By now, pretty much everyone has heard about the health risks involved with remaining seated and sedentary for long periods of time. Standing desks are designed to address the problem, as are miniature cycling and elliptical trainers that can be used under a conventional desk while you remain seated. One of the problems with those machines, however, is that your knees may bang against the underside of your desk as you're using them – plus, they can be noisy. That's where the Compactix Glyder comes in.
As its name implies, the Glyder lets you get that desk-bound exercise by gliding your feet horizontally back and forth.
And yes, you could do the same basic thing just using your slippery socks against the floor, although the Glyder incorporates electromagnetic resistance to give you more of a workout. The amount of resistance can be set using either a knob on the machine itself, or via Bluetooth using an accompanying free smartphone app.
That app also lets you monitor calories burned and distance glided, plus it allows you to monitor your progress over time and to compete against other Glyder users.
Because it uses electromagnetic resistance as opposed to friction, the Glyder is claimed to be fairly quiet when in use – an important consideration, if it's being used in a shared work space. It does require access to an electrical outlet, however.
The Compactix team is presently raising production funds for their device, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$99 will get you one, when and if they're ready to go. The planned retail price is $179.
You can see the Glyder in use, in the pitch video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, Compactix
