Fitness machine launched for desk-tied workers

    Stop stepping, and the keyboard or mouse ceases working. It's a true electronic motivator.

The GZ PC-Sport & Power Stepper combination - launched this week - is perfect for those folk who find exercise boring or too time consuming. They don't even have to get out of their chair.

Equivalent to a brisk walking pace, the GZ Power Stepper, which is height adjustable and fits neatly under a desk, can help people burn up to 400 calories an hour. Keeping moving also helps circulation, reducing the risk of DVT for the desk bound, as well as improving general fitness and muscle tone.

The GZ PC-Sport, compatible with all USB plug and play devices, requires no additional software and combines a variety of modes and levels:

*Trainer mode: stop exercising and the keyboard or mouse input is paused; re- start stepping and the keyboard or mouse resumes.

*Level: no unreasonable physical demands - the user sets a comfortable level of exercise.

*Normal mode: the user chooses when and when not to exercise.

The company behind the machine is Gamercize, whose director Richard Coshott said: "The beauty of keeping fit in this way is that the computer helps to take the minds of reluctant exercisers off the physical effort they're making because they can choose an activity that they enjoy while stepping - whether that is emailing friends, writing blogs or shopping online."

Gamercize advises purchasers to take advice from a doctor on how much exercise they should take each day, and to use new found fitness to explore other healthy lifestyle activities.

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