The Benefits Of Exercise Bikes

If you want to burn some extra calories and improve your fitness within the comfort of your own home, exercise bikes are a fantastic choice. They get your heart pumping, they place no pressure on your joints when you cycle and they’re also a surprisingly good way to tone and strengthen your legs. In this article I take a deeper look at exercise bikes and explain why you should consider adding one to your home workout collection.

1) Lower Back Support

One of the best things about exercise bikes is that they’re the only cardio machine available that provide lower back support. Elliptical machines, steppers and treadmills all require you to stand up and if you have lower back problems, exercising on them can be difficult or even impossible. Rowing machines are slightly different and allow you to sit down but don’t provide you with any lower back support while you are sitting, so can still be very uncomfortable.

Therefore, if you have a lower back problem that prevent you from using most traditional cardio machines, a recumbent exercise bike may be exactly what you need. The unique seat design on recumbent exercise bikes gives full support to your lower back and keeps it straight at all times while the pedals allow you to get an intensive workout without placing any stress or strain on your lower back.

2) Multi-Functional Workout

Another great thing about exercise bikes is that they allow you to build up your leg muscles or enjoy a lung busting cardio workout using just the one piece of equipment. If you want to strengthen and tone your legs, you simply crank up the resistance as high as you can manage and then cycle away. Alternatively, if you want to increase your cardiovascular fitness, you can use a lower resistance setting and focus on speed instead of power.

With the exception of steppers, no other home cardio machines allow you to strengthen and tone your legs like this while also boosting your cardiovascular fitness. This means if you’re training for a sport that requires strong, powerful legs and a high level of cardiovascular fitness (such as ice hockey or soccer), exercise bikes are an excellent choice that allow you get the most out of your workout sessions.

3) Compact

In addition to the benefits listed above, exercise bikes are also a lot smaller than treadmills and elliptical machines, so if you don’t have much spare room in your home, they’re definitely a cardio machine you should consider purchasing.

On average, exercise bikes are around 10 inches shorter in length than treadmills and elliptical machines, so they take up a lot less floor space. In addition to this, many of the exercise bikes available for sale can be folded when not in use to save even more space. Once folded, you can neatly pack them away in a closet or the corner of the room, so that they don’t clutter up your home.

4) Zero Impact Cardio

Exercise bikes aren’t just a good choice if you’ve got lower back problems. They’re also great if you have joint problems. Unlike running on a treadmill which can aggravate your ankles, hips and knees with the impact of each step, cycling on an exercise bike is a smooth, fluid, no impact motion which prevents joint pain and allows you to have an effective cardio workout, even if you’re joints aren’t 100%.

5) Low Cost

If you’ve not got much money to spend on a home cardio machine, exercise bikes are something you should definitely check out. Most exercise bikes cost less than $500 and there are very few that cost more than $1,000. When you compare this to treadmills which generally cost $500+, this is quite a big saving and if money’s tight, exercise bikes are definitely one of the more affordable cardio machines on the market.

6) Weather Proof

Yet another benefit of purchasing an exercise bike is that it allows you to carry on cycling and keep your fitness sharp all year long. Even if the roads are iced up outside and it’s too dangerous to go outdoor cycling, you can use an exercise bike to maintain your fitness levels and avoid the hazardous outdoor conditions until the weather improves.

Summary

I hope this article’s given you a good overview of why exercise bikes are such a good choice when it comes to getting fit. So if you think an exercise bike is the best cardio machine for you, get online, get one purchased and cycle your way to good health today.

Best Exercise Bikes For Your Home Gym