Lived-In Review: The Deskcycle Lets You Get a Spin Class On Under The Table

* Improve your health, energy levels and productivity
* Double your calorie burn without working up a sweat
* Get healthy exercise wherever you are sitting

We all know the benefits of exercise include improved health, improved energy levels, weight maintenance and/or loss, increased productivity and above all extended lifespans. So it obviously behooves us to do it as often as we can, wherever we can. However, finding the time, much less the energy to get yourself dressed and out the door to a gym is sometimes not an option. So what is one to do? Well, I recently got to test out the DeskCycle and it can be an exercise game-changer or at least a great addition to an already established exercise routine.

HOW IT WORKS

The name Deskcycle says it all: this is an exercise bike that fits easily under most standard desks or tables. The DeskCycle makes it easy to get a safe and effective exercise while working at your home or work desk, watching TV, using your phone, reading a book, playing video games – basically anytime you are sitting with free legs.

The whole notion of using a DeskCycle is that with everyone’s busy schedules, it can be difficult to find the time to get the exercise we need. This bike makes it easy to get your daily exercise in without sacrificing your valuable time.

And, since time is of the essence these days, exercising at work makes the most sense and the DeskCycle is perfectly designed for just that situation. Besides the obvious health benefits, there are some benefits to exercising at work, as well. According to a study performed by the University of Bristol, people who exercise before or during work are happier, suffer less stress and are more productive. To go even further, DeskCycle recommends pedaling at a leisurely pace on the lowest resistance setting which can double your calorie burn without working up a sweat vs. using a standing desk. In addition, using it in a low cardio zone will increase your energy levels and oxygen to your brain without distracting you from your work.

HOW TO USE IT

Easy to put together, the DeskCycle fits easily under most basic work desks (as short as 27 inches) and has 8 resistance levels from very easy to more than you need. Wide comfortable pedals and straps fit any shoe size, an ultra-smooth pedal motion lets you focus on your work while the flywheel keeps the pedals moving at a smooth pace. Quiet operation won’t disturb your coworkers and an easy to read, full day display is available, which can be placed anywhere on your desk for convenient viewing and keeps track of 16+ hours of activity.

Buy: DeskCycle Under Desk Exercise Bike and Pedal Exerciser $159.00

THE VERDICT

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, ease and quietness the DeskCycle has to offer. I was expecting a dated exercycle that would end up in the garage as soon as I was done trying it. To the contrary, with this machine, I could definitely see a future and one I wanted to exercise in. The bike fit easily under my desk and one day while surfing the ‘net I absentmindedly started pedaling. Before I knew it, 27 minutes had gone by and I had burned some seriously needed calories, all while feeling less than winded.

As mentioned, pedaling is ultra-smooth and very quiet with this cycle, making it easy to start pedaling away during any activity of your choosing. My activity of choice was work and using the cycle, even in intermittent spurts, made it easy to get in any sort of exercise during my usually unending days of chaos.

The cycle itself might seem kind of bulky but travels easily. The display is easy to read and will come in handy if you choose to keep track of your rides. This brings me to another perk of the DeskCycle – the ability to log your daily activity (for free) and view your results with their online Calorie Calculator. This allows you to log your daily DeskCycle activity and use the progress viewer to see your daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and all-time exercise progress.

If Fitbit is more your speed, you can also upload your equivalent daily steps to your existing Fitbit account with a click of a button and/or enjoy their new iPhone app to upload your steps for a fully automated experience.