Do Under Desk Ellipticals Help You Lose Weight? Uncovering the Facts and Benefits

 

Introduction

Thus, living in today's world, where most of us spend a great deal of our time sitting down-either at work, school, or home-the need to find ways of integrating fitness into our sedentary life has become more imperative than ever. An increasingly popular solution for this is the under desk elliptical-a compact fitness device which allows one to pedal away while still seated. But can this mini-elliptical help someone get rid of those extra pounds? But is it an efficient means through which to manage weight loss, or a fancy gadget instead of one, created to distract us from our immobility?

Don’t let a sedentary lifestyle hold you back any longer!

This article will touch on the science behind under desk ellipticals, discuss their many benefits, and give actionable tips to help you make the most out of this convenience in the field of fitness.

Why Under Desk Ellipticals Are Gaining Popularity

Before we answer whether under-desk ellipticals can help you lose weight, let's understand why they are a go-to choice for many. Here are some of the key reasons for their growing popularity:

Convenience: You can burn calories while working, reading, or even watching TV.

Low Impact Exercise: Ellipticals are easy on the joints, and for this reason, they work great for those people with knee or hip issues.

Can be worn from home to office and even on a Zoom call without hindering daily activities.

But the real question is, will this low-intensity movement actually make much of a difference in your weight loss journey?

And now for some real science behind weight loss and activity.

Before we take a closer look into under desk ellipticals and whether or not they are effective, it's important to understand how weight loss actually works. Primarily speaking, the core of that is relatively simple: if one burns more than one consumes-a calorie deficit in other words-then weight is lost. Exercise itself burns extra energy, and when completed with a healthy diet, it can lead to weight loss.

Calorie Burn: How Much Can You Really Burn with an Under Desk Elliptical?

The number of calories to be burned using an under desk elliptical is determined by a number of factors that include your weight, the intensity level, and the time you will spend pedaling. On average, one could burn up to 150-300 calories per hour on an under desk elliptical while working. It may not seem much, considering how high-intensity some workouts are, but all those minutes do count over time, especially when one uses it consistently throughout the workday.

Example:

Let's say you use an under-desk elliptical for 3 hours a day while working at your desk. If you burn 200 calories per hour, that is 600 calories burned each day. Times that by 5 workdays a week, and you are looking at 3,000 calories burned per week! That equates to almost a pound of weight loss per week because it takes the burning of about 3,500 calories to lose one pound of body fat.

Can an Under Desk Elliptical Be a Standalone Weight Loss Solution?

While the caloric burn from an under desk elliptical is a great start, it should not be used solely as the method to which one loses weight. Like all exercise equipment, it works best in conjunction with other elements of healthy living. Here's how you can maximize its potential:

1. Pair It with a Balanced Diet

No workout routine, no matter how efficient, can outrun a lousy diet. In efficient weight loss, it's best to keep track of daily calorie intake and make healthier choices. Adding whole foods such as vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can help give you energy to work out and make you feel fuller.

Actionable Tip:

Use a nutrition app, such as MyFitnessPal, to monitor your calorie deficit as precisely as possible. Do your best to eat nutrient-dense food and avoid foods high in added sugar and refined carbohydrates because they'll set you back.

2. Progressively Increase Your Intensity

While under-desk ellipticals are normally thought of as low-intensity exercise, you actually can notch up the intensity to burn more calories. Many under-desk ellipticals provide different resistances. You can easily crank that resistance up bit by bit until your light pedaling is now a more challenging work-out for the muscles and your calorie burn.

Actionable Tip:

Do longer sessions with a light resistance setting, then switch over to higher resistance in intervals to maximize fat burn. For example, you might switch between 5 minutes of high resistance and 10 minutes of low resistance while working at your desk.

3. Consistency Is Key

The beauty of an under-desk elliptical is that you can make use of it regularly without interrupting your day. Consistency is the secret to seeing results. Even using these daily for short snaps of time keeps you active and increases your aggregate calorie expenditure.

Actionable Tip:

Set an elliptical routine for the day: For instance, you would be pedaling it in the morning as you catch up on emails for 30 minutes, another 30 minutes after your lunch, and another 30 minutes just before wrapping up. 

4. Combine It with Other Exercises

While under-desk ellipticals are great for burning extra calories, complement this activity with other forms of exercise like strength training, brisk walking, or yoga. These can work on different muscle groups and could even be building muscles. Muscles boost your metabolism.

Take 20 minutes to brisk walk or strength train at least three times a week, and you will soon see it speed up the process of losing weight and make you feel much fitter and healthier.

More Advantages of Under Desk Ellipticals

Aside from losing weight, an under desk elliptical offers many other more advantages to health that simply cannot be slighted:

1. Improvement in Circulation

Prolonged sitting can lead to circulatory problems, and the under-desk elliptical serves to keep the legs in constant motion in order for proper blood circulation to take place. This is helpful for anyone prone to swelling or pain in the lower limbs from the result of long sitting periods.

2. Improved Concentration and Productivity

Surprisingly, low-level movement throughout the workday can actually improve concentration and mental focus. Research demonstrates that low-intensity exercise boosts productivity, so under-desk ellipticals are just a win-win for your health and your work performance.

3. Low-Impact Exercise

If you have joint issues, or if recovering from an injury, an under-desk elliptical provides a low-impact way to work out without putting as much pressure on your knees, hips, and ankles while still allowing you to stay active.

Don’t let a sedentary lifestyle hold you back any longer!

Conclusion: 

Is an Under Desk Elliptical Worth It for Weight Loss?

The short answer is that yes, under-desk ellipticals can help with weight loss-but they're not a magic bullet. If your goal is to shed pounds, you'll see better results when you combine consistent use of the elliptical with a balanced diet, up the intensity, and supplement it with other forms of exercise. The trick is to simply consider it part of one much larger, more comprehensive approach to health and fitness.

It's a very simple way of continuing to move throughout your day, burning those extra calories and remaining healthier in general. Be it weight loss starting or simply trying to be active while working at home; an under-desk elliptical is a great tool in your fitness armory.

You can burn 150-300 calories per hour, depending on your weight, resistance level, and how long you exercise.

2. Will I be able to lose weight using only an under desk elliptical?

While it does help one burn calories, for optimum results, one should combine the under desk elliptical with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise too.

3. Is an under desk elliptical good for people with joint problems?

Yes! Under desk ellipticals provide a low-impact exercise that is easy on your joints and thus suitable for people who have knee or hip problems.

4. How often should I use my under desk elliptical to lose weight?

Consistency is key. Try to use it every day, or at least a couple of days during the week for 30-60 minutes each time.

5. Isn't it going to be a distraction to others in an office?

Not necessarily. Most under-desk ellipticals are quiet and compact in design, thus enabling one to work out in an office environment without disturbing others.