Most gyms and fitness centers provide stationary bikes as well as other cardio equipment such as treadmills and elliptical trainers. The stationary bike provides a non-impact aerobic workout that can help you manage your weight, build muscle and improve your cardiovascular health. You can exercise year-round on a stationary bike, enabling you to continue your weekly exercise program even in cold or rainy months.
Types
Most stationary bike manufacturers produce both recumbent and upright exercise bikes for commercial and home use. Upright exercise bikes resemble standard road bikes. On an upright bike, you sit above the pedals and extend your legs below you to pedal. On a recumbent bike, you sit back in a bucket seat with your legs extended in front of you.
Features
Most newer stationary bike machines have electronic displays that show the elapsed or remaining time of your workout, the distance you have pedaled and the estimated number of calories you have burned. Many stationary bikes allow you to choose from a variety of preset workout modes, such as hills, intervals, speed training, endurance training or fat burn. Some machines even provide images that simulate indoor cycling in a class or biking through a certain landscape.
Considerations
If you are thinking of purchasing a stationary bike for home use, you will have to choose between recumbent and stationary bikes. Try out each kind of bike at a gym or retail shop to see which bike makes you feel most comfortable. Upright bikes allow you to lift yourself above the seat to pedal with more power on high resistance levels or simulated hills. Upright bikes also take up less space than the bulkier recumbent bikes. Recumbent bikes, on the other hand, provide a more comfortable workout for people with back problems or beginning exercisers who are not used to riding an upright bike.
Benefits
Stationary bike equipment can help you reach the weekly exercise totals recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity each week. The Mayo Clinic estimates that one hour of bicycling at less than 10 mph can burn 292 calories for a 160-lb. person, 364 calories for a 200-lb. person and 436 calories for a 240-lb. person.
Size
You can adjust the positions of the seat and handlebars on most stationary bikes to suit your height. Adjust the seat up or down so that your knee remains slightly bent when your leg extends to the bottom of the pedal rotation. Keep the seat parallel to the floor. Adjust the handlebars so that you can lean forward slightly on the bike in a relaxed position.
Member Comments