Looking for a compact and portable exercise machine that you can use in your small office or home office? Good news—you’ve got options! While the exercise machines of the past were more suited for gyms or spacious home gyms, you will now find smaller exercise machines and gears that will not take up much space, will not cause clutter nor cramp your space, and will help you add more movement to your day.

The under desk treadmill, one exercise machine that we swear by, is a nifty and a low-maintenance equipment that will give you a variety of exercises in your day without taking up much space. Another exercise equipment that is ideal for use in limited space is the mini stepper, two pads that you step into to simulate climbing. This is great at burning calories and engaging your muscles. There’s also the mini pedal bike, slightly similar to the mini stepper in design although it simulates bike movement, engaging your leg muscles to improve circulation and muscle health.

In a previous post, we compared the under desk treadmill and the mini stepper. In this post, we’ll compare the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike in terms of their size and the space they occupy, the convenience in using them, as well as the health benefits and their effectiveness. Read on to learn more.

Under Desk Treadmill & Mini Pedal Bike: The Similarities

Both the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike are designed for daily exercise, one that you can do even as you work. While regular treadmills and stationary bikes are heavy and bulky, ideal for gym placement and use, the under desk treadmill and mini bike are designed for daily office or home use. What does that mean?

Well, imagine this:

You are engaged in computer work, glued to your chair for 8-10 hours a day because of your busy schedule. Stress is high, and you are living a sedentary lifestyle. Now, add an under desk treadmill and/or a mini pedal bike in the picture, in your daily routine.

You are seated on your chair, with a mini bike in front of you, underneath your desk. You are doing several desk cycles as you work, just pedaling on the bike as you type your emails or do your reports. After a few minutes of being seated, you stand up, adjust the height of your standing desk, and then start working while standing.

After a bit of standing, you pull the under desk treadmill from underneath your desk, turn it on, and then you start walking on the treadmill while continuing to do your work. The data display shows increasing number of steps taken as you continue. And by the end of the day, as you alternate between sitting and standing, between the use of the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike, doing several desk cycles throughout the day, you see your steps increase and exceed your target 10K steps. Congratulations!

Both the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike are compact—they will not take up so much space. You can just easily place them under your desk when not in use. You can even slide the under desk treadmill underneath your couch—most have a very slim design that makes their storage simple and easy.

Both walking on an under desk treadmill and doing desk cycles on a mini pedal bike offer health benefits to the body. These improve muscle health and circulation and add movement to your day, helping in the prevention of health conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Under Desk Treadmill & Mini Pedal Bike: The Differences

While both the under desk treadmill and the mini bike show similarities in that both are compact and perfect for small spaces, they also have differences in both design and function.

You can consider an under desk treadmill as a smaller version of the regular treadmill. Meanwhile, the mini pedal bike is like a mini version of the stationary bike. Check out the different areas in which these two exercise gears differ:

Design

In addition to what has already been mentioned, the design differences between the under desk treadmill and the mini bike determine how they can be used—and also how they can complement each other.

The under desk treadmill can be used standing (and walking). If you’ve been using a standing desk for a while and alternating between standing and sitting while you work. Then you can consider the use of an under desk treadmill as a level-up to this. From standing, the under desk treadmill will encourage you to walk, jog, or run, either simultaneously as you work or as a form of a healthy break from working.

Meanwhile, the design of the mini pedal bike lends itself to use while you are sitting. By doing desk cycles as you work, you can keep your leg muscles engaged and maintain a healthy circulation in the body. This is a great way to keep moving even while you are seated on your chair.

Storage

Both the under desk treadmill and mini pedal bike are compact and can be easily stored. The under-desk treadmill takes more surface area compared to the mini bike, but both can be easily slid under the standing desk after use. The mini bike is already positioned underneath the desk, thus its other name under desk bike, and you can just step on the pedals whenever you want to do desk cycles while working. You can do the same with the under-desk treadmill, or you can slide it underneath your couch—some are so slim that this is very easy to do. Some under desk treadmills are also foldable, so you can simply fold them up after use to save on space during storage.

Benefits

Both the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike offer health benefits as stated above, but you might wonder which is better in terms of these benefits.

Well, if we’re talking about overall benefits, it would seem like the under-desk treadmill takes the lead in this department because of the following reasons:

• Walking and running engage more muscles in the body compared to doing desk cycles while seated. This means more movement and more holistic benefits to your body.
• Using the treadmill offers more variety in exercises compared to doing desk cycles, which is just one type of movement all throughout. With a desk treadmill, you can walk, jog, or run.
• The walking pad treadmill readily complements the standing desk, so it’s a good step up if you have already started using the desk and made a positive change in your lifestyle.

However, while the under desk treadmill offers a wide range of benefits over the mini pedal bike, know that the latter also offers some advantage over the walking pad treadmill.

For one, you can do desk cycles no matter what type of work you are doing—after all, you control the speed of the bike. On the contrary, the use of an under-desk treadmill is advisable only for work characterized by light thinking, tasks such as reading or answering emails, doing some light typing, etc. Work that requires more focus are not advisable to be done while you are using the treadmill.

Comparing Exercise Equipment: Which One is Right for You?     

If you’re in the market looking for the right exercise equipment that will suit a limited space and you are torn between the under desk treadmill and the mini pedal bike, then there are some questions you need to ask yourself to determine which is best for you.

• What type of exercise are you familiar and comfortable with? Do you enjoy walking or do you jog? Or, do you enjoy biking more? Start with what you already enjoy doing.
• What type of work do you usually do? Will walking or running complement it, or is it a better match for desk cycles while you’re seated?
• What exercise benefits are you looking to achieve? The higher your goal, the more intense the exercise you need—and in which case, an under desk treadmill may be the better choice.

Whichever you go for, remember that it’s all about consistency and discipline. Whether you go for a walking pad treadmill or opt to do desk cycles with a mini pedal bike, commit to it with all of your heart and be consistent in doing the exercise every day. Good luck!

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country. We offer free shipping within Canada and the US.

What made you switch to standing desks? Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, check out our Refund Policy.