Do you have a desk job that requires you to spend at least eight hours of your day in a sitting position?
If you would, then you need to know that you're actually spending a lot more time sitting. According to research, an average office worker sits for about 10 hours a day. And when you think about it, that is quite a lot of time spent sitting.
Sitting is sedentary, which means you're body is burning fewer calories than it does when you're moving and your system which is designed for movement is at rest.
Perhaps the easiest way to get some movement into these critical hours of the day is to invest in a desk bike.
But do desk bikes work? Can they change your life for good?
Indeed, there are several benefits of using a desk bike. It allows you to overcome the problems associated with prolonged sitting. It strengthens your muscles, helps burn extra calories, and channels your energy. All of this can bring a positive change in your life. However, too much of it can impact your attention at work, lower your reaction time, and can also compromise your performance.
And that's what's important for you to understand. In this post, we look at the pros and cons of pedaling while working so you can decide whether or not it can change your life for good. But before we get started, let's look at how a desk bike works.
How Does a Desk Bike Work?
A bike desk works quite similarly to a stationary bike. However, you have to place it under your desk so you can pedal while you're working. The equipment serves as a fitness tool that allows you to stay fit and active even when you have a desk job that requires you to spend long hours in a sitting position.
You can find desk bikes with a seat that allows you to replace your regular ergonomic office chair with a desk bike such that it complements your workstation.
A desk bike serves as an ideal solution when your schedule doesn't allow you to get the movement your body needs to stay healthy.
Now let’s look at the potential benefits and drawbacks of using a desk bike so you can figure out how it can change your life.
Pedaling While Working - Benefits of a Desk Bike
Desk bike are great for individuals who have a desk job and spend long hours in a sitting position. It serves as a fitness tool that you can conveniently use while you're at work so it saves time for individuals who cannot go to the gym or the park for a workout.
One of the other convenience features of using a desk bike is that they are easy to use and maintain and allows you to multitask.
However, does it work for everyone? Probably not.
Pedaling while working may only be a comfortable working solution for some individuals, especially when your job requires a lot of concentration and focus. Moreover, for some individuals, the idea of pedaling while working isn't comfortable. Furthermore, the optimal design and height of the desk bike also remain unclear.
Yet, despite all these concerns, the positives of desk bikes shouldn't be overlooked. The benefits include the following.
Improved Blood Flow
Using a desk bike helps you stay active during your office hours. Since sitting position for a long time can strain your legs and feet, through pedaling while working, your legs can get a fresh supply of oxygenated blood that reaches your leg muscles, hence improving the overall blood flow.
Moreover, pedaling also increases your heart rate that strengthens your cardiac muscles and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Enhanced Cognitive Performance
If you incorporate some pedaling to your workday, it aids in releasing endorphins which are feel-good hormones. Endorphins are natural chemicals produced by the body that provides us a feeling of well-being. They help reduce stress and manage pain while improving mood.
Moreover, when your body experiences a surge in endorphins, it improves your cognitive performance, resulting in higher productivity and a better mood. Furthermore, the release of endorphins also increases energy levels and improves the quality of sleep.
The good news is that you can experience enhanced performance due to the release of endorphins without actually going to the gym. All you need is a desk bike that allows you to get some movement so your body feels good and you experience enhanced cognitive performance.
Strengthens Your Legs and Alleviates Stiffness
If you spend most of your day sitting without incorporating any physical activity to your workday, chances are your muscles will weaken over time, contributing to aches and pains.
A desk bike can assist you strengthens your legs throughout the day. All you need to do is to pedal while working, and if you continue to do so over time, you’ll soon realize that your leg muscles will strengthen.
And while a desk bike focuses on improving the strength of your leg muscles, it also helps improve stiffness and improves mobility. By providing a low-impact workout for your legs, it aids in keeping your leg muscles and joints mobile and flexible.
Complements With Your Fitness Goals
If you have a desk job that interferes with your fitness goals, a desk bike offers a solution, as it provides the flexibility to adjust the level of resistance to fit your goals.
By adjusting the resistance on your desk bike, you can increase the difficulty level of your workout to match your desired exercise level and take a step closer to your fitness goals.
With pedaling while working, your primary focus shouldn't be getting the workout you desire to accomplish your fitness goals. Instead, it should be to offset the negative implications of sedentary behavior.
The Downsides of Pedaling at Work
While a desk bike offers so many health and fitness benefits, all that glitters isn't gold; there are a few drawbacks associated with pedaling while working. Here are a few drawbacks of using desk bikes that you must take into account.
It Can be Distracting
Pedaling while working may seem like tempting to you, but some users may find it distracting. It happens because when your job requires you to be fully attentive, keeping your legs in motion can serve as a distraction as the movement also requires some concentration, especially when you're pedaling at a higher resistance.
Since the activity involves a lot of multitasking, using a desk bike may increase your discomfort in some areas of your body and may contribute to disrupting your workflow.
Finding the Right Height and Design of a Desk Bike Can Be a Challenge
Often it's a challenge for the users of a desk bike to find the right height and design of the bike such that it allows them to conveniently work at their workstation without bumping the knees on the edge of the desk. As a result, most users of a desk bike often end up frequently adjusting the seat of the machine or the chair as they pedal.
If the inappropriate height and design of the desk bike is inhibiting you from investing in one, we recommend choosing Sit2Go F1 by Flexispot.
The desk bike by Flexispot offers a super comfortable sitting experience that gives the feel of sitting at an ergonomically designed office chair. Moreover, the seat height adjustment feature allows you to find out the perfect height of your chair that aligns well with your workstation. The desk bike works exactly as any other stationary bike offering you varying resistance levels for a complete workout.
The Sit2Go F1 desk bike features ultra-comfortable pedals that make pedaling experience convenient. Moreover, the desk bike has durable caster wheels that provide portability to the desk bike and give the convenience to take the bike wherever you want.
Can Pedaling While Working Change Your Life?
By considering all the pros and cons of a desk bike, we can conclude that using a desk bike can change your life for good. It may not be the ideal choice for accomplishing your fitness goals, but a desk bike is a great fitness tool that allows you to burn calories, improve blood circulation, strengthen your heart and leg muscles and off set the negative implications of prolonged sitting.
While it may appear to be distracting for some users, it's benefits far outweigh its cons as you can now find a desk bike that features the perfect design and adjustable height and makes a compatible choice with your workstation.
So, what are you waiting for? Invest in a desk bike and change your life for the better!
