If your regular exercise routine is getting tiresome, you might mix it up a little and try a recumbent bike. Most fitness facilities offer three different styles of exercise bike: the upright, the group exercise and the recumbent. The recumbent bike allows you to extend your legs in front of you while sitting on a padded seat with a back rest.
Recumbent Bike Basics
To get an effective recumbent bike workout, you want to make sure that you adjust the bike to correctly fit your height. Sit on the bike and place your feet on the pedals. Adjust the seat forward or backward until your legs can fully extend as they rotate through the pedal cycle.
Once you get the seat adjusted, start pedaling and follow the cues on the electronic panel. It will probably ask you to choose a program and to enter some basic personal information like your age, weight and your desired workout time.
Benefits of Recumbent Bike
The website Spine-Health notes that some individuals with back pain may find the recumbent bike more comfortable than other forms of exercise. Also, very overweight or obese individuals can benefit from the wide seat and reclined position, according to the Weight-Control Information Network. And, like other exercise machines, recumbent bicycles provide an effective way to perform cardiovascular exercise.
Exercise Programs
Most recumbent bikes provide you with two options for exercise programs: manual exercise or a pre-programmed routine. If you want to follow your own exercise routine, increasing or decreasing resistance as you go, choose the manual, or "quickstart" option on the panel. Otherwise, scroll through the pre-programmed options to choose a routine that looks interesting. Most bikes offer a hill routine, an interval routine, a "random" routine and a fat-burning routine, among others.
Potential Drawbacks
According to Spine-Health, the reclined position of the recumbent bike may encourage a slower, more relaxed workout with fewer cardiovascular benefits. This doesn't mean you can't get a good workout from the machine, it just means you have to closely monitor how hard you're pushing yourself. Try to keep your rotations per minute at a minimum of 70, and if you're not feeling challenged, increase the intensity level.
Considerations
If you're trying to decide whether to use the recumbent bike for your exercise program, just try it out and see if you like it. The best workout routines are those that you enjoy and that challenge you. If you find that you enjoy the workout, and it made you break a sweat, stick with it.
Member Comments