Rapid Weight Loss with Exercise Bikes

There are about a million and one different gadgets and gizmos out there on how to lose weight. Some of them of course will and can work for you, and others are more of joke. Few of them have stood the test of time like exercise bikes have. Often times called stationary bikes or exercise bicycles; this piece of exercise equipment was designed with a few ideas in mind. These bikes are often used by racing cyclists or people who perform triathlons in order to practice bike riding while not having to leave the comfort of their own home or gym. This would also allow a trainer to stand side by side with them to critique their form and performance. Just as common, however, are those who use exercise bikes simply for exercise or for weight loss.

The Exercise Bike versus Treadmill Debate

Trying to decide which is ‘better’ between an exercise bike or a treadmill (or elliptical machine or any other cardio exercise machine) is a tough debate. You have to ask the question, what are you looking for in a piece of exercise equipment?  Anything that is going to allow you to work your muscles is going to serve its purpose, but of course some might be better than others depending on your situation. Personally, I have always felt that if I use an exercise bike, I am going to have to give it a little bit more, be it stay on for a longer period of time or go at a faster pace, if I want to get the same workout that I might get from running on a treadmill. Although that might be the case for me, it is commonly accepted that working out on an exercise back at a ‘vigorous’ pace for one hour is the equivalent of running for an hour at a speed of 7 miles per hour. Either one of those would be quite a workout, as at my current weight I would likely burn 1200 calories doing so!

Care of Your Body and Joints

One of the best parts of using an exercise bike over a treadmill is how much easier it is on your joints. Many athletes or would-be dieters have joint problems, commonly in their knees, that prevent them from running long distances outdoors, or even on a treadmill. Exercise bikes can prevent this problem by allowing the same person who might not be able to run for even more than 10 minutes, to be able to ride a stationary bike for 20 minutes, 30 minutes or virtually as long as they need to get a good workout.

If that wasn’t enough, exercise bikes are a common staple of the physical therapists office for this exact reason. A person has the ability to ride a bike for much longer than they could run, allowing them to work the muscles around an injury without doing further damage to any joints they might have previously hurt. Whether recumbent exercise bikes or regular is your choice, there are handfuls of brands of great bikes for you to choose from to accomplish your fitness goals, whatever they may be.