Exercise bikes, also called stationary bikes, are an effective means of exercising indoors. You can do aerobic and/or muscle-building pedaling activities in your home or a gym for as long or short, and as hard or easy, a workout as you wish.
Athletic Training
A stationary bicycle gets your legs moving as fast as you want, so it can be a great way to warm up for a complete workout or for sporting events. Professional athletes in basketball and other sports may use stationary bikes when they are on the bench to stay warmed up for their next period of play. Cyclists use exercise bikes during the off-season, particularly during unpleasant weather, to maintain their fitness. Individuals who exercise regularly or who compete in other sports can use stationary bikes to cross-train or keep up an exercise regimen in the off-season.
Physical Therapy
Exercise bikes are invaluable to individuals recovering from leg injuries, or those with one paralyzed leg. Low-impact activities such as biking help leg muscles regain strength and improve range and quality of motion in joints. Outdoor cycling, due to the potential high variability of terrain and conditions, is usually inappropriate for physical therapy. In addition, older people may benefit greatly from riding recumbent stationary bikes to strengthen the upper leg muscles, which help you rise from a squatting or sitting position or walk up stairs without using the railing for support.
Bike Features
Depending on the model of exercise bike, you may have a heart rate monitor, calorie counter and/or other features that help you track your progress, exercise time and exertion levels. Many stationary bikes have programs that mimic outdoor cycling courses, including flat land, steep hills and rolling hills, and programs that target different aspects of fitness, such as muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness.
Considerations
As of 2010, exercise bikes can cost a couple hundred dollars or well over a thousand dollars, with features and bike quality roughly correlating to price. Exercise bikes require the rider to have some ability to balance and enough leg fitness to engage in the repetitive motion of pedaling. Recumbent exercise bikes lessen the difficulty of balancing and are more comfortable for many people due to the contoured seat with a full back. Stationary bikes can help people who are overweight and need to start exercising with low-impact activity. Note that some exercise bikes have weight limits as low as 250 lbs. or even less, though many exercise bikes have weight limits of 300 to 400 lbs.
Member Comments