3 Solutions to a Sedentary Lifestyle
The Benefits of Cubii Ellipticals vs. Desk Treadmills and Desk Bikes
The world has changed in countless ways with recent technological advances. One of the most striking effects of these technological advances has nothing to do with the processor chip in your computer, or the speed of your internet. Instead, a radical change can be observed in the changes to our overall health resulting from a cultural shift towards sedentary lifestyles.
A sedentary lifestyle is characterized by an abundance of one’s time spent inactive, either sitting or lying down, often while watching TV, using smartphones, reading, or working on a computer. It is easy to contextualize how so many of us have shifted to a more sedentary lifestyle as these technological innovations have transformed what used to be active aspects of daily life into sedentary activities. We now socialize over devices through social media, we stay inside to seek entertainment from robust streaming platforms, and we increasingly work remotely from home using computers.
According to the American Heart Association, “In all, U.S. adults spend an average six to eight hours a day being sedentary.” This is especially concerning given recent discoveries that show how sedentary lifestyles are associated with worse health outcomes including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes,and cancer. Sedentary behavior has also been linked to fatalities from heart disease or other related medical problems.
Fortunately the advent of different types of workout devices has risen to address this problem right from our chairs. Under desk ellipticals, desk treadmills, and desk bikes all enable exercise while users are performing other tasks like working or watching TV. While just about all of us can benefit from these exercise machines, an understanding of the differences between them can help steer you toward finding the tool that’s right for you.
Desk Treadmills
Pros: Desk treadmills are an effective way to burn calories, increase metabolism, and decrease the amount of time an individual spends sitting down.
Cons: Desk treadmills require the user to stand up while using, so any seated activities are out of the question. These treadmills often average well over 200 lbs in weight, so setup and moving them around the house is very difficult. They require a platform large enough to walk on without falling, so their large size makes them difficult to store away. The walking motion also causes more movement of the upper body making reading or writing difficult.
Under-Desk Bikes
Pros: Under desk bikes enable individuals to to keep moving even when in a seated position, also known as, “active sitting”. These bikes provide a low-impact exercise, cardio benefits, and improved joint mobility. Users can burn calories and build muscle from their seat as they work, socialize, or watch TV. Many are compact and relatively lightweight so they fit under most desks and can be transported. You can also place the bike on a bench and place your hands into the foot pedals for an upper body exercise.
Cons: The pedaling motion of the bikes brings the knees up and down with each pedal, so it's possible for your knees to hit the underside of your desk while working. Therefore you may find yourself needing a higher desk or one that is easily adjustable to accommodate the bicycle motion required of your legs. Under-desk bikes also don’t offer increasing resistance levels. This means that you are stuck with only one level of difficulty. The size of the pedals can also be cumbersome for users with big feet so ordering custom pedals may be necessary. The overall design and quality tends to also be forfeited resulting in a product that needs replaced.
Pros: Under-desk ellipticals enable a safe, low-impact workout from the comfort of one’s chair. They provide the same exercise benefits as the bikes, giving the user increased cardio, muscle strengthening, and improved joint mobility. Unlike the bikes, the elliptical moves the feet in more of a shuffling, smooth motion, striding forward and back which does not cause the knees to elevate and bump into one’s desk. Cubii seated ellipticals have a compact space saving design that fits anywhere, and are lightweight with options including handles or wheels for easy portability. The whisper-quiet functionality ensures no one else will be disrupted by any noise. Cubii compact ellipticals target more muscle groups in the legs by allowing you to alter the position of your feet to use the toe, flat foot, or heel to drive the motion. Unlike the bike pedals, the large, flat foot platforms of the seated ellipticals can also accommodate any foot size, and every Cubii seated elliptical includes multiple levels of resistance. The premium quality and design ensures that this product will last the entirety of your wellness journey until you are ready to upgrade.
Cons: All Cubii seated ellipticals are made to last and built with premium materials. Because of this, the investment for a Cubii under-desk elliptical is more than you would invest for similar products. To help with this, we offer all first-time purchasers 10% off as well as other perks for buying on our website. When you purchase from Cubii.com you will receive free shipping and returns, a gift with purchase, and the option to split your payment into three interest-free installments.
Despite the circumstances that have steered us into more sedentary lifestyles, there are now wonderful solutions that help prevent associated health problems by enabling users to engage in active sitting while they work or enjoy TV. The more information and knowledge you can acquire about these different exercise devices will lead to you to find the at home exercise solution that is right for you.
