If I had a dime for every time someone has asked me for advice about working from home over the past two years…well, I wouldn’t have to work from home anymore because I’ve answered that question a lot of.
And that’s fair! After all, I’ve been working remotely, full-time, non-stop since 2007 for countless clients, including my job at FBG. I learned a thing or two…or maybe twenty.
One of the most important things I learned is, wow, I do no Likes to sit all day. But I also don’t like standing all day. Please call me a Goldilocks girl. Basically, I like to move around as much as possible, which means usually, if I’m on the phone, I’m usually walking around the house.
Or at least I used to be …until everyone started using Zoom and suddenly I found myself having a few minutes to stretch my legs while chatting, and I was tethered even more tightly to my desk. Sure, I can go from sitting to standing, and sure I try to take regular breaks to stretch, but my body still craves movement.
The latest addition to my home office provides the means to achieve this goal.
I received a FlexiSpot All-in-One Desktop Bike (with Desktop) for review in late December (not sponsored! Although I appreciate the opportunity to check it out!), and while I’m excited to try it out, I’m also a little nervous. My husband and I share an office and he wasn’t super excited about adding another piece of furniture to the space. While I knew I wanted to be able to move my body without leaving the screen, I wasn’t sure how much coordination it would take to type while pedaling. Hey, I’ve fallen off a stationary bike before, and it was on a spin basis without trying to do anything smart, you know?
Fortunately, both questions quickly become moot. The bike takes up less space than we thought and when I’m done with my daily miles I roll it to the side of my desk where it tucks away very neatly.
And, as for typing, my high school keyboard teacher, Miss B., would be proud. (I know, I know, keyboard lessons transformed me into a woman of a certain age. And I’m cool with that! Middle age is awesome!) I don’t type as fast as I do sitting or standing, but Still stable and accurate. I do find that when I’m writing a story that requires really deep, creative thinking, I prefer to sit or stand. Still, for simpler or more direct tasks, like answering emails or reading, I can cover a lot of theoretical ground while meeting deadlines!
So how many times have I ridden a bicycle? I’d made it a point to start slow to ensure I didn’t cause any overuse injuries (and reduce the likelihood of looking like hard work, which might dampen my enthusiasm), and, over the course of January, I traveled Over 200 miles! Driving 10 to 15 miles per day on any given weekday is a piece of cake; even at a really leisurely pace, it can be done in an hour or so. I try to vary my resistance slightly, and while I don’t focus too much on my speed, every once in a while, before taking a break, I’ll do a short sprint to get my heart rate up or hit a target next distance milestone.
Something to note: The bike tracks trip and total mileage, time, speed, RPM, and calories on its own display, and it doesn’t pair with an app or watch or anything. Personally, this is a pro in my book – I have enough connected devices for tracking that if I wanted to use the bike for a legitimate workout and wanted it to show up on Strava, I’d start it manually on the watch, you know? However, as with my ambitious pedometer, you should know that my watch doesn’t automatically count my rotations as any steps. This doesn’t bother me, but I realize some people feel more strongly about capturing this data.
Another cool thing about this particular bike with a table top is that it rolls easily anywhere in my house. For most tasks, I still like to have a dual monitor setup in my office, an ergonomic keyboard, and all my reference materials. (As I write this, I’m starting to realize that I’m a little special. Hmm.) But hey, who doesn’t like changing things up every once in a while? Sometimes I roll my desk bike into the living room and work on my laptop with a slightly different view, and let me tell you, it’s definitely better than working hunched over on the couch.
Now, while I haven’t used my FlexiSpot desk bike for any serious workouts yet, there have been a few times where I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat, and I realize this can be a bigger issue in the summer (especially here in Florida state) . Luckily, most people I meet through videos have zero problem with me looking a little disheveled. If anything, they asked me more about my experience with a desk bike! However, if you need to look classy and professional during the day, you may want to plan on using a desk bike during important meetings, so keep that in mind if you’re considering such an upgrade.
Seriously you guys, I thought this might be cool, but it absolutely shattered my expectations. On days when I take full advantage of it (which at this point is most work days), I’m in a better mood and my body tends to feel better due to the consistent, gentle movement, and it’s even helped with my knees and Back pain (although this is unique to my experience with osteoarthritis and low back sprains – I’m not suggesting it as a treatment for anyone else’s problem!). I might have worried about how I would fit it into my life and whether I would stick with it, but now I’m more worried about what I would do if it were taken away.
Have questions? Want to share how you upgraded your home office? Let’s hear it! —Christine