Choosing the best recumbent exercise bike means looking at what the machine can do for you. An exercise bike can truly be a tool for building fitness in several ways as well as a way to lose way and get in shape at the same time. Here are tips for getting the best exercise bike for the way you will use it.
Works For Everybody
Some exercise equipment is an accident or an injury looking for a place to happen. Especially if you have an injury or a physical limitation, better steer away from many pieces of exercise equipment. That's where a recumbent exercise bike excels.
It especially spares the back and is often used in rehabilitation for many because it's less likely to cause injury and is especially easy to get on and go. Comfort is a strong point of recumbent stationary bicycles and that isn't just o make it easier to use either. It's also to make it more likely that the machine gets used often and hard too.
Heavy Weight And No Cheating
Heavy construction makes it more likely that you get the workout that really helps too. Why? Simple... Cheap, lightweight machine will tend to move as you pedal hard. That moving certainly does nothing to inspire pushing harder. It's mildly disturbing to ride a bike that rocks and rolls, to say nothing of what swaying does to the machine itself.
What happens is that light exercise bikes sway and rock and that loosens joints and starts a process that destroys the bike over time, not much time either. That's why rugged construction becomes a must if you really expect to do the kinds of workouts that produce results.
Electronics To Fight Boring
Bikes that include pre-programmed workouts in combination with magnetic drives help fight boredom. Programmed workouts vary resistance to simulate an actual ride. That's an easy way to put some fun in a fitness routine instead of just doing the same old thing over and over. Boredom stops many fitness programs but with the right features on a bike, that need not be the case at all.
Advantages For Women Especially
Women often have limited time for workouts and often that means not much gets done. An exercise bike has advantages because it can work many of the major muscle groups very quickly. In addition, the right kind of workout also combines a cardiac workout with muscle toning as well.
See, working out on a bike targets the legs, both upper and lower, as well as the muscles of the hips. Those being the larger muscles and also the areas where problems often lie, bike workouts get at the areas often of most concern and do it in an efficient manner. That means you get maximum results in minimum time spent.
Consider A Commercial Machine
Commercial grade machine do cost more but not that much more. The advantage of commercial machines like the Star Trac Exercise Bike for example is that every part of the bike is built for hard use. You get heavy construction as well as powerful electronics plus attention to detail in seating and comfort. Mid-priced bikes like the Schwinn recumbent exercise bikes offer superior value. But commercial machines offer quality with few or not compromises.
The best recumbent exercise bike will be useable by almost anybody. Make sure to get a machine with heavy construction if you expect to enjoy using it. Also powerful electronics helps fight exercise boredom and keeps you pedaling. Sometimes a commercial quality machine might be a good purchase. In any case, recumbent bikes encourage hard work but the workouts can still be done in comfort.
