physiological response that serves to lift your mood and make you feel happier. You don't have to work out really hard to release these endorphins either.
While a desk bike won't trigger as much of a reaction as, say, an HIIT workout, it still provides your body with a fair amount of the happy hormones you need to lift your mood. Not only does this make you happier, it also boosts your productivity. If you're struggling with mood or productivity at work, a desk bike could help solve the problem.
Better Mobility
We already touched on the fact that sitting for long stretches of time is bad. But it can also be bad for your mobility! If youre working a desk job, you probably already know how hard it is to stand up after a long while of sitting. Your legs feel stiff and you may even have trouble balancing yourself.
This is because your muscles get tense, and the fluids in your joints that keep your body from freezing up stops flowing.
On the other hand, with a desk bike, you can solve that problem by keeping your legs in motion all the time. You'll be moving without going anywhere, and that will keep your muscles from getting too stiff, and the fluid in your joints keeps flowing.
When you stand up at the end of the day, you won't feel that bone-deep tiredness anymore.
Burning Calories
One very obvious benefit of a desk bike is that it can help with burning calories. This is true for any form of exercise, and most people are, in fact, looking to burn more calories. If there's no other reason to get yourself a desk bike, this could be the one you're looking for!
Having a desk bike you can pedal at while you work, you can burn calories without really even doing anything. Though it's not a substitute for your nightly workout, it can definitely help aid the process of weight loss and fitness.
In fact, if you pedal at a medium pace - that is, not as much as you would when riding an actual bike - you can burn up to 150 calories per day. To burn more, you just have to pedal faster and longer.
All of that, right at your seat, is a pretty good reason to get yourself a desk bike!
Concentration
Using a desk bike can also help you improve your concentration. Remember what we said about endorphins? Not only does exercise increase the level of hormones in your body, it also reduces some of them!
For example, cortisol is the stress hormone released by your body as a natural, physiological response to stressors. Some level of cortisol is good because it can help you focus on getting rid of the stimulus that caused its release in the first place, but too much can become a problem.
With too much cortisol running through your body, you tend to get distracted and brain fogged because no matter what you do, the stressor simply refuses to go away.
A desk bike helps you keep your legs moving and your body keeps reducing the level of cortisol as a result. This causes your nervousness and anxiety to drop, and ultimately helps you improve your concentration.
Overall Health
You'd think this is pretty obvious - and it is! - but you may not know exactly how much a desk bike can be contributing to your health. You may still be sitting, but your legs are in continuous motion. This means that the muscles in your legs are getting a continuous workout.
When your muscles are exerting themselves, they need more blood flowing through them carrying oxygen. As a result, your heart works faster as well, to provide this blood. This causes your heart to get a mild workout as well, and improves your circulation and blood flow. Not only does this cause your overall health to improve, it also increases your stamina.
Keep in mind that a desk bike is not going to give you the same kind of results as an actual bike ride would though. Desk bikes are very gentle in comparison to full-fledged workouts, so while you do get some gains, they won't be anything too dramatic.
Helps With Fidgeting
If you feel like you fidget a lot while sitting and this disrupts your work, a desk bike can be a great help. Fidgeting is often a result of pent-up nervous energy, and exercise can be a good outlet for it. Instead of letting yourself get distracted (or distracting others) by fidgeting, a desk bike uses up the pent up energy, and helps with performing a lot better.
Preventing Obesity
One of the major downsides of sitting for long stretches of time is that it can cause obesity. When you consume more calories than you burn, your body starts accumulating those extra calories as fat deposits, which start to build up over time.
Sitting burns very few calories, and the work you do while sitting is definitely not enough to burn away all the calories you consume. In fact, sitting for long stretches also increases your hunger, so you're a lot more likely to snack on things when sitting idle, and this only increases your calorie intake.
On the flip side, a desk bike provides you with exercise. Even if you're not getting any elsewhere - but especially if you're not getting any elsewhere, though you should include exercise in your daily routine - you can at least burn some calories while you sit at your desk. This helps reduce the risk of obesity and keeps your body healthier.
Exercise also tends to reduce appetite (beyond what your body requires!) so you're a lot less likely to feel snackish with a desk bike to keep your body busy!
Reduces Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a problem for your body because it can result in diabetes. Diabetes is serious and can result in other diseases, like heart problems.
But working out helps prevent these problems from arising because your body's sugar levels don't spike. You'd be using up the glucose in your blood to release energy for exercising. If you stay idle all the time, the chances of your body developing insulin resistance is much higher, and a desk bike helps prevent you from being still all the time.
However, as with obesity, simply using a desk bike isn't enough. You do need to have a healthy lifestyle to really prevent insulin resistance and the problems that come with it. Still, having a desk bike can definitely help.
Blood Pressure
A major health concern around the world is that of high blood pressure. Most often, this is a result of not being fit enough. Exercise is necessary to make sure your circulatory system is working efficiently. When there is an issue with your blood flow, your whole body is likely to suffer because the oxygen being delivered to your organs won't be enough.
Exercising can help prevent this from happening because your heart becomes stronger and thus works more efficiently. As mentioned earlier, a desk bike gives your heart a mild workout and improves your heart health.
Desk bikes also help because they're not very intense, so you can take things at a slow and leisurely place. You don't have to work out really hard to make your heart work better. While it won't have results like that of a serious workout, there will definitely be a difference in your overall health.
With so many benefits, there's no reason to not get a desk bike. FlexiSpot's Deskcise Pro is an excellent option for this, not just because of the desk, but also because it comes with a desktop attached for you to keep your things on while you work. It comes with an integrated display to let you know how productive you've been, fitness wise, and 8 resistance levels to let you adjust the intensity of your exercise.
