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Monday 22 July 2013

DeskCycle Review - Pedal to health and burn calories

Pedal While You Work


If you want to increase the physical activity and calories you burn while sitting, the DeskCycle lets you pedal away silently with a wide range of effort. It has a low pedal height so it can fit under desks. If you are afraid of the increased health risks of sitting still, this exerciser is a nice, affordable solution.
If your main exercise is walking or running, the DeskCycle can work the opposing leg muscles that don't get a workout from those activities. This can help you keep your body in balance and benefit your walking and running.
DeskCycle requires no power hook-up, so you can use it anywhere. It arrives needing very little assembly and includes the single tool you need to do it. You only need to attach the front and back legs, pedals and display. It is portable, you can move it around your home easily.

Under the Desk?

The DeskCycle touts its low profile, saying it will fit under desks as low as 27 inches. I had to adjust my chair height and experiment with positioning it further under the desk to get it to a comfortable place where my knees didn't hit the desk. But eventually I found a good combination so I could use it while writing this review.
DeskCycle has a wide range of pedal resistance. You can set it for easy, non-distracting motion, or rack it up through eight resistance settings so you are giving your quadriceps a real workout. You adjust the tension with a knob at the back of the machine, closest for you to bend over and reach.
The guts of the DeskCycle are a magnetic resistance mechanism. I was very impressed with how smooth and silent it was. This was motivating for me to use it, as I don't distract others with noise.
I used the DeskCycle on carpet with a desk chair that has wheels and had no problem with it staying in place while I cycled. If you are using it on a wood or tile floor and a wheeled desk chair, you may have some problems with it all staying in place. DeskCycle includes a tether to attach to your chair to prevent this.
The pedals are comfortable to use in stockingfeet or even barefoot. I found that to be a big plus for my home office, where I often don't wear shoes.

Display Computer

You can use the included display computer either on the DeskCycle or using a desk display stand, so you can put it on top of your desk. It has a ten-foot extension cable. The display shows your speed in miles per hour on the top line. On the bottom line you can view distance, calories, or exercise time. These accumulate as you pedal. You can reset whenever you wish. They have a disclaimer about the calorie measure, that it is based on maximum effort. They have a free online calculator to get a better estimate.
In addition to the display, you can use free software to track your workouts.
One drawback is that you won't get any pedometer steps logged while using the DeskCycle. If you want to get a a step equivalent for the activity you put into using it, use my Pedometer Steps Equivalents Chart for the cycling speed shown.

Comparison with FitDesk and Other Products

Previously I bought a FitDesk, an upright cycle desk with a small work surface big enough for a laptop. I didn't like being separated from my full desktop computer and its two screens, so it wasn't a good solution for me. Also, it didn't have enough range of tension on the pedals and I wasn't satisfied that I was getting enough of a workout.
FitDesk wasn't very portable to move around my home or office, and wasn't easily stowed away out of sight. With DeskCycle, I can use it and hide it easily. It weighs about 25 pounds, so you can carry it around and up and down stairs in your home. But it wouldn't be something you'd want to take to the office and back every day.
As a walker, I might want to use a treadmill desk, but if you don't already own the treadmill, they are very expensive. I wanted a cycle solution as it allows me to use my regular desk and gives me the crosstraining exercise I need. I walk a lot, I need to cycle to be in balance and for my knee health.
I did not get any motion sickness while using the DeskCycle, which can be a problem for me on the treadmill. A stable sitting position meant no up and down motion for my upper body that could affect my ability to focus on my computer screen.

Bottom Line on the DeskCycle

I found the DeskCycle to be an excellent solution for both for getting a cycling workout and decreasing you sedentary time. Turn your sitting time into active time. The manufacturer provided a sample for me to use to review, which I purchased after giving it a try-out. It fits perfectly into my workstyle and takes up no space in my office.
Comments from the blogger:
When performing the same actions over and over again make sure you take the time to stretch every couple of hours, because the muscles are repetitively used will get strained but over time tend to get stronger.

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