Exercise Bikes

The ubiquitous and humble exercise bike is the most affordable and popular type of fitness equipment for the private consumer. These simple machines don’t require the engineering that goes into a fancy treadmill or elliptical trainer, which makes them very much more affordable while providing the same health benefits and more.

Stationary exercise bikes offer superior health benefits and are particularly suited for people with back issues, joint problems, are new to an exercise regimen, overweight, or those who may be older or recovering from injury. Bikes offer a low-impact highly efficient cardio-vascular workout. They are easy to use, comfortable and convenient, ideal for home use and provide a gentle yet efficient workout.

There are two different types of stationary exercise bike: upright and recumbent.

The upright exercise bike is set up like a traditional bicycle, where the rider sits with an upright posture and the pedals are located more or less directly underneath the seat. This type of bike allows a more versatile workout by freeing the rider to vary his position and riding style, such as leaning forward using a racing-type posture, standing up on the pedals, or even sitting up straight on the seat and using hand weights to supplement the lower-body workout given by the bike.

On a recumbent exercise bike the rider reclines and the pedals are positioned on the front of the machine. The seat is wide like a chair and a backrest supports the back. This type of exercise bike is ideal for those with back problems as the seat is more comfortable and less stress is placed on the spine. The positioning of the rider eliminates muscle strain on the back, neck, shoulders, ankles and knees. A recumbent bike is more ergonomically correct as well, allowing greater abdominal muscle relaxation that makes breathing easier and deeper, and thereby improving the cardiovascular benefit of the workout. This increased aerobic benefit of the recumbent bike makes it an excellent fat-burning piece of fitness equipment.

Exercise bikes have more or less features, but all will have adjustable seat positions and variable resistance settings to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout. Many models will have digital displays indicating time, speed, distance and estimated calorie burn. Higher-end models may have heart rate monitors and preset and programmable workout routines.

Remember the fat burning, low-impact and cardio benefits of an exercise bike when considering fitness equipment.