The Exercise Bike Upright Type Pros And Cons

Exercise bike upright types provide a riding experience much like a road bicycle. The seating position is upright with handlebars and a seat much like a conventional bicycle.

This is a good starting point for equipment if you are just looking for a cardio machine to add to your workout. This will give you an option for an indoor workout even in bad weather. The lower priced exercise bikes are often found in this design. But even many of the lower priced machines are very useful and well made.

Those with injuries or severe limitations may find these bikes hard to use. Also the lower priced exercise bikes are not heavy enough for very vigorous stand-up pedaling. But for moderate level workouts for most of us, the moderate priced upright bikes may be all you need.

One advantage to upright exercise bikes is they have a small footprint. They do not take up much space so are useful in most any home and are fairly easy to move.

Another consideration for a bike is the noise level. Most of the upright exercise bikes have a quiet magnetic resistance system. The resistance system provides the load against which you pedal. Listen to music or videos with no problem if your bike uses a resistance system. With an air resistance machine, there's much more noise, but you get the cooling breeze from the fan.

A final major consideration in choosing an exercise bike is the workout programming. Most of these bikes have a performance monitor tracking time, calories burned and miles covered.

Do you want other functions? For extra motivation you can get bikes that vary resistance levels and simulate workouts over varying terrain. This should make your workout time fly by. You can even get machines that let you play video games as you ride for a real diversion to make the workout time rush past. Consider getting a heart rate monitor.

Choose an upright exercise bike as a starter machine and you can get a very useful machine at a moderate price. A higher priced upright bike may be right for you if your bike will be punished by very vigorous workouts. Higher priced upright exercise bikes can stand very hard use for many years.

By Al Bullington

Recumbent Exercise Bikes - What Are Their Advantages?

We hear a lot about recumbent exercise bikes when it comes to fitness equipment, but what are their advantages? Here's a look.

Recumbent bikes work very well with all age groups and fitness levels. Because of how you are sitting back on the wide, comfortable seat, they are very low impact, yet provide an excellent workout.

Beginners

For beginners, a recumbent bike is one of the easiest pieces of exercise equipment around. You can set the resistance level to 1 if you like, or to as much resistance as you would like. Because of the nice, wide, padded seats, these machines are comfortable for all individuals regardless of weight.

Experts

Don't think that recumbent exercise bikes are only good for beginners because they work equally well for fitness experts. Since you can set the resistance levels as high as you wish, developing increased strength and stamina is easy. These bikes can help prepare your body for any sports routine or event.

Low Impact

There is a reason why sports doctors, health car professionals and fitness trainers recommend a recumbent exercise bike. They provide a very low impact workout and work even better for those working their way back from an injury.

Unlike other fitness machines or stationary bikes, you are not putting stress on your knees or back. You are not hunched over like you are when riding a bicycle.

Recumbents are also a good way to build muscle in your lower body. This is particularly helpful to many men who tend to only work their upper body strength. Of course, there are cardiovascular benefits with recumbent bikes as well.

These are only a few of the advantages that these bikes have over other types of fitness equipment.

By Gary Bradfield

Mini Exercise Bike

You might be thinking you what a mini exercise bike is but it's not what you might think. It's not an exercise bike that is just smaller than a normal sized one. The name mini refers to the bikes that are only the pedal system without the rest of the bike.

A mini exercise bike is very small and compact and can fit under any desk. You can imagine how useful this can be for your fitness level. Just imagine, you can be at work on the computer while pedaling to good health at the same time. Many people prefer to be doing something else while exercise because you are focused on things other than the pain or burn that you may feel from the workout.

Not many people can devote a whole room in their house for fitness equipment and for this reason a mini bike is perfect because you can store it anywhere you want. This way you don't have to have a big bulky piece of exercise equipment in one of the rooms in your house.

The bikes have different resistance levels depending on how hard you want to work. Sometimes it's good to just have it on an easy setting while you are busy doing other stuff so that you can focus on your work. Or maybe you just want to pedal for an hour during one of your favorite t.v. shows. You could even sit in your favorite chair and read a book while you work on your fitness.'

By Joshua Dibbs

Cardio Benefits of an Exercise Bike

Fitness exercise bikes can be used inside the home or in fitness clubs. Many people use cardio equipment to maintain their health and stay in physical shape. Recumbent bikes are extremely popular because they give the user a lot of cardio exercise, which strengthens your heart. There are many benefits of using an exercise bike.

The majority of people today do not get enough daily exercise. Our society has evolved with technology such as cars and other forms of transportation. Many people are working 40 hours a week and do not have time to exercise. They are not exercising and their health is deteriorating in the process. One thing that is great about an upright bike is that you can place them anywhere inside your home. You can ride your bike while watching television. Thirty minutes a day, three days a week is a great start to getting the right amount of exercise you need.

You can always get on your own equipment and ride it any time you want. If it is raining outside and you want to ride your regular bicycle, you are unable to do it. With an exercise bike, the weather can be awful or you can suffer a power outage, you can still ride it. Having an exercise bike inside your home is very convenient and you do not have to worry about going to a local gym. You can just stay at home and develop an exercise routine that fits your needs.

Many Americans die from heart disease each year. Heart disease is one of the main causes of fatalities in the United States. Why? We are not exercising enough. You do not have to do indoor biking. You could do outdoor biking. More and more communities are building bike trails available for public usage. Ever considered dance aerobics? That will boost up your cardio. Running is also a great way to get your heart pumping. Many sports can also help your heart. There are so many exercises to choose from, you will most certainly find something that works for you. Doing exercises at home will save you a lot of money and time. Going to the local gym in your area almost always requires a monthly membership.

Exercising regularly and maintaining a good balanced diet will ensure great health benefits and active life. You will live longer and you will get to enjoy life's greatest wonders. Exercise bikes are also affordable. You really have nothing to lose. Researching the availability of cycling bikes could be a fun challenge to take on. That is what life is, full of excitement and unpredictability. Choosing the right bicycle and the right exercise regimen for you could well be the greatest investment you will ever make.

Also research other health benefits related to cardiovascular exercise. You could even meet some long term friends in the process. This is a victory for you when you purchase a piece of equipment that you like and will use for something besides a clothes rack. You will have a heart of gold once you know the potential health benefits of exercising.

By Michael Joshua

A Review of the Top Exercise Bike Ratings

Exercise bikes are still very popular pieces of equipment in the home fitness field. Although treadmills has taken over the number one sales spot, exercise bikes still get plenty of attention. No doubt, many people are drawn to them because of the familiarity of design. What can be simpler than the design of a bicycle? And riding a bicycle has very good health benefits as we all know.

But which exercise bike is best for you? Actually, the first question to ask is which exercise bike type best for you? You need to answer that question because there are two main types or styles of exercise bikes available for sale. One is the upright bike and the other is the recumbent bike. The upright style looks most like a normal bicycle with a seat and handlebars, and pedals underneath. The recumbent style of exercise bike can look completely different, with a seat that you actually lay in while you work the pedals out in front of you. Either type of exercise bike seems to perform well when it comes to giving you a good thorough cardio workout. So the choice is actually a matter of preference rather then effectiveness.

But which models seem to be rated the best overall? There have been several independent reviews made of exercise bikes over the years, and lots of consumer reviews are available online as well. By going through them, you can get a good feel for both the models that you want to buy, and those that you should stay away from. We have made a search of these available exercise bike reviews and ratings, and here are some recommendations that we can make based on our findings.

1. The Life Fitness C3-5 upright and the Life Fitness R3-5 recumbent bikes are extremely well reviewed and rated highly by almost everyone. In general, Life Fitness exercise bikes seem to get good ratings anyway. But these models enjoy particularly good ratings. They are both packed with features like 20 levels of resistance, an integrated heart rate monitor, and 10 pre-programmed workouts that you can choose from. Another great feature is that they are very solid and sturdy, supporting up to 400 lbs., meaning that even some of the largest consumers will be able to safely use them. And Life Fitness also stands behind their products with a very solid warranty.Expect to pay about $1800 for each.

2. Another manufacturer that gets very high marks in many exercise bike reviews is Schwinn. Of course, Schwinn has been in the bike business for years now, and is no stranger to the exercise bike field. Perhaps one of the best features about Schwinn exercise bikes is how much you get for the money. They don't tend to come loaded up with all the bells and whistles, so if you want all of that you probably need to look elsewhere. But what they do give you is a solid machine for a very good price. For instance the Schwinn 113 upright and Schwinn 213 recumbent models only cost around $600, but they still have a 300 lbs. weight capacity, 16 resistance levels, and 10 programs to choose from, making it a great value in the exercise bike genre. Expect to pay about $600 for these models.

There are other exercise bike manufacturers and models that have received positive ratings and reviews. For instance,Tunturi exercise bikes have also been rated highly many times in the past by both product reviewers and consumers alike. But the two models we listed above seem to rise to the top of most exercise bike ratings and reviews on a consistent basis, and we feel that they would be a good choice for almost anyone.

By Thad Pickering