Exercise Bikes Review » exercise bikes

Exercise Bikes vs. Treadmills

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:33:22 +0000

You’ve decided you want to exercise at home. There are hundreds of pieces of home cardio equipment available. The most popular are treadmills and exercise bikes. In deciding between the two, you should compare long-term sustainability, the effectiveness of the workouts, and safety.
Overcoming Boredom
The biggest obstacle to a home exercise routine is sticking with it. You don’t have to drive to a gym, so your home fitness equipment is more convenient. The problem is that other distractions are just as convenient at home. The key is to make your routine fun. You want to look forward to your daily workout. You have to be realistic. Playing with the heart rate monitor or watching the calorie counter go up will only be fun the first couple of times you exercise.
o Treadmill vs. Boredom
On a treadmill, you walk. Walking isn’t that fun. You can walk at different speeds, but that isn’t really much more fun. If you get a treadmill that offers an incline, that keeps it a bit more interesting. Walking uphill isn’t exactly fun, but it’s different. It presents a challenge.
You can’t really read on a treadmill because you are bouncing up and down. You can’t keep your eyes on the same sentence, and you usually end up with a headache. Basically, the only thing fun to do on a treadmill is watch television or movies. If you are really into TV or movies and are able to put your treadmill in front of a television, you can probably keep your treadmill workout from becoming too boring. Problems consist of commercials, the noise coming from the machine, and again, the bouncing.
o Exercise Bikes vs. Boredom
Exercise bikes are unique in that many of them come programmed with various biking routines. You simulate different courses that require you to sprint, pedal uphill, and perform at different levels within one workout without having to keep pressing buttons and changing everything. You can even select random programs so you don’t know what’s coming, which really keeps you on your toes. Some exercise bikes can even be plugged into televisions and video games to let you interactively pedal through visual courses.
On upright exercise bikes, you run into some of the same problems as treadmills as far as reading is concerned. Recumbent bikes, however, allow your hands to be free to hold a book or magazine, video game controller, or phone. Multi-tasking during an exercise bike workout keeps it from becoming boring and allows your workout to more easily fit into a busy schedule.
Defeating boredom to successfully keep up a long-term exercise routine is much easier with an exercise bike than a treadmill.
The Calorie Factor
In a study conducted by Nordic Track, young, healthy people used various exercise machines and did cardio workouts. Although they felt they used the same intensity on all machines, they burned the most calories on treadmills and ski machines.
On average, most people burn about 750 calories per hour on a treadmill. The same people are likely to burn about 550 calories per hour on an exercise bike. So it’s a no-brainer, right? You should get a treadmill because they burn more calories.
Well, not exactly. You can’t get so caught up in which machine burns the most calories. You have to take a lot of other factors into consideration. How likely are you to sustain a treadmill routine as opposed to an exercise bike routine?
Because exercise bikes are usually more fun than treadmills, you are much more likely to stick with it long-term. This means that even though you can burn more calories on a treadmill, you are also more likely to stop using it altogether.
You might also find it difficult to use it long enough per workout session to get the full benefits. Most people find it easier to workout for 20 minutes on an exercise bike than 20 minutes on a treadmill. You have to think about that. If you are likely to only do 10 minutes on a treadmill but can easily do 20 minutes on an exercise bike, you will burn more calories per session on an exercise bike.
So just going strictly by the numbers, treadmills burn more calories. If you easily get bored or have tried and failed to stick with exercise routines in the past, you might want to consider burning less calories per hour in favor of a sustainable long-term exercise bike regimen.
Your Safety
The biggest difference between exercise bikes and treadmills is overall safety to your body.
The first case of safety is the most basic. You can fall off of a treadmill. It’s very difficult, however, to fall off of an exercise bike. In fact, you would probably have to try to fall when riding an exercise bike. While you might be thinking you’d have to be pretty clumsy to fall while walking, it happens more than you’d think. People get involved with watching television or the beat of music. One wrong step and you can seriously injure yourself. It’s also possible to spill water or sweat on the treadmill track, causing a safety hazard you might not notice until after you’ve slipped.
Another safety hazard is injury from the activity itself. A treadmill puts quite a bit of stress on your joints, especially your knees and ankles. Even if you invest in a treadmill with some degree of shock absorption, when you eventually get to a jogging or running point, you can put severe orthopedic stress on your body, even up to three times your body weight. People with existing conditions such as arthritis will find a treadmill painful at times due to this stress. Otherwise healthy individuals can sustain injury and possible long-term damage over time.
Exercise bikes put much less stress on your joints. A properly positioned exercise bike supports your weight and still allows you to receive the benefits of a higher impact cardio workout. Upright bikes can sometimes stress your back in the way you have to bend to reach the handlebars. Recumbent exercise bikes, however, can actually improve existing back pain by forcing proper posture and giving support as you exercise. On any exercise bike properly used, your knees and ankles are not stressed as they are on a treadmill.
The less you stress joints, the less likely you are to sustain an injury during your workout. You are also less likely to be sore afterwards. Most importantly, a non-workout injury doesn’t always have to halt your exercise routine on an exercise bike. If you hurt your back or neck, you will find the support of a recumbent exercise bike will keep you from having to stop your exercise regimen altogether. Let’s face it – if you have to stop, you are less likely to start again.
An Exercise Bike is Better for Your Health than a Treadmill
As you can see, both pieces of home fitness equipment have advantages. While the treadmill continues to be the most popular piece of home gym equipment, most people are more likely to faithfully use an exercise bike. This means you’re more likely to have to dust a treadmill until it gets the garage sale sticker.

Exercise Bikes for a Heart-pounding Workout

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:32:54 +0000

Exercise bikes help improve fitness and stamina, and allow you to vigorously exercise both your lower body and upper body at the same time. The health benefits of exercise bikes are numerous. Aside from burning calories and losing weight, you can also improve your heart rate, strengthen your leg muscles and maintain your agility.

There are several types of exercise bikes available on the market today designed to meet different fitness and exercise needs. Some models are designed for fitness and stamina training, while other models are designed for stretching out and strengthening muscles.

So before you purchase an exercise bike, you need to first decide on your fitness and training goals.

There are three major types of exercise bikes available: the recumbent, upright, and the indoor cycling bikes.

The seat on a recumbent bike allows riders to recline against a backrest and to extend their legs forward for pedaling. It is great for people suffering from back pain as this sitting posture lessens the stress on the spine. Recumbent bikes provide a great workout to the lower body, and also provide an excellent cardiovascular workout. They are very useful when it comes to physical therapy and endurance training.

The seat on an upright bike allows riders to sit astride the saddle. It is so designed to lessen the effort to pedal as riders can use their body weight when pedalling. Cyclists often use upright bikes as a warm up equipment.

Indoor bikes, also called the spinning machine, are the most common exercise bikes offered. Riders can also pedal backwards, allowing them to exercise the back part of the leg muscles that are not exercised during forward pedaling.

Exercise bikes offer a heart pounding yet low-impact workout, while maintaining the ability to go at your own pace. They help you lose the extra pounds and help you get slimmer. They are also very affordable compared to other exercise machines.

What To Look For In The Best Exercise Bikes

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:47:28 +0000

Exercise bikes are a very popular feature of many fitness gyms, and they are quickly becoming a staple of the home exercise machine industry too. They offer the advantages of a good, solid cardio workout combined with a very low impact technique. They are perfect for folks who have injuries or sensitive joints that don’t take well to higher impact machines like treadmills. So what do you look for when you shop for exercise bikes?
The first thing you are going to find is that there are two different styles of exercise bikes available. One is the upright bike and the other is the recumbent bike. You’re probably very familiar with the former, although you may have seen the latter and did not realize it. The upright bike looks very much like a regular bicycle, only it seems to be missing one or both wheels. The recumbent bike on the other hand has a strange appearance, as if the petals had been taken from their position on the bottom and moved out in front of the machine instead. And most of the time an exerciser actually lays down into the recumbent bike in order to exercise on it.
When you consult the independent exercise bike reviews and ratings both online and off-line, you find that it really doesn’t matter much which type of bike you choose. Either an upright or recumbent exercise bike will give you the exercise that you need. Which you choose depends more on your own personal preference and comfort level.
Some things that you need to look for on the best exercise bikes are easy and extensive height adjustments that will fit almost anyone. Any exercise machine will not be used very often if it is not comfortable enough to be used regularly. So make sure that the seat fits you, or that you can get a seat that will fit you without too much trouble. Pedals should be easy to operate and have a method of strapping your feet in place so they don’t fall off.
For safety sake, make sure that all moving parts are covered with some sort of shroud, eliminating the possibility that small children or others can get caught in the machine and suffer injury.
The bike that you choose should also match your weight level. Each machine comes with its own weight rating that you should observe very carefully. The very best exercise bikes have high weight ratings, on up to 300 to 400 lbs. So if your purpose of buying the exercise bike is to lose weight, be sure that the model you choose will support your current weight level.
A heart rate monitor is a very important piece of equipment for almost any exercise machine to have available. It will help you monitor your workouts more closely, and make sure that you are getting the most calorie burning exercise for the time that you are investing. The best exercise bikes even include an interactive heart rate monitor that will adjust your workout intensity for you as needed to make sure that you are burning the most calories possible in the time allotted for your exercise session.
Also consider the warranty when you buy, looking for a warranty that provides for at least the first full year of use including labor. To get most of these features that we have discussed as being common on the best exercise bikes, you can expect to pay anywhere from $600 – $1500 for a high quality bike. So do your homework and test drive each model you are interested in beforehand to find the exercise bike that will work best for you.

Sunlite Cloud Nine Gel Bicycle Seat Cover, for Cruiser or Exercise Bikes

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 05:31:19 +0000

Durable Lycra top
Thick foam padding
High tech gel cushion
Non-slip bottom with a locking drawstring for a secure fit
11″ wide, 12″ long fits most cruiser and exerciser bikes (photo shown is for ATB model)

Product Description
BRAND NEW AND READY TO SHIP DONT MISS OUT ON THIS EXCELLENT PRODUCT… More >>

Sunlite Cloud Nine Gel Bicycle Seat Cover, for Cruiser or Exercise Bikes

Reviews And Advice For Exercise Bikes

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 09:42:40 +0000

Two types of exercise bikes are available. The design of the upright bike resembles that of a typical road bike but they are stationary. The pedals are positioned below the rider and puts added stress on the joints. The seat on the recumbent bike’s seat resembles chairs and the pedals are out in front of the rider so that pedaling is more natural and puts less stress on the joints. Other types of exercise bikes are available as well. Dual action exercise bikes are upright bikes that have moveable bars or arm handles. You use both of your arms and your legs on this bike. While using this bike you will experience aerobic activity and upper body toning. There is variety with resistance bikes as well. With direct tension bikes you can manually adjust the resistance you use. The cycling motion on a bike with flywheels is like regular cycling motion. Bikes with air assistance get resistance by pedaling against the airflow of a fan blade. The most sophisticated resistance bikes are magnetic frictionless resistance bikes. These bikes provide greater variety of workout levels. On more advanced bikes there are feedback mechanisms that show the following readouts: speed, time, distance , total calories and fat burned, program mode, resistance levels, pulse, heart rate, and work out levels (RPM, watts, METS, mpm’s, and mph/kph). The bike you choose to purchase will depend on your wants and needs. The type of workout you’re looking for will also influence your choice of bikes. A great cardio workout focused on the quadriceps is provided by an upright bike. You are seated in a reclining position on a recumbent bike. Your back is supported by the seat and your legs are out in front of you. The hamstring muscles and the gluteus muscles get worked. Your lower back is less stressed on a recumbent bike. Some upright exercise bikes will have handlebars that move in a simulated rowing motion. Your back and chest and your arm and back muscles will get a workout. You will get an excellent cardiovascular workout and calorie burning experience with both of these bikes. The bike should be matched to your size. Exercise bikes for the most part are easily adjusted for almost any body type. There is a variety of reasons why people use exercise bikes. Cyclists use them to keep up their level of fitness in the off season. Many people feel embarrassed about exercising in front of people so they use them at home. Physical therapy programs also use exercise bikes in their programs to promote healing and the regaining the use of knee and hip joints. Some cardiac rehab programs use them as well, to promote endurance and greater cardiac health. Exercise bikes can be purchased in sports stores, department stores like Wal-mart or Sears, as well as online. Buying them from a store makes it easier to match the bike to your space, to your body size, and your budget. Buying online creates the risk of you not getting exactly what you ordered. The bike you ordered may not have the exact specs or may be bigger or smaller than what you ordered. Taking delivery is another problem with ordering online. It is very likely that the delivery company will not bring it into your house, you will have to bring it in and set it up. Even though you are buying it in a store this is true, unless you contract with someone to do the entire process including setting it up. You can purchase service contracts from a store like Sears, in case of a problem. No matter what the reason you have for purchasing an exercise bike, it will only work if you use it. You should check with your doctor to make sure you are healthy before starting a new exercise routine. At first you should start out slow and build up endurance. Your endurance will improve if you start out slow. Have fun, be safe and be healthy.

Exercise Bikes: Easy Option for Being Healthy

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 02:51:08 +0000

At present, every fitness and workout center provide exercising bikes, which has wide range of designs. Exercise Bicycles are special-purpose exercise machines that look like a bicycle but are used for exercising and not transportation, so exercise bike should not be taken out on rocks or mountains. The most popular exercise bike designs that are used by people include stationary bikes, cardio bikes, recumbent bikes and spinner bikes. Different exercise bikes have various methods of resistance like magnetic, air or flywheel. Some people change their ordinary bicycle into stationary exercise bicycle by placing it on rollers or on a trainer.
Different exercise bikes
Stationary exercise bikes help in slimming down by burning extra fats during exercises. There are three styles of stationary exercise bikes that include upright, semi-recumbent, and recumbent which are available on different prices. The user can sit comfortably on these bikes while reading, watching TV or having a conversation.
The recumbent bike is designed in ergonomic way, which increases the pedaling efficiency as well as comfort for extended riding. In recumbent bikes the user can sit in a chair-shaped seat and do pedaling on the pedals out in front. These bikes help in increasing stamina and also strengthen the muscles in legs, arms and improve the overall functions of heart. The people suffering from lower back pain and joint pain can do workout on this bike easily.
As the name suggest, Cardio bikes work on the cardiovascular system of the body. One can do both hard and easy training on Cardio Bikes just with the flick of a wrist. Cardio bikes strengthen the muscles of legs; improve the core stability and increase blood flow.
Features of exercise bikes
Exercise bikes are safe as there are minimal chances of falling from it. This bike produces no stress on body parts like knees and ankles so it is really beneficial for people suffering from arthritis. If the stress is less, then the probability of sustaining an injury during workout is less.
There are Exercise bikes that are programmed according to various biking routines so now you don’t have to keep pressing the buttons to change different training level, as it will automatically switch over to the next level. Even some exercise bikes can be plugged into televisions and one can pedal while watching visual courses.
Before Buying a Bike
Before buying an exercise bike one should look out for the options depending on the needs like budget, room space and type of bike. One can check out different exercise bikes offered at discount rates on various websites. There are options of old bikes in good condition, which can be appropriate for moderate user. One should also take some suggestions from the gym trainer and friends who are already using a bike to get a good one for you.
With the inception of spinner bike people have become more curious to use the exercise bikes as it not only burns calorie but also gives you an easy option of doing intense workout.

Exercise Bikes: Healthy Tips

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:41:46 +0000

Many people tend to overlook the fact that weight loss is hard work, there’s really no magic potions to ignore. It is a fundamental approach to weight loss that most people are working very well. better food and the exercise to your daily routine. Did you know that 3,500 calories equals one pound? To lose one pound miserable, you must eliminate 3500 calories from your diet. The best way to do to consume less and exercise more. These two things combined are a powerful regimes. To continue to use exercise bikes, treadmills, steppers, step counter, counters, etc. are the calories burned. Against weeds of empty calories by cutting sugary drinks and replace them with clean water cold. Did you know that cold water can actually help speed up your metabolism? It can really try it. When I be able to choose a device, I would choose to exercise bikes. When I started, I had trouble using my body to work better. With exercise bikes for the greater flexibility allowed, and burned more calories in less time. bikes are not as intense as a stepper or a treadmill, but still a very effective calorie burner. This made it easier for me to keep my exercise routine. Try not to get bogged down in a workout. Turn your daily routine to keep boredom from setting to take your favorites, and training now to start getting a better job tomorrow.

Compact Exercise Bikes, Fitness in a Small Space

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:38:02 +0000

Not everyone feels comfortable enough to go to the gym regularly. Therefore, it is a home fitness equipment. But if you live in an apartment? You are probably running out of room. Enter the bicycle Compact. Compact exercise bike is ideal for people who live in small quarters, but want the convenience of a piece of home fitness equipment. How did their counterparts in gymnastics, cycling compact home with a wide range of features and add-ons. Compact bike coming in a variety of prices. If you are a beginner, for example, if the bike Schwinn models 101 and 131 Both bikes are very well done and very reasonable in price. Nowadays everybody is looking for a bargain, and why not? Bikes are no exception. A quick look on eBay or Craigslist is many used exercise bikes, bicycle and uses is not necessarily a cheap bike! Make sure you do a lot of research before you land the money for a bike-hand. Compact Bicycles are both standing and lying variety, although generally upright exercise bikes almost always have a smaller footprint than their cousins in bed. But recumbents will always be the best bike for more comfort. So if you do feel attached to the gym, watching TV can work for you, but live in a small space, consider purchasing one of the numbers of compact bike on the market today !

Redmon Fun & Fitness Happy Bike

admin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:50:02 +0000

Product Description
Redmon Fun & Fitness Happy Bike:26.75 in. H x 14 in. W x 21.5 in. L

The W. C. Redmon Co., Inc. is proud to present our latest innovative products for children under the ‘Redmon for Kids’ logo. This Fun & Fitness equipment keeps children moving with

Redmon Fun and Fitness Exercise Equipment for Kids - Happy Bike

Binding: Baby Product
Manufacturer: RedmonUSA

List Price: USD 129.99
Lowest New Price: USD 74.00

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.

Features:

Just like mom or dad's with odometer
Kid safe, low impact and self propelled
Meets CPSIA requirements And Standards; dimensions 21.5" by 14" by 26 3/4"
Tension and seat height adjustment, sturdy and no paint
Odometer with time, speed, distance and calories

Product Information and Prices stored: September 7, 2010, 16:14

Pure Fitness Dual Action Fan Exercise Bike

admin — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:44:01 +0000

Product Description
Dual action fan bike is perfect for the cardio workout, 5-function electronics, dual action handles, soft polyurethane seat.

Train like the pros with the compact yet sturdy Pure Fitness fan bike, featuring dual-action handles for added upper body workout, 5-function electronics and a soft, comfortable seat to make your cardio workout more enjoyable.

Pure Fitness Dual Action Fan Exercise Bike

Binding: Sports
Manufacturer: Pure Fitness

List Price: USD 249.99

Average Rating:

Features:

Dual-action fan exercise bike for full-body workouts
Pair of dual-action handles work your upper body
Soft, comfortable polyurethane seat
5-function electronics console tracks your progress
Fan resistance system; 90-day warranty

Product Information and Prices stored: September 7, 2010, 16:14

Exercise Bikes Review » exercise bikes

Exercise Bikes vs. Treadmills

Related posts:

Exercise Bikes for a Heart-pounding Workout

Related posts:

What To Look For In The Best Exercise Bikes

Related posts:

Sunlite Cloud Nine Gel Bicycle Seat Cover, for Cruiser or Exercise Bikes

Related posts:

Reviews And Advice For Exercise Bikes

Related posts:

Exercise Bikes: Easy Option for Being Healthy

Related posts:

Exercise Bikes: Healthy Tips

Related posts:

Compact Exercise Bikes, Fitness in a Small Space

Related posts:

Redmon Fun & Fitness Happy Bike

Redmon Fun and Fitness Exercise Equipment for Kids - Happy Bike

Related posts:

Pure Fitness Dual Action Fan Exercise Bike

Pure Fitness Dual Action Fan Exercise Bike

Related posts: