'Gamercize' Cardio at Our Desk 176
Gustoman writes "A new device that hit the market this week may not be able to help you put in fewer hours in the office, but it can help you get a good cardio workout while you're troubleshooting that laptop or reviewing that spreadsheet.
Gamercize, a British company, this week launched the GZ PC-Sport & Power Steppe, which is designed to fit underneath a standard-sized desk so someone can sit at their computer or talk on the telephone while using the stepper.
Gamercize officials note that the machine is not just a small version of a StairMaster machine that you'd find at the gym. The machine can be hooked up to a keyboard or mouse through a USB port. The user can set it up so they can use the stepper whenever they want, or they can prevent their keyboard or mouse from working unless they're exercising.
There are five settings on the under-desk step machine. The lowest setting lets workers simply exercise their legs at an easy pace whenever they want. At the top level, the work out is much harder and the user must exercise to keep his or her keyboard or mouse working.
At the lowest setting, a user could burn 100 to 200 calories an hour. At the top level, it is possible to burn as many as 500 calories an hour. (That's like burning off the equivalent of an entire milk shake.)"
Milkshake? (Score:4, Funny)
If you're drinking 500 calorie milkshakes then this is probably something you need. If you can fit it under the desk with your huge fat legs.
Good Morning, Unix Administration (Score:4, Funny)
Sorry, I forgot, we're never that helpful.
C'mon this is slashdot! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:News? (Score:5, Funny)
I lost a stone and a half using Gamercize
Uh oh, better run to the emergency room! I hear they can reattach those things (with minimal impact on your sex life!) if you get there quick enough and keep them in a cooler full of ice on the way . . .
Re:News? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Come on . . . (Score:4, Funny)
Speaking for a large portion of the slashdot population...
What's it like?
Seriously, though, I'm in the same boat. What I've discovered is that there is unused time to at least go for short walks (lunchtime, for example -- 10 mins (maximum) to eat, 20 minutes to walk around the parking lot/campus. I've also discovered that 4:30 AM is a great time to go for a walk -- I bring a bottle of water, and this wake-up ritual has replaced my early-morning coffee. It's amazing how much more energy I have throughout the day if I begin with some moderate exercise. I suppose an exercise bike would serve the same purpose, and give me a better workout while allowing me to still catch the news.
Re:Come on . . . (Score:5, Funny)
Speaking for a large portion of the slashdot population...
What's it like?
Actually it just implies that his wife had sex.
Re:Ok, (Score:3, Funny)
Secondly is the SUV. It needs to be banned tomorrow. Those things pose more of a risk to the safety and well being of the United States than any terrorist has, ever.
Gee, and here I was, thinking stupid drivers that run over bicyclists were the real problem.
Remember, the size of the vehicle you use doesn't matter: right of way is 1/2m * v^2. You see, mass is only a first-order term, but velocity is a second order term. Notice how bicycles have neither mass nor velocity, but even a Toyota Rollerskate Hybrid(tm) on a densely populated residential road will be going 18 miles an hour over the posted limit.
As an aside, it's not always the drivers fault a bicyclist got hit. A few of the bicyclists I've witnessed (and missed!)
Americans are 8x as likely(pdf warning and beefy academic paper warning, though there are graphs) to die per bicycle trip than their European counterparts.
Yes, but Europe doesn't have cars.