Like so many busy people, I have a variety of exercise equipment at home, which I used… for awhile. Then one day, sitting at my desk at work, I realized that now is when I’m ready to exercise. I wondered, why can’t I exercise while I do my work?

So I came up with a chair-based exerciser product that straps onto any swivel chair. Adjustable, stretchable bands are attached to the center chair post, and at the other end is a bar that resembles a foot rest with wheels at either end. You put your feet on it and push on it – which makes it a combination of a leg press and a leg extension. I designed it to be force balanced so I could push on it without swiveling. It allowed me to read or type at my computer and still be working out.

I took my prototype of The Officizer to work and started using it there.  Even just sitting at my desk, I was able to get both a cardio and muscle toning workout.  Having such a convenient way to exercise also helped me avoid feeling sleepy after lunch, which happens to so many people. Most significantly, within the first eight months of using it, I took an inch off my waistline.

People I worked with would come by and ask “where did you buy that?  I want one of those!” So I made some more prototypes, and the response was great. Because The Officizer is unobtrusive both during and after use, it doesn’t detract from the professional atmosphere that employers want in the workplace.  And since using it doesn’t involve the use of the hands or upper body, it doesn’t interfere with office workers’ ability to do their jobs. The device can also be customized with additional bands to increase resistance for a more taxing workout.  Because The Officizer is adjustable, it can accommodate people — and chairs – of different sizes. It’s also easy to set up and remove, and it doesn’t damage the furniture.  When it’s not in use, it stores under the worker’s chair.

Since it’s designed for use in an office environment, the Officizer represents a new category of fitness equipment, it is a marketing dream, free from competing products. “The pencil-pusher’s workout” was what the San Francisco Examiner called it, and the review by ABC News.Com said “what could be more time efficient than doing leg presses while you tap away at the computer keyboard?”

The answer is that there’s no easier way to work out while you work.  The Officizer allows you to be pumping away underneath your desk without anybody knowing what you’re doing! In addition, the technology includes a variety of ways to monitor your workout using the computer at your desk.