The best under-desk ellipticals: Cubii, Sunny Health and more
While they don’t eradicate the need for a good workout, under-desk ellipticals can help you get a little movement into your workday.
According to Wright, Cubii is one of the top brands for under-desk ellipticals, thanks to its ergonomic design. This version has a built-in LCD display, which shows your calories burned, distance traveled, rotations per minute, and other metrics. Eight resistance levels help you vary your workouts, and Cubii also has various at-home workout videos led by personal trainers on its Facebook page.
“I prefer sleeker models because they tend to be easier to store, says Karisa Karmali, a personal trainer and founder of Self-Love and Fitness. This option, which has a 4.7-star average rating from more than 2,020 reviews on Amazon, has a smaller footprint than most of the other models on this list. According to the brand, the elliptical can fit under desks as low as 24 inches. It also features a magnetic resistance flywheel for a quiet workout and eight intensity levels, ranging from warm-up to intense intervals.
One of the larger models on our list, this option has eight resistance levels, an LCD screen and a quiet belt drive, according to the brand. It has a 4.5-star average rating from more than 11,890 reviews on Amazon. This under-desk elliptical has non-slip pedals, and the magnetic belt runs quietly, so it won’t distract you or others.
Unlike other models on this list, this elliptical can be used sitting or standing. Like the Sunny Health & Fitness model, you can also pedal forward and backward, which can help target different muscles. The top-facing LCD screen allows you to monitor your strides per minute, exercise time and calories burned. The Stamina Inmotion Elliptical has an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 14,300 reviews on Amazon.
This Ancheer seated elliptical distinguishes itself by using a remote control to adjust settings instead of the traditional resistance knob. This is helpful because you don’t have to reach under your desk to adjust it. It’s also able to operate unplugged or plugged in, making it more portable than other options on the market. Like the other options on our list, the pedal positions are textured to add grip, and the machine tracks time, speed, calories and distance. It has a 4.5-star average rating from over 1,320 reviews on Amazon.
Under-desk ellipticals are a great addition to your day and can help you get movement in when you would normally be stationary. It’s multitasking at its finest, and it means combining your work time with your workout time,” says Karmali. That said, it’s not a great substitute for a full-body workout because you are only moving your legs. “They really should be considered a supplement rather than a replacement for a comprehensive fitness regimen,” says Wright. “They can help improve circulation and reduce some of the negative impacts of prolonged sitting, but they might not provide the full cardiovascular and strength benefits of a more varied workout.”
Want to make the most of your time using an under-desk elliptical? Wright has a few tips. “Use it in short, frequent intervals to maximize benefits without overstraining,” he says. Aim for 30 minutes spread throughout the workday, ideally in 5-10 minute segments. This approach helps mitigate the health hazards of prolonged sitting by promoting regular movement.”
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Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, she interviewed two experts about under-desk ellipticals.
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