13 Surprising Benefits Of Recumbent Exercise Bikes You must know
Do you love riding bikes? Have you been asking, “What are the benefits of recumbent exercise bikes?” If your answer is in the affirmative, you are so welcome because here are all the benefits of recumbent bikes you need to know.
Unlike the normal bikes that you ride on the road or spin bikes that you ride in an upright and streamlined posture, recumbent bikes are ridden in a relaxed position. You ride them while reclining in a comfortable position, and they are full of fun. Even if you are not a fan of bike riding, you will be captivated and tempted to ride and enjoy when you look at the comfort that recumbent bikes have.
Recumbent bikes give you a very easy time to the extent that you can multitask while riding them. For instance, you can chat on your phone, watch, read, and tell stories: you cannot get bored when riding these bikes. Even children, the old, and those who are recovering from injuries can ride these bikes comfortably.
With their recumbent bikes’ reclined position, their comfort level is unparalleled. They are manufactured in two versions: one is stationary, while the other one is mobile, and you can ride it on the road in the recumbent posture. Recumbent bikes fit everyone because even professional cyclists can decide to spend their time on these bikes when they are not in the mood to go out cycling.
Some of the features that recumbent bikes have include: upping the resistance, varying your pedaling speed, and cycling backward. This bike allows you to tailor your workout to be able to meet your goals in fitness. Fortunately, recumbent bikes are easy on your joints, and that is why they are fit even for the aged and those recovering from injuries.
What’s more about recumbent bikes?
Whoa! Imagine riding a bike with a nice seat for you to sit comfortably and a backrest to recline on and forget all your problems! The recumbent bike’s seat and backrest are cushioned to prevent you from getting numb and tired. Instead, you get submerged in a sea of comfort and relaxation as your legs continue pedaling.
Recumbent bikes offer the rider the necessary support, especially beneficial for a cardiovascular workout. When you pedal in a reclining position, the upper body is relieved from all the work. If you need back support, you get it in full. Those who have body pains in various parts of their bodies find recumbent bikes ideal.
Moreover, beginners also need back support because their bodies are not used to the streamlined riding positions that other bikes need.
Even if recumbent bikes’ riding position is quite comfortable, they give your legs the necessary exercise that you need. In addition, you can set your workout difficulty and intensity. Specifically, you can set the resistance and speed just like in spin bikes. Recumbent bikes are also all-inclusive because they accommodate riders of all levels, right from newbies, the aged, injured, amateurs, and professional cyclists.
Exercising On A Recumbent Bike
The parts of your body that recumbent bike exercises include the glute muscles, thighs, and calves with little effort if the resistance setting is low. It is easier to balance your body on a recumbent bike and sit comfortably than on other bikes.
Benefits Of Recumbent Exercise Bikes
Recumbent bikes are all-around and quite beneficial because of their make and design. When you get home tired or feel bored and heavy to do any other kind of exercise, you can decide to rest and relax. But instead of just sitting or lying on your couch watching TV or reading, you can choose to relax on the recumbent bike because it requires little strength to pedal it.
It is easy on you because it has been designed for comfort. That means it has no big difference with resting on your couch because the feeling is similar. You will keep fit, burn calories and fat, and lose weight as you continue resting on the recumbent bike.
However, this depends on the settings that you have set on the recumbent bike. For instance, if you key in high resistance settings, pedaling will not be easy on you, and you will have to strain and sweat a lot as you put more effort to pedal against high resistance. On the other hand, relaxed pedaling is only possible when you set the recumbent bike at a very low resistance.
These bikes are even found in some hospitals because they help patients to exercise during the healing process. Your back remains undisturbed as it rests on the bike’s backrest, and the hips do not move. That is why it is favorable for those who have pain in their upper body and the hip area.
Those who suffer from joint inflammation and other injuries do not sit on the bench watching others exercise. Instead, they can ride a recumbent bike and pedal it even for a long time without feeling pain.
A longer workout You could be a bike riding enthusiast, but you may not be able to do it for long due to diverse reasons. This leaves you with regrets and incredible longing, wishing that you could do it for as long as it takes. More so, if it is your body that limits your bike riding capacity, recumbent bikes give you the apt solution that you need.
With less straining, you can ride recumbent bikes for long because they do not pressure your joints. You also ride them in a relaxed position that is easy on your whole body if low resistance is.
1. Stability and balance
As you age, you gradually lose your body balance, and it gets worse as age continues to catch up. Finally, you reach a point and feel that you are not as stable as you used to be in your youthful years on an upright bike. Therefore, if you are riding on the road, you may stagger and fall.
A recumbent bike is like a chair with pedals that you ride very comfortably with nothing to worry about. You do not keep on thinking about balance because your stability is sure. You cannot stagger and fall on a recumbent bike unless you suffer from seizures or dizziness. But if you are healthy, you have nothing to worry about.
The bike gives your body the necessary support that it needs. In fact, you can even end up dozing off and find yourself on the recumbent bike and jump-start yourself to continue pedaling.
2. Backrest
Only a recumbent bike gives you the necessary backrest that you need. These bikes give you a very friendly exercise environment if you have back or hip pains. The upper body remains absolutely at rest and uninvolved in your ride. Only your legs do the pedaling, and you cannot complain about any back or hip pains.
3. Low impact workout
There is minimal pressure on your joints unless you set the recumbent bike at a very high resistance rate. This guarantees you that you will not work out and then get out of the recumbent bike limping.
4. Large seat
You sit comfortably on the recumbent bike because the manufacturer installs them with large, comfortable, and well-cushioned seats. Therefore, you can ride for long without getting numb or tired of sitting down.
5. Reclined position
The reclined position that a recumbent bike offers you facilitates you to be comfortable and to ease all workout pressure on your upper body: back and hips. In this position, the upper body remains still and undisturbed. That is why you can even engage in another activity like talking, watching, and reading as your legs continue pedaling gently.
6. Adjustable resistance
The recumbent bike is highly adjustable to give you the right position depending on your height or your preferred riding position. You can easily and quickly adjust the recumbent bike’s intensity to be at par with your level of fitness.
7. Core strength and lower body
A recumbent bike is designed to increase strength in your lower body. This is because all the muscles in your legs, like glutes, core, hamstrings, and quads, are involved in pedaling, and they work synergistically.
8. Indoor workout
Unlike normal bikes that you ride outdoors with all kinds of challenges like scorching sun, cold, snow, rain, dust, traffic, and accidents, stationary recumbent bikes are very safe because you ride them indoors with no challenges or risks.
You can ride the recumbent bike at any time of the day or night that you feel like, at the comfort of your house. Nothing limits you in any way, and you have nothing to worry about.
9. Weight loss
Like any other exercising facility in the gym, recumbent bikes are useful exercising tools that you can use to shed weight. When you set the resistance at a high rate, you will strain to pedal and burn calories as you continue sweating.
The number of calories you burn depends on the resistance level and the length of time that you ride the recumbent bike. If you set the resistance to be tough on you, you will put a lot of effort into the pedal against the resistance force, hence burning a high number of calories, and you shed weight. You can burn up to 600 calories per hour.
You can also use treadmills to lose your weight and you can read our guide about best under bed treadmill in our blog.
10. Upper body strength
You can integrate the recumbent bike with arm exercises so that you will have a full-body workout altogether. With such integration, you also exercise the shoulders, arms, chest, and back. This ensures that no part of your body is left behind hence an even body toning.
11. Safety
A recumbent bike does not pose any risk to the rider like normal bikes. For instance, if you are riding your bicycle on the road, you can be knocked down by careless drivers. Worn-out roads can also cause accidents, not to mention the terrain and bad weather. You can even be attacked by thieves and wild animals, depending on where you are riding.
With normal bicycles, you can easily be involved in life-threatening accidents and situations and even end up in a hospital bed, get maimed, be confined in a wheelchair, or even die. However, that is not the case with recumbent bikes, especially the stationary ones that you only ride indoors, and they have naught risks, and your safety is guaranteed.
12. Burning body fat
Burning body fat is directly proportional to the number of calories you burn. If you burn more calories than you consume per day, with time, you will find that your body is getting slimmer. This is because the fat in your body is burned and converted into energy that you use to pedal the recumbent bike with.
The higher the resistance, the more strength you apply on the pedal, hence burning more fat in your body so that it can afford the strength to continue pedaling.
A study was carried out in 2010 that found out that indoor cycling combined with low-calorie intake is effective in reducing body fat. Moreover, it also reduces the general body weight. The observation was made in all those who took part in the study. In addition, another observation was lowering the triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the body.
13. Boosting cardio fitness
Cycling on a recumbent bike has a great positive impact on your heart, and it is classified under cardiovascular workouts. This significantly improves the flow of oxygen and blood in your body, which is beneficial to you in the following ways:-
- Lower blood pressure
- Better mood
- Better sleep
- Improved brain functioning and memory
- Boosts your immunity
- Improved blood sugar levels
- Stronger body
- Low-stress levels
The above points are how recumbent bike cycling benefits you and how it is more user-friendly than other bikes.
Conclusion
These are the benefits of recumbent bikes, and the best thing about them is the comfort they offer you as long as you have set the resistance level correctly. Imagine pedaling a recumbent bike with a large comfortable seat and a cushioned backrest that adequately supports your back. That is precisely what recumbent bikes offer you, not to mention that they are easily adjustable to suit your desired pedaling posture and position.
