What to keep in mind when buying one?
Thanks to the internet today, it is straightforward to find the best exercise bikes on the market, being able to perform analysis, comparisons or read comments or reviews made by both experts in the field, as well as by other buyers, being one of the reasons that today it is much easier to acquire this class of products correctly.
But as in everything, there are particular cases and specific situations that need another treatment. Exercise bikes are not cheap products, so making a mistake in your choice can go a long way, both in the budget and concerning the motivation for their use. Therefore, as important as it is to take advantage of their benefits, it is also essential to know how to choose them correctly, according to the needs of each person.
Benefits of exercise bikes
Exercise bikes are seemingly simple machines that emulate a bicycle’s operation but are made to do exercises indoors. One of the first advantages of having one is that you do not need to leave home to stay in shape, which can be great for people who have hectic schedules and that prevent them from going to the gym, but also for those who for any reason would prefer to exercise at home.
In addition to that, of course, there are several benefits of exercise bikes when it comes to, more than anything, the health of those who use them:
Weight loss
One of the reasons its use has become popular is because, in addition to the simplicity of the workouts -suitable for any age and physical condition-, the caloric expenditure of the exercises performed is increased, so more weight is lost in less time.
Injury prevention
Many health professionals recommend cycling to prevent injuries, especially at the joint level – knees, ankles, shoulders, and wrists. An exercise bike fulfills precisely the same function. It helps prevent injuries and go incrementally demands the body for a better recovery if you have had one related to the primary muscle and joint groups that are worked.
Muscle strengthening
You could say that the muscle and brain oxygenation produced by exercise on an exercise bike would already be enough to decide on one. Still, the truth is that you can not fail to mention muscle strengthening as an advantage because it is pretty evident that after disciplined and frequent exercise sessions, the improvement of strength and aesthetics of the legs will be pronounced, which translates into better health and better self-esteem.
Other interesting benefits
A large number of people who want to exercise do not want to do it because they look much better -which is an indirect benefit in that case-, but they want to do it to reduce stress, anxiety, and blood pressure, very related to those symptoms with severe diseases and discomforts in the long term, especially at the cardiovascular and cerebral level.
Therefore, exercising merely, without leaving home, and with machines that increasingly have characteristics that bring them closer to the professionals of the training centers, will not only make you look better, but you will be taking care of your health in the long term.
What should be taken into account to acquire the right one?
Knowing the benefits -which are many more, it should be said-, it is time to summarise some of the characteristics that are non-negotiable to find the best models of exercise bikes, so that quality training is guaranteed and the results, too.
- Use and budget: From the beginning, the first thing to consider is a reality analysis. How long per day and per week will it be used? Is it needed for sporadic exercises or as an essential element in a training plan? What is the maximum budget?; By answering all those questions a buyer will be able to choose which stationary bike comes closest to their situation, which specifications will be most important and which they will be able to do without to meet the budget limit.
- The inertia wheel: the wheel or flywheel is the protagonist of the exercises, since with its weight it will provide sufficient stability and rigor to the exercises performed. Logic says that the heavier, the better for whoever uses it, but that will directly affect the final price of it. In the case of athletes or people who require high-performance training, the wheel should approach 15 kg; while for people who want to get in shape at home, any wheel between 7 and 10 kg will suffice.
- Technology: although not all, it is increasingly common to find exercise bikes with control panels and even with integration with mobile phones and physical exercise applications. It is always convenient to choose on the basis of what each user is interested or needs, since the satisfaction, comfort and control of this type of solutions will be valuable from a subjective point of view. However, it is always better to have all the amenities of technology to be able to always monitor,and comfortably, the physical performance of each training session.
- Noise level: taking into account that exercise bikes are mostly used indoors, it is not advisable to buy models that are very noisy. The type of transmission, the weight of the disc and the technology of the brakes directly influence the noise level, although if the best on the market stand out for something,it is because they are very quiet, ideal for those who want to train in a place that is shared with other people -who could be bothered by the noise-.
There are many ways to get in shape at home. Using professional machines is away, in turn, to increase profits and reduce the time to achieve goals. In that case, the exercise bike is one of the products that adapt to practically all situations due to its simplicity.
