The DeskCycle desk exercise bike is obviously an awesome product with over 1,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.5 star rating. The Huffington Post tested the DeskCycle and calculated 67 calories per 60 minutes and the reviewer found her legs felt better, or at least, more utilized, than they do when she was just sitting at her desk all day.
We spend so much time at work that naturally much of our health happens at work, which then impacts our approach to being the best possible husband and wife, mom and dad, and family member once we get home. If we allow our employer to be responsible for our health and movement at work, we just might find ourselves with higher rates of heart disease, eyestrain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and a shorter lifespan.
So, if you simply want to get your legs moving at work, the DeskCycle is absolutely an amazing option! There are also some new products on the market like Cubii, which is an under-desk elliptical machine and there’s a current Kickstarter campaign for a under desk product called Cycli. There appears to be general consensus on the overall health benefits of moving more while at work vs. prolonged sitting or standing still and that there’s no downside to sitting sedentary less and exercising more. Using these systems is absolutely better than doing nothing and they are relatively inexpensive.
We have touted Excy as a viable exercise system for workplace wellness in addition to the home and on the go. The obvious question then becomes, why not buy a DeskCycle for $159 on Amazon vs. spend substantially more for an Excy?
With 10X the resistance and 15X torque power compared portable exercise bikes like the DeskCycle and other portable exercise equipment on the market, Excy is all about efficiency, convenience, and intensity. Research shows that men and women who exercise at a lower total volume (less than 75 minutes per week), but high intensity (where you puff and pant, and it’s hard to speak more than a few words) have fitness levels comparable to those who exercise at high volume (more than 150 minutes per week) and moderate intensity (where you can talk, but not sing).
There’s a great article in the New York Times titled “Why Your Workout Should Be High-Intensity” which calls out some key benefits of HIIT, including:
- High-intensity exercise may be even better than regular aerobic activities for many patients with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, pulmonary disease, arthritis and Parkinson’s disease.
- Studies strongly suggest that a more demanding but more efficient and often more enjoyable form of exercise known as high-intensity interval training is not only safe for most patients but more effective at preventing or reversing the deficits associated with many chronic ailments.
We believe a quick high resistance burst (intervals) on Excy for 3-5 minutes will burn more calories, do more to change your metabolism, and create more muscle tone than spinning a DeskCycle all day at your desk. In addition to being lightweight, compact, and portable, Excy is a phenomenal resistance-based system for high intensity interval training (HIIT) and it’s easy to do brief bursts of vigorous exercise for both arms and legs separated by periods of recovery.
According to the American Heart Association, sedentary jobs have increased 83% since 1950; physically active jobs now make up less than 20% of our workforce. In 1960, about half of the US workforce was physically active. According to a poll of nearly 6,300 people by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health, it’s likely that you spend a stunning 56 hours a week planted like a geranium — staring at your computer screen, working the steering wheel, or collapsed in a heap in front of your high-def TV.
At the end of the day, employees will have benefited by taking charge of their health at work, whether it’s a DeskCycle, taking the stairs, using a stand up desk, taking a quick burst ride on Excy, or eating a healthy lunch. Regardless of what you do, if you sit…you’re not fit unless you find some way to get more activity while at work. If you prefer quick bursts for a fast calorie burn, want to boost your metabolism, and build tone, Excy is the answer.
Similar to the DesckCycle, you can also use Excy for low intensity exercise at work, but then take it home or on the go for a high intensity workout and use your arms or legs to crank out over 600 calories in an hour!
How does Excy stack up? Calculations based on a 130-pound woman. Check out videos at www.excy.video.
