Fitting a workout into your day can be challenging, especially if you’ve got a full-time job, a house full of kids or other responsibilities pulling you in all sorts of directions. Finding time to take care of your health, however, is critical to strengthening your immune system, improving your cardiovascular endurance and taking care of your overall health. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults everywhere get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. If you’ve got a home gym, a Peloton bike or similar indoor cycling bike or treadmill it’ll be easier to attain this goal, but these machines can be expensive and take up space you don’t have. An alternative? Working out while working. You can multitask and get your movement in while checking off items on your workday to-do list, you’ve just got to have the right desk exercise equipment.
If fitness keeps slipping from your daily list of priorities or you can’t seem to get on a machine without your kids needing something or phone ringing — make fitness a part of your work day and feed two birds with one seed. There’s plenty of equipment out there designed to fit sleekly under a desk or elevate your desk into a full-blown exercise machine. Work your muscles, strengthen your body and release endorphins mid-workday with the best desk exercise equipment out there. We’ll be covering everything from treadmill desks to exercise ball chairs and the plenty of options available out there whether you want to sweat it out between calls or just want a healthier sitting option.
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Seated Desk Exercise Equipment
If you prefer to stay seated during the day, are frequently on video calls or want to engage in discrete, moderate movement that won’t break a sweat but will fulfill your fitness goals, there’s plenty of equipment out there for you. Simple adjustments like switching out the chair you’re sitting on, adding a balance pad or a few resistance bands to your chair can open numerous doors when it comes to fitness opportunities.
1. Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair
One of the first things you can do to improve your health while working is switch out the desk chair you’re sitting in all day. Poor posture at work all day can have some pretty detrimental effects on your body, so make the switch and re-energize your system while you type away. This desk chair alternative form Gaiam was created by health experts to promote proper alignment of the spine and relieve ailments like back pain and the soreness than can come from sitting for long periods of time. The micro-movements this balance ball chair demand of you will engage your body and mind, increasing energy levels and improve your productivity over time. It comes with its own air pump so setup is easy and the exercise ball chair base will keep you stable all day long.
2. Trideer Inflated Wobble Cushion
This core balance disc is another easy way to engage your muscles during the workday and is a great piece of desk exercise equipment. This disc is designed to improve your core stability through lifting you off your seat slightly and requiring your muscles to maintain balance throughout the day. It’ll also improve your posture and relieve back and neck pain over time. It’s affordable and easy to setup, make it a permanent addition to your home office chair to elevate your dining room chair to an anatomically-friendly desk chair.
3. Chair Gym — The Total Body Workout
Turn your chair into a workout device once and for all with this comprehensive exercise kit. There are no heavy weights, just high-quality, smooth resistance bands that are adjustable and come fully assembled on the chair itself so there’s no complicated assembly required. The chair has a balance cushion seat and resistance band connectors at your feet and shoulders so you can do a variety of movements from your seat throughout the day and get a full-body workout right in your work station. It’s suitable for all ages and will tone your entire body with over 50 available exercises that you can mix and match to find your ideal routine.
4. MummyFit Grip Strengthener and Adjustable Hand Trainer
Although not a full-body workout, this is a great way to discretely, quietly and effectively build strength in your hands and your grip for other heavy lifting throughout the workday. This hand trainer will strengthen your hands, forearms and wrists easily with an indestructible construction of nylon and steel. This Death Grip trainer is adjustable and comes with the ability to augment the amount of weight you’re working with based on your needs. It’s also a safe version of similar machines, as it works through the compression of the spring coil rather than stretching of it, which can lead to equipment failure and flying shrapnel.
5. Activbody Activ5 Handheld Isometric Strength Training Device
This handheld device works to sense and track isometric workouts with your upper body, lower body and core. Isometric movements are when your other muscles or gravity create resistance and your muscles must work to stay in one place, rather than moving a weight to create resistance. This Activ5 strength training device has 100+ customized exercises for every muscle group and can be used anywhere, including and especially your desk. Track and quantify all of your progress towards your fitness goals and enjoy the benefits of low-impact, isometric exercises that can improve stamina and performance.
6. TheFitLife Exercise Resistance Bands
While not a tool specifically designed as a piece of desk exercise equipment, resistance bands are the ultimate “work anywhere” tool and that includes at your desk. Burn fat, build muscle and enjoy all of the benefits of resistance training by working out while working with these super bands. You can build strength in very specific areas of your body, increase your coordination, improve flexibility and mobility, increase your range of motion and improve your overall health. They’re lightweight, portable and made of premium materials to ensure your safety during use. Anchor them to your desk or pull them out and work in a quick 10-minute strength workout between calls easily with five different bands that can be used individually or combined for intensity levels between 10-110lbs. The kit also comes with attachable handles, ankle straps and door anchors.
7. Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical
This is one of the best under desk exercise options from one of the leading brands in ergonomic elliptical equipment. Cubii’s under desk elliptical has eight different levels of resistance that you can paddle through throughout the course of your workday to increase your activity levels over time. The smooth gliding motion is designed to be quiet so you can complete your activity minutes while on phone calls, and it only takes a few screws and steps to assemble. It also has a display monitor for tracking time, calories, RPM, strides and distance.
8. Xiser Commercial Mini Stairmaster
This miniature stairmaster is another easy machine to implement into your at-home workstation or desk at the office to work your lower body muscles throughout the day. It weighs only 14 lbs and has a 400 lb weight capacity. It’s made of polished alloy and has a patented hydraulic cylinder system built inside with adjustable resistance and silicone fluid for smooth operation. There’s no assembly required and you can step while standing or sitting to get your workout in while working.
9. DeskCycle Pedal Exerciser
If you’re more of a cycling person and want a cycle option for under your desk, this is one of the best picks out there. It’s top-rated on Amazon for its high-quality construction and effective resistance. It works with desks as low as 27 inches off the ground and has a quiet, smooth pedal motion with magnetic resistance for adjustable challenge. It’s great for your joints, burns calories and can improve productivity through giving you an energy boost. There are eight different calibrated resistance settings and has a 5-function LCD display that shows you key metrics like time, distance, calories and more.
Standing Desk Exercise Equipment
If you prefer to stand while you work and reap the benefits of that when it comes to posture, spine alignment, energy levels and overall longevity, we’ve got options for you standers as well. Standing while you work has become trendy in the work station space for a reason, sitting all day can drain your energy and hurt parts of your body like your lower back. Let’s take standing to the next level and add exercise equipment to the mix to increase the health benefits even more.
10. REDLIRO Under Desk Treadmill
Treadmill desks have become popular for their hybrid design that incorporates a large desk surface and a treadmill machine underneath. This under desk treadmill can be inserted underneath your existing standing desk for an added layer of fitness to your everyday workstation. It comes with a riser that you can use for stability or fold down to fit underneath your desk. The treadmill has a maximum running speed of 4mph when the riser is folded and a maximum speed of 7.5mph when it’s raised, perfect for walking during work and then getting in more intense cardio after your work day is finished. It has a 5-layer shock-absorbing running belt that provides a safe cushion for your joints and the ultra-quiet 2.25HP motor will let you walk and work without causing a disturbance to others. It also comes fully assembled right out of the box and has transport wheels that make it easy to move when needed.
11. CubeFit TerraMat Anti-Fatigue Standing Desk Mat
Although not specifically a piece of exercise equipment this can make a standing desk more comfortable through relieving your body of the burden that standing all day at a desk can cause, and enabling your joints to perform other exercise more easily. You’ll never get bored of it with the over 11 different stances it offers. It’ll keep you moving and burning calories throughout your day with thicker material than its competitors and high-quality material that’s durable and ready to comfort and challenge throughout the day.
12. Fluidstance Balance Board for Standing Desk
We’ve covered the Fluidstance Balance Board previously on the site for a reason, we love it for both its quality design and the exercise benefits it offers. This balance board works best when used at a standing desk and requires you to engage your muscles and elevate your heart rate in order to stay upright. Burn more calories, increase your energy levels and improve your productivity all while standing on this balance trainer that’s made for those trying to break away from a strictly sedentary lifestyle. It has a minimalist design that allows for more movement and a 19.2% increase in both productivity and energy expenditure when compared to sitting all day. It’s also discrete and completely quiet, so there’s no disturbance to your colleagues on calls or others working around you.
13. Ankle/Wrist Weights
Wearing ankle and wrist weights during the day adds a little resistance to your every movement and can help you passively burn calories while performing your everyday tasks. These weights are comfortable to wear and designed for durability with neoprene padding and reinforced stitching. They’re adjustable and have a large Velcro pad on each one that keeps them in place. They can add an added element to any home workout you do but are also great for wearing all day during work to incorporate challenge and movement.
14. RAD Cycle Adjustable Standing Desk Workstation
If you want to add a desk element to the treadmill machine above or simply want a standing desk option, this portable workstation is a great option. It has an adjustable tabletop height between 33.5″ and 47″ and has wheels with locking casters so you can move it around in your home and lock it in place when you want. The desktop has a non-slip surface with built-in smartphone and tablet slots as well as holes for cable organization. It’s made of steel with a solid construction that’s durable and will hold steady as you’re walking and moving throughout the day. This is a great way to workout while you’re working and get a great desk surface to work on in one go.
15. VIVO Universal Laptop Stand Treadmill Desk
If you’ve got a treadmill with an existing screen setup this laptop stand is made to be universal and fit most laptops and treadmills available on the market. The support bar is adjustable so you can customize it to the width of your handlebars, and it has solid steel construction that’ll ensure your laptop stays safe during your movement. The laptop tray itself features a +10 to -10 degree tilt, a 20 degree swivel and 360 degree rotation for ergonomic viewing angles, typing angles and the whole mount is height adjustable. The step-by-step included instructions will have you set up with the assembly in no time and there are nylon straps included for extra safety for your laptop and you during use.
Desk Workout Hybrid Machines
If instead of extra accessories or supplemental exercise equipment you’re looking to swap out your desk for a different machine entirely, these picks are our favorite. They’re high-quality and offer a workstation/workout machine hybrid that’ll serve both purposes effectively throughout your workday.
16. FLEXISPOT Home Office Standing Desk Exercise Bike
This exercise bike truly serves two purposes, it’s part exercise bike part standing desk and has a wor surface large enough to hold a laptop, a few notebooks and your mobile phone. Cycling is an easier activity to complete while working, making this machine ideal to your home workout setup if you’re looking to take working out while working to the next level. It has “whisper quiet” pedaling and can fit users between 5’1″ and 6’2″ comfortably so everyone in the family can use it. There are 8+ levels of resistance and an option to scroll between different metric tracking easily throughout your workday to see how much movement you’ve incorporated.
17. Exerpeutic ExerWork 1000 Fully Adjustable Desk
If you prefer to sit rather than standing on the bicycle and work, this is an adjustable work desk exercise bike that offers a comfortable seated position for the workday instead. It has a sliding, fully adjustable desktop surface that offers a 3-way tilt and adjustable height so you can transition to a standing position if you wish. It also has a storage drawer for other work materials, an arm rest and an LCD computer where your metrics will display. It has a thick, large AirSoft seat that’ll keep you comfortable throughout your workout and eight different levels of magnetic tension you can make your workout more difficult or easier during the day. The work surface can hold objects up to 44 lbs, and the whole bike can fold for easy storage during the day if space is at a premium.