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[R118]Recumbent Exercise Bikes Reviews

by John Mac, Joh

Exercise bikes have been around for a long time now which may give some people the wrong impression that they are outdated & no longer of much use when it comes to your fitness routine. However there are many types of exercise bikes you can choose from to give you a good workout & you will find that they have certainly kept pace with the increase in technology in the modern world in which we live today. They provide an excellent cardio, low impact workout helping you to keep fit & loose weight all in the comfort of the gym, your home or garage. No need to worry about the traffic or the weather.

There are basically 3 types of exercise bike, the standard upright bike, the dual action upright bike with levers or handles bringing the arms into play giving your upper body a workout & the recumbent bike which has a reclining seat giving more support to your back & also giving your abdominals a workout.

The cheapest exercise bikes, $200 or less, will have a tension belt whilst mid range, $200-$600 & top of the range $600 to $1500 and above will have magnetic resistance which is much smoother & quieter. If your budget allows you should go for a push button magnetic resistance exercise bike. A heart monitor is essential if you are serious about getting results as the whole point of exercising is to increase your heart rate to burn off those calories & increase your fitness levels.

Cheaper exercise bikes will have no display, or at best a poor display giving you little information & no feedback about your workout. Mid range bikes will have a lot more options including some pre-set workouts whilst the top of the range will have lots of pre-set workouts some pulse driven which adjust your workout according to your pulse making sure you are working at the optimum heart rate level.

Exercise bikes are produced by many manufactures including Lifecycle, Lifefitness, Precor, Startrac, Stairmaster, Tunturi, Diamondback, Fitness Quest, Healthrider, Nordic Track, Proform, Reebok, Schwinn, Stamina, and Weslo.

Whilst exercise bikes may be seen by some people as outdated I would definatley beg to differ, they offer lots of advantages over other similar pieces of fitness equipment ie treadmills in that they are a very low impact form of exercise with very little impact on the joints such as knees, ankles, hips & back but yet still provide the same level of cardio workout. Plus they take up little space & you can even watch TV or read whilst you workout !

Not everyone has the time, patience or stamina that is required to go outside for a long jog every day. It is not laziness - it is the extreme amount of work necessary to run for only a few blocks, get tired, and walk home. You need to change into running gear, walk outside (often in the cold), stretch, go for the run (which may only be a few minutes depending on your stamina), come back, shower and change again.

You end up spending almost 10 times as much time on preparation for the run than you do on the run itself. To cut that time in half, it is much easier to get home cardio equipment so that you don't have to worry about changing and can complete the run in the warmth of your home during your spare time.

However, you do not want to buy more than one machine for what is essentially 1 workout. So you have a choice: Should you get an exercise bike? Or should you get a treadmill?

Benefits of a Treadmill

One of the benefits of a treadmill is that you are still running. In a way, you are training yourself for a run outside. Not only are you improving your heart rate, but you can very easily transition to outdoor running should you want to.

In addition, treadmill workouts tend to take less time if you run at a faster speed. If you have a busy schedule, that time is well spent.

Weaknesses of a Treadmill

Treadmills tend to be somewhat boring, and more often than not people do not continue their workouts. You cannot get a good cardio exercise if you do not run regularly, and for many the act of running on a treadmill can seem like quite the chore.

They are also more expensive than most exercise bikes and it can be hard to run on a treadmill casually. With an exercise bike, you can very easily slow down and speed up at your leisure.

Benefits of an Exercise Bike

Exercise bikes are far less boring for most people, because the ability to multitask while on an exercise bike is fairly substantial. Watching TV or listening to music is a breeze. In addition, exercise bikes cause far less aches and pains, so it does not feel like a tremendous chore for people to use one regularly.

If cost is an issue, there are exercise bikes that cost as little as 100 dollars or less as well, which is another important advantage. And while distance meters are important to some people, very few individuals need any of the expensive electronic equipment, so a low cost exercise bike is just as effective as the pricier brands.

Weakness of an Exercise Bike

It is far harder to transition to running from an exercise bike, so those that are improving their cardio workouts for the purpose of running someday are going to still have work ahead of them. Similarly, it can take longer to get your heart working hard, and some people do not have as much time to dedicate to the bike.

Overall, deciding on which piece of exercise equipment you are looking for depends in large part in what you are looking to accomplish. Those looking to take up running someday are likely going to prefer a good electronic treadmill. Those that are either casually looking to increase their heart rate or are not looking to transition to running should consider an exercise bike as the best option.

Article Source : Pg. 165

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Both John Mac & Richard Black are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

John Mac has sinced written about articles on various topics from Skin Care, Fitness and Health. John Mac is Author & Owner of a website including information about. John Mac's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.

Richard Black has sinced written about articles on various topics from Body Building, Fitness and Backpain. Richard Black helps people learn about at his website on. Richard Black's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.