As I typed this column on my desktop computer, I got an aerobic workout.
My legs pumped away, calories were burned and, instead of the leg cramps I so often get when I spend hours glued to my desk chair, I felt exhilarated. I worked out while working.
No, I didn't mount my heavy desktop or equally heavy monitor on a treadmill or stationary bike. Instead, I've been using the FitDesk Under Desk Elliptical, a sort of stationary bike that fits under my desk.
My physical tension ebbed as I increased the tension on the elliptical, a feat accomplished with a tap of my left foot. How crazy is that?
Well, for one thing, I kept banging my knees on the bottom of the desk. No matter. Life is all about tradeoffs. The possibility I will soon be a candidate for knee surgery is outweighed by the fact I spent $100 on this device, and I very well plan to use it.
The folks at FitDesk claim a desk as low as 24 inches will accommodate the elliptical. My desk is 26 inches high, but I'm 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and my legs are long. So I go bump in the night.
That said, how am I using the device? I lower my chair and bring the elliptical toward me to try to keep my knees safe. On my lap, I place my Das Keyboard, which is tethered with an extra-long USB cable I mocked in an earlier column. For mouse work, I simple lean forward.
My workaround works, but it would be nice if I could sit at my desk normally while using the device.
Assembling the elliptical is fairly straightforward. The instructions are clear, and all the nuts, bolts, and tools I needed were present and accounted for. A small fitness meter shows how fast calories are being burned and how long I've been pumping away. The fact that the meter's cable is a bit short didn't much bother me since I know, by looking at my wristwatch, how much time I've been pumping away and banging my knees.
So, here's what I suggest: Don't buy it unless your desk is at least 30 inches high. If you have long legs, go higher. And don't try to lift it yourself. The FedEx guy wasn't happy about delivering it. If you have any issues with your knees, the elliptical may not be your best choice for exercise equipment.
But knee bumps aside, it's the best way to exercise while using a desktop PC that I've found.
If you have a laptop, you could consider one of the mini desks you can mount on a full-size elliptical. But those elliptical machines take up a lot of space. This one fits under a desk.
In the end, the device wasn't entirely practical for me but, but it wasn't impractical either. And ultimately, there's no way I could repack it and take it to the FedEx store to return it to Amazon without injuring my back. Sore knees are bad enough.
