Sitting down for long periods of time is bad for you. Medical studies link inactivity with being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death. I bet that made you sit up, and maybe even stand up.

Sitting slows your metabolism, and this affects your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. And it’s pretty terrible for your back, too.

The average adult spends between 7 and 9 hours a day sitting, at home, at work, in the car or on a train.

Exercise bikes are becoming a popular form of exercise, especially in the home where they take up less space than a rowing machine or weights equipment.

Spin classes are all the rage in the gym or virtually from the likes of premium market leader Peloton.

The FlexiSpot Sit2Go is a chair and exercise bike combo that you can use for sedentary and fitness uses. Combined with a standing desk, it’s particularly suited to office and home-office environments.

A healthy office chair like the Sit2Go isn’t all about sitting still. You can choose a chair that doubles up as a fitness bike so you can raise your heartbeat and metabolism even while tackling boring spreadsheets or writing emails.

• Office chairs to improve your home working setup

The Sit2Go Fitness Chair offers a comfortable, height-adjustable seat with a breathable mesh fabric backrest and supportive seat cushion. There are more ergonomic office chairs but none that encourage you to get exercising while still being able to work at your desk.

Its maker, FlexiSpot, is well-known for its standing desks, and the Sit2Go fits in well with such a desk, as it will fit under a raised desk, enabling knees raised for peddling.

• Flexispot ED2 Home Office Standing Desk review

• FlexiSpot E1L sit-stand desk review

The Sit2Go cycles quietly, with adjustable but fairly basic resistance levels, and won’t disturb your co-workers or force you to mute on video calls. Keeps the mind alert and active during work and creative activities.

Fitness trackers and smartwatches such as those from Fitbit and Apple allow you to track your cycling or spin activities, and exercise bikes are a great way to gain such fitness points while going about your normal routine. See our Best Fitbit and Best Apple Watch roundups. 

It’s easy to assemble and can be rolled away on its rolling casters, which lock into place when you sit on the bike.

The seat can be adjusted for height but we would have preferred more adjustability for sitting back support.

Price

The FlexiSpot Sit2Go costs $399.99 or £399.99, although there are often direct deals available.

The cheapest Peloton costs about four times as much, but of course you get a whole lot more in terms of fitness routines and service. But you wouldn’t want to sit on one and try to browse the Internet like you can with the Sit2Go.

Verdict

As a combination office chair and entry-level exercise bike, the FlexiSpot Sit2Go has a double function that should give your working day some balance between sitting still and burning calories.

It’s comfortable but maybe too much so as the relaxed back could promote better posture than it does. A more adjustable seat would be appreciated.

The Sit2Go is a great match with a standing desk and should improve your physical and mental health while you go about your normal day.

Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.