Has anyone ever used something like thisor this? They look great, but I’ve never seen anybody use one.
I’m considering getting one for the house - my wife is way out of shape, can’t get to the gym, and it’s too cold and messy in the winter to walk. Will it help her at all?
I’m also considering getting one for work - basically with the tension off, just slowly pedaling all day to work off nervous energy, burn off a few calories.
Are they pieces of junk? Can they handle what we want out of them? Is there a “gotcha” that I’m not considering (like, they don’t stay in place while you pedal)? Any advice at all?
Got one for my mom but she won’t use it. It doesn’t stay in place that well and it is a little awkward when sitting in a chair. When we visit, I see the kids pedaling it for something to do at boring Grandma’s house, so it isn’t impossible to use if you want to. It’s not like my mom would be working it that hard, it’s just some movement while she sits at the computer or TV all day. She just doesn’t want to exercise.
It isn’t a replacement for an exercise bike. It is exercise of a sort for people who are chairbound. I think it would be useful to keep your blood flowing when sitting for long periods, not so useful for losing weight.
Just the other week I took the one from my mom’s house (she’s in assisted living now, and we’re clearing out her place to put it on the market) and brought it to work, thinking I’d use it to get some exercise while at my desk. Nope. It stays put, but for me the pedaling motion does not mix with either concentrating or typing.
I have an InMotion E1000 that has an “under desk” option. I use it standing up and I’m pretty happy with it. Not a really great workout, but I use wrist weights and fling my arms around while I’m using it. It has pretty solid base–I think it would stay in place better than the bare bones model.
Interesting. Do you need good balance to use it ‘under desk’? My wife had a stroke and an elliptical, standing up, with nothing to hold on to, would, I’m sure, topple her.
Just stand up whenever you can - talking on the phone, looking for something, thinking through a problem, reading email etc… Simply resist stillness. That will do more for you than under desk slow pedalling. We all sit way too much.
Rather than securing it to the floor, could you secure it to the table, desk, or chair you’re sitting in? Might be as simple as a couple of 2x4’s with holes drilled in each end, one for the table leg and the other for the front foot on the bike thingy.
My client used one as part of his physical therapy; it seems a common exercise for those who are very weak and need to rebuild their strength. He put it against a wall to anchor it, and it was adjustable so you could vary the strength needed to pedal. It was handy but limited; I think I liked it more than he did.
I used to have one, and I used it quite a bit. I’d pedal for half an hour while watching TV. But I couldn’t push myself too hard on it, and it didn’t have good resistance control. It was better than nothing, though.
I have one. It seems well enough made and if I am a little careful or prop it against something it stays put. The resistance control is not great but it is useable. It says “In Stride Cycle XL”. I also occasionally use it by standing on it, in a doorframe I hold to keep upright. But I think these devices probably are average or a bit below average in whether they tend to get used or tend to gather dust, as exercise equipment goes.