A recumbent bicycle allows the rider to exercise while sitting in a reclining position. According to Oregon-based fitness coach Ben Cohn, some find these bicycles more comfortable because they put less strain on the lower back. Others prefer standard bicycles, believing they are better tools for losing weight.
Recumbent Bike Basics
A standard bicycle has no back support. A cyclist sits upright on the seat, or leans forward on the handlebars. A recumbent bike's seat includes a reclined backrest. When riding a recumbent bike, the cyclist leans backward into the seat. According to Cohn, this position creates significantly less stress on the lower back. Less back stress allows exercisers to ride farther, or allows those with back trouble to ride, period.
Weight-Loss Basics
Losing weight is a matter of applied physics: If you burn more calories than you take in, your body makes up the excess by burning fat; if you burn fat, you lose weight. Whether or not you can lose weight on a recumbent bike depends on whether you make it an effective way of burning calories, and on whether you don't negate the calories you burn on the bike elsewhere in your lifestyle.
Calories
Thirty minutes of moderate cycling will burn 350 calories for a 180-pound person, according to an exercise calorie calculator at the Health Status website. Although Health Status does not differentiate between stationary and recumbent bicycle workouts, Cohn advises that recumbent bicycle workouts move the torso less. This can mean a slightly lower caloric burn compared to workouts on a standard bicycle.
Intensity
Cohn explains that intensity can be a major factor in recumbent bicycle workouts. Recumbent bikes leave your hands free to hold a magazine or a book, and you can position your torso for a better field of vision. Getting distracted, Cohn adds, can mean a less intense workout and lower calorie burn. On the other hand, Cohn also notes that reduce back pain can mean riding harder for longer, resulting in a more intense workout.
Muscle Building
In his book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," Harvard University nutritionist Walter Willett writes that building muscle can accelerate weight loss. The more muscle a body has, the more calories it burns in all activities. Because the upper body is relaxed on a recumbent bike, Cohn notes that a standard bicycle workout can build more muscle than the same workout on a recumbent bike.
Final Analysis
From a calorie-counting standpoint, riding a recumbent bike may burn slightly fewer calories than riding a standard bicycle. However, riding a recumbent bicycle will help you lose weight much better than not riding at all.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Dr. Walter Willett, et al; 2006
- Ben Cohn, fitness coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
- Health Status: Calories Burned by Exercise
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