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Seen At 11: Can 'Active Sitting' Help Keep Physical While At Work?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An exhausting day at work? It could mean too much time spent sitting down.

It's not enough to just sit and get your work done anymore. In a growing trend, more and more people are actively sitting—engaging their legs, core, lower back and improving their posture all while being seated.

"I couldn't deal with sitting down for so long. I started to get cramps in my legs," Alanna Astion told CBS2's Kristine Johnson.

So Astion bought an exercise bike to go under her desk in her New York office.

"I try to use it every day -- 15, 20 minutes tops. But I don't want to be all sweaty around the office," she said.

Astion said it did more than she bargained for.

"I lost, you know, probably five pounds using it," she said.

A co-worker was so inspired, she got one too.

"You can sit and you can feel like you're helping yourself a little bit," said the co-worker, named Emily.

Under-the-desk bikes and ellipticals are becoming a new standard in office movement.

Wellness balls are also becoming more common in the workplace. The latest models have high-tech covers and are weighted so they don't roll away.

"It will allow you to sit comfortably and engage your abdominal and lower back muscles while you're sitting at your desk," said Jay Muller, who has a wellness ball at his desk.

How about balancing with just two legs or sitting on a buoy, or a stool called the "Swopper?"

"It's increasing your circulation, it allows you to move laterally side to side, front, as well as vertically up and down," Jay Cardiello said.

The buoy also requires using your legs and proper posture to stay balanced.

"Once you sit on them, you're like, 'Ah, I didn't realize this thing had all this range of motion,'" David Kidder said.

And doctors agree there's a legitimate payoff.

"If you're sitting on a ball or using a moving object under your desk like pedaling, that really makes you feel engaged, mentally and physically," Dr. Florence Comite said.

The under-the-desk bicycle runs about $25, to more than $600 for the Swopper stool.

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