Staying Active While Sitting on Your Butt

Let’s assume that you’re one of those people who likes to multitask.  Alternatively, let’s assume you have ADHD.  In either case, sitting around watching television is not ideal.  This product is for you.

The concept of the mini cycle is to allow the largest muscles in the body to continue to move even while you sit still.  As you’re watching television, reading a book, or playing video games you can continue peddling the mini cycle which keeps your muscles active.  The design of the mini cycle stands roughly a foot and a half off the ground.  Most people should be able to use this from any couch, chair, or general setting place.  The petals of the mini cycle match those of a bicycle and include strap to keep your feet from slipping off.  The base of the mini cycle uses to flat feet (roughly 7 inches to either side) to keep the apparatus stable.  On the top is a knob for adjusting the tension of the petals.  Turning the knob clockwise increases the tension and makes pedaling more difficult.  The distance of the petals from a central point of each pedal revolution seems to be half a normal bicycle would be.  This is understandable as a mini cycle is much closer to the ground and has less space to work with.The mini cycle is a very simple design.

The mini cycle is a decent job of replicating the feel of telling a normal bicycle.  As you pedal, you engage the same muscles as used during a bike ride.  Increasing attention can mimic the task of pedaling uphill.  As you increase the tension on the pedals, and many cycle will heat up more quickly.  After what she had hour-long show on television, there’s a good chance you’ll burn yourself by touching any of the exposed metal on the pedals.  Lower tension settings feel like bicycling down hill.  In the lowest setting, the pedals lose some stability and shake side to side.  For this reason you must always keep some tension on the mini cycle.

The problem I found with the mini cycle is that it is not heavy enough.  I set the tension is high as it would go, the unit did heat up while slipping around my floor.  Even the textured rubber footings could not prevent the mini cycle from sliding.  Because of this, I find it somewhat ineffective.  I’ve had to resort to self-correcting and many cycle every couple of minutes or placing 25 pound weights on either side of the unit to keep it stable.

I would recommend the many cycle at a price of about $10.  It does a decent job for what it is, and if you have ADHD or simply a highly kinetic person, it will satisfy that movement mandate that such people have.  Over time, I’m sure you will lose weight using the many cycle, but they’re much quicker ways.  If you are watching TV, I would recommend lifting weights or doing some form of cardio exercise.  If you are playing video games or reading a book, the mini cycle would be a good way to keep moving.