If you want to boost productivity, eliminate brain fog, and increase blood flow to the brain, it’s smart to invest in some exercise equipment for the office cubicle.
A simple standing desk, under desk exercise bike, or balance ball may be the perfect piece of office exercise equipment to get your workout in for the day.
The best piece of exercise equipment for the office will allow you to burn calories, lose weight, get fit, and build muscle, all while getting your work done. Cubicle workout equipment will allow you to work and exercise from the comfort of your home.
With millions of people going to work and sitting for the entire day, it’s no wonder the world is becoming obese, lazy and unproductive.
Let me take you through a typical scenario:
It’s Monday morning and you’re back to work to endure your 5 day work week. It’s a fresh week and you’re ready to get some serious work done.
Before you know it, Monday’s complete and you’ve accomplished everything you wanted to do for the day. You feel like it was a strong day and you’re ready for the next one.
Then Tuesday hits. Your productivity level gets cut in half and there seems to be no end in sight. The day drags on and you have no idea how you’re going to make it to Friday.
Then Wednesday comes along and people are starting to think you’re a walking zombie. You have bags under your eyes, brain fog is setting in, and you have no interest in getting to the meeting this afternoon.
What happened? Where did all your energy and productivity go?
Your lack of energy is likely due to your 8 hours of straight sitting, lack of exercise, and letting your body become stagnant and lethargic.
A typical computer/data entry user makes approximately 8,000 keyboard strokes per hour.
That stat alone makes me cringe. We allow ourselves to sit and stare aimlessly at a computer screen all day and think our bodies aren’t going to hate us for it.
So how do you avoid the mid-week drag and stay highly motivated and productive?
You need to add a continuous dose of exercise to your day and challenge yourself do an office workout daily.
The good news is that you can do this right at your desk with your very own standing desk exercise equipment.
And with the added exercise at work, you may even become a little smarter. One study showed that sedentary behavior is associated with reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe, the area of the brain that contains the hippocampus, a brain region that is critical to learning and memory. Although not found to be causal, the study implied that the more time you spend sitting down, the worse it is for your brain health, causing a possible mental fade in learning and memory.
Another study suggests regular, low intensity exercise like inclined walking can dramatically reduce sleepiness and rev up energy. Just this study alone should be enough to get you moving throughout the day, if you really care about your productivity.
So now we know you need to get moving, you need to set your environment up for success. There are some things on the following list you might need to clear with HR, but show them some of the benefits of getting some exercise at work, and they are bound to agree with you.
There are many different ways you can add a little bit of exercise to your work space. In doing so, you might even inspire someone else along the way.
Check out:
The 10 Best Pieces of Exercise Equipment for the Office Cubicle
1. Stand-up Desk
One of the best pieces of exercise equipment for your desk just so happens to be the stand-up desk. I use one all the time. I wouldn’t be able to survive without it. There are many versions that require very little effort to raise and to lower. Some options allow the desk to automatically raise with an electric plugin.
There is usually plenty of room for your computer monitors, keyboard, mouse, notes and writing aids. I can fit most anything on need on a stand-up desk. By using it throughout the day, I often feel healthier and more productive by the end of the day.
I personally use the VARIDESK. I can easily lift it up and down. It has lots of space for my monitors and keyboard and easily fits on top of my desk. It’s simply made with 2 tiers of quality materials. I would recommend this desk to anyone that uses a computer for a living. If you’re planning on working for a long time, this is a healthy investment you need to consider.
2. Standing Desk Stairmaster
10,000 steps a day? No problem. The desk stairmaster is a great piece of office exercise equipment to get in those mid-day standing desk exercises in.
Work your quads, hams, glutes, calves, and heart while you get your work done. Using this stepper will be the easiest way to get you toned up without thinking about it.
The stepper I recommend below uses a hydraulic lift to get your steps in. It’s small enough to easily fit under your standing desk and the durability of the stepper makes it a piece every desk person should own.
I like the Xiser Commercial Mini Stairmaster. This cast aircraft alloy stairmaster can fit anywhere. Use it under your stand-up desk at work or in the living room in front of the television. It’s small enough that you can easily put it away after you’re done.
3. Desk Elliptical
Similar to the stepper, this device will be a bit smoother and easier to get used to. The difference here is that you don’t have to buy a stand-up desk to use it. You can remain seated and pedal right under your desk.
It’s small, compact, and easy to move around. Many versions can be linked directly to your smartphones.
Try the Cubii Pro Desk Elliptical. This durable, sturdy, and quiet piece of standing desk exercise equipment comes Bluetooth Enabled. Sync with Fitbit and HealthKit and adjust the resistance to burn additional calories. The assembly is easy and comes with 2 wheel stoppers to keep your office chair from moving while peddling.
4. Combo Bike and Desk
If you’re an avid biker, why not combine the bike and desk into one? Pedal all day long and burn loads of calories on an easily adjustable and collapsible combination bike and desk.
The Exerpeutic ExerWorK 1000 Desk Station Folding Bike is not only a stationary exercise bike but also a work platform for your laptop, book, ipad or smartpone. The 3 piece torque crank system, heart pulse monitor and ‘double drive’ transmission system make this combination bike and desk ideal for your work space. It’s a simple and efficient piece of exercise equipment for the office cubicle.
5. Under Desk Treadmill
Get off the chair and start logging miles to your exercise routine. A treadmill under your stand up desk will help increase productivity, lose weight, improve posture, boost energy, and promote muscle activity.
The under desk treadmill is quiet enough for an office, and can easily fit inside a cubicle.
If you love to walk try the Rebel Treadmill 1000. This excellent piece of standing desk exercise equipment is smooth, compact, and easily fits under your desk. It’s sleek look will have your coworkers asking for one for their cubicles.
6. Grip/hand exercise ball
Are you ever sitting at work, someone sends you an angry email and you just want to take it out on something?
Take it out on an exercise or grip ball. Another great piece of cubicle exercise equipment, the hand exercise ball will increase your strength, coordination, and finger mobility, reducing strain on your forearms. Some balls claim to even reduce stiffness and pain.
One you might like to try is the Vive Hand Exercise Ball. These balls are sized for a comfortable grip and come in a variety of progressive levels to meet your resistance needs.
7. Balance Ball
Is your posture getting affected by all the sitting that you do. Being hunched over for 8 hours a day is going to be horrible for your spine. If you sit in a certain position for long enough, it’s going to be very difficult to correct it.
Start with this great piece of under desk exercise equipment and sit correctly on a stability ball. A necessary piece of office exercise equipment, the stability ball will force you to sit with great posture, strengthening and toning your back and ab muscles along the way.
Try the heavy duty DYNAPRO Exercise Ball. This piece of standing desk exercise equipment comes in four different colors and its own air pump.
8. Posture Corrector
Double up on your posture and add a posture corrector to the mix. Keep your spine aligned and your confidence high with a device that allows you to hold your shoulders back in a naturally correct manner.
Sitting hunched over the years has taught your spine to align incorrectly. The only way to get it back to feeling mobile and healthy is to rest it in it’s natural state.
Use the TRUWEO Posture Corrector to accomplish this. The corrector is comfortable, breathable, adjustable, and can easily fit under your clothes.
9. Fitness Tracker
Are you struggling to get your 10,000 steps in per day? Track your results with a fitness tracker. This great piece of exercise equipment for the office cubicle can keep you headed down the straight and narrow towards your goals.
Many versions have heart rate monitors, stat trackers. sleep monitors, pedometers, and bluetooth.
One that I like is the LETSCOM Fitness Tracker. Different versions of this tracker come with different combinations of a heart rate monitor, activity tracker, step counter, calorie counter, sleep monitor, call and message reminder, sedentary reminder and color screen.
10. Massage Roller
Do you get tight muscles from sitting all day? Do you need a discreet piece of office exercise equipment? Give yourself a quick massage during the day.
Massage your back, your forearms, your neck and your legs in a short amount of time. Random massages throughout the day can relieve stress, increase blood flow, and increase productivity.
A discreet massage tool to keep in your office cubicle is the Doeplex Muscle Roller Massage Stick. This massage stick is great for reducing soreness, cramping and tightness in different areas of the body. It’s small and can be easily tucked away after use. Add this to your cubicle exercise equipment collection.
Are you also interested in-home functional fitness recommendations to go with your cubicle exercise equipment?
Check out my article ->> Top 20 of the BEST Pieces of Functional Fitness Equipment to find the best functional fitness equipment options to complete your workout.
What is the Best Under Desk Exerciser?
If you want to discreetly exercise at the comfort of your desk or cubicle, try an under desk elliptical.
The under desk elliptical is the best under desk exerciser because it’s a quiet, low impact way to exercise. This piece of office exercise equipment is small, compact, and can be easily be put away or hid under your desk.
Other great options are the under desk elliptical and stair stepper.
Each of these will help you keep your flood flowing, your mood high, and your productivity at an exceptional level.
Do Under Desk Exercise Machines Work?
The short answer is yes.
Under desk exercise machines work because they keep your body moving and your blood flowing throughout the day. These under desk machines will add resistance to the exercise, helping to tone and tighten muscles throughout the day.
Seated exercise equipment like a desk exercise bike or an under desk elliptical are great options to get you a mini workout during your day at home or work.
Anything you can do to burn an extra 100-200 calories per day will pay off in the long run.
You may end up burning 1 pound of fat per month from the comfort of your office cubicle.
Summary: 10 Best Pieces of Desk & Office Exercise Equipment
It can be very difficult to keep yourself moving throughout the day, especially when you’re forced to sit in front of a keyboard for 8 hours straight. It’s imperative that you create an environment that’s conducive to helping you get that blood pumping in such a way that keeps you focused, gives you energy, and allows you to be vibrant and productive throughout the week. Try an office workout using the best office exercise equipment for your work desk or cubicle.
Do you use anything specific at work to keep you exercising? Let me know below!
