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Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike
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A To Z about Recumbent Bikes
Obesity is one of the most dangerous enemies one can ever imagine to fight against in his entire life. If ignored, it can lead to the commencement of several health diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Doctors say that regular exercising is the best way to fight obesity, which will eventually reduce your risk of facing other related health problems in the long run. However, one major factor, which does not allow many people to exercise regularly, is time. Most of you must be busy executives, who often find yourselves working long hours in your office. For people like you, finding enough time to do proper justice to your body in a nearby gym is next to impossible. The best alternative is to exercise at home. There are several exercising machines which have come out in the market. One of the popular ones is the recumbent bikes.
What Actually Is A Recumbent Bike?
Most of you may not have heard the name of this type of exercising machine. You must have seen people exercising on spin bikes at home. A recumbent bike is more or less similar to a spin bike. The only basic difference lies in the position in which a person exercises. On a recumbent bike, a person has to sit down comfortably before he starts pedaling. It has a chair like seat which allows a person to sit down and back, so that the body weight is taken completely off the upper back.
This allows the person to concentrate on his legs while pedaling. A recumbent bike is especially suitable for those who suffer from any sort of back problems, whether on the lower portion or the upper portion. You will also not feel any sort of hard hitting actions on both your knees, which is quite characteristic to running on the treadmill. In short, you exercise on a recumbent bike in the normal leg cycling motion without putting any sort of pressure on your back.
Points To Consider While Shopping For a Recumbent Bike
Is it the first time that you have decided to buy a recumbent bike for your home use? There are several factors to keep in mind while shopping for one. With these points in mind, it will make things much simpler for you to choose the right model. Here are some of the factors discussed.
- Track Your Progress Effectively: Wouldn’t it be nice if you could track your daily progress on the machine effectively? There are several bikes which come with a data tracking machine. It displays the calorie burnt, distance covered, and time taken to cover the said distance. These will help you push yourself further each day in order to get back in shape.
- Adjustment of Resistance and Workout Programs: When shopping for a recumbent bike, make sure to shop for one which comes with the feature of resistance adjustment and a list of pre-programmed workouts. Resistance is the key while working out on such bikes. On a good quality bike, you can easily adjust the resistance to give you the challenge while working out. These high quality models also come with pre-programmed workouts which can help you get better results while exercising on a recumbent bike.
- Size of The Flywheel: It is good to know that the larger the flywheel of a recumbent bike, the better experience you will have while exercising on it. If you wish to feel as if you are riding a real bike on the road, a large flywheel is important.
- Load Capacity: Make sure to choose a bike which comes with a greater capacity to carry weight. Most of the recumbent bikes available in the market come with the normal capacity of 113 kgs or 250 lbs.
- Your Budget: It is needless to say that not all types of recumbent bikes come at the same price. If you are on a tight budget and do not require a bike with loads of features, then opting for a cheaper model should be a good option for you. On the other hand, if you wish to buy a recumbent bike with the latest features, then choosing one from amongst the top models will be a suitable thing to do.
- Available Space: Buying any exercise machine will take up a good amount of space in your house. Even if you choose a compact model, you certainly need space in order to use the machine comfortably. This is why always check to see if you have the much needed space at home before you decide to buy such a machine for your daily use.
Advantages of Using a Recumbent Bike
If you have never exercised on a recumbent bike, then you will not understand the benefits of doing so. Here are a few advantages mentioned.
- Low-Impact And Intense Workout: Try any other machine, such as a spin bike or a treadmill, you will feel a lot of pressure being thrust on your legs. This, in turn, may harm your ankles, back, hips, and knees. Although you may not feel any pain in such areas at the beginning, with time you will surely feel the pain, which may even force you to stop exercising. However, if you use a recumbent bike, there is no fear of causing any damage to your upper and lower back, as well as, your knees, hips, and ankles. At the same time, the workout will surely be quite challenging and intense.
- Achieve Great Cardio Benefit: It is a known fact that no other exercising machine has ever proved itself worthy in toning the butt and legs of the user as much as a recumbent bike. It has also been noticed that pedaling on such a bike can also help you achieve great cardio levels right in the comfort of your home. According to research, if your heart rate can reach the level equivalent to that of cardio fitness, in as much as 20 minutes, then it is a great achievement.
- Save Your Hard Earned Money: It is needless to say that if you have a recumbent bike at home, you can surely save the money on the gym membership and on your car gas.
How Does A Recumbent Work?
If you often visit your nearby gym, you must have seen people sitting comfortably on a bike and pedaling for hours without feeling any pressure on their legs or back. This bike is the recumbent bike. Although it is quite similar to a spin bike, the only difference lies in the way the user sits on it and the method of pedaling. A recumbent bike is designed in a very ergonomic fashion, which allows the user to sit comfortably on it. Unlike a spin bike, the user has to pedal in-front rather than pedal down. It has a flywheel which rotates as the user starts to pedal. Resistance can be altered with the help of a magnetic application on the flywheel. The parts of your body which get proper workout on such a bike are the calves, glutes, thighs, and abdomen.
Ways to Maintain Your Bike
Just like any other machine, your recumbent bike can also get defective after prolonged use without proper and timely care. If you take good care of the machine, it will surely take care of your body for many days to come. However, the main question is, how to go about maintaining your recumbent bike. Here are some tips to assist you in such matters.
- Wipe It Daily: After you pedal for long hours on a recumbent bike, your perspiration is bound to drip on various parts of the machine. If you do not wipe away your perspiration from the bike after every use, it may gradually and surely damage the moving parts of the machine. Use a dry piece of cloth to wipe your bike after your exercising is complete. If needed, you may also use a mild solution to clean the different parts of the bike. Some of these parts may include the handle bars, the seat, the flywheel, and other sections of the bike.
- Check for Any Loose Screws: It is quite possible that after many days of usage, some of the screws may come loose. If you ignore this, it may result in some type of a serious accident in the future. This is why it is always suggested to keep an eye on any loose screws and to try and tighten them as soon as possible. It is always a good idea to fix such minor problems before they get to a point where using the bike becomes next to impossible or uncomfortable.
- Check for Signs of a Wear or Tear: With time, you may notice parts of the frame peeling off or some parts not allowing the machine to operate smoothly. During such situations, always seek help from a reliable and experienced repairman. Always remember not to try your hands at fixing any type of damage to the machine, as it may aggravate it.
- Oiling The Moving Parts: Since there are several parts of a recumbent bike, which move at the same time as the user starts to pedal, it is important to lubricate these parts on a regular basis. Use a good quality grease to do so. If you are not aware of which material to use, you may seek advice from an experienced repairman for the same.
Ways to Find Out About the Right Bike for Your Use
Most of you must be wondering how to decide which recumbent bike will be good enough for your daily use. There are several ways to solve this mystery. Discussed below are some ideas to help you in such a case.
- Research Online: One of the easiest and quickest ways to find out about the best suited bike as per your requirement is to research online. There are several websites which can give you detailed information on this matter and also give a comparison table on the various popular recumbent bike models available in the market. However, do make sure to check those sites which are reliable and provide the most updated information. When it comes to technology, what was once prevalent and popular, soon becomes obsolete.
- Ask A Trainer: If using the internet is not your cup of tea, you may ask a physical trainer, whom you may know personally. You may also ask the trainer in your local gym. With his experience and knowledge, he should be the right person to guide you in the right direction and give some fruitful advice on this subject.
- Seek Advice From A Friend: Do you know a friend or colleague who works out every day? If you trust his knowledge, then you may ask him to suggest a suitable recumbent bike for your daily use at home. However, it is not necessary to follow his suggestion blindly. You may crosscheck his suggestion by asking others or also by checking on the internet.
- Discuss With Dealers: You may also ask some of the dealers of stores which sell exercise machines in your town. Discuss about your needs and see what advice they give you.
In a way, buying a recumbent bike means investing your hard earned money on something, which will help you stay fit and strong for a long time. This is why it is very important to take your time while shopping for such machines. Think about all possible criteria, such as maintenance, cost involved in buying one, available time to use it on a regular basis, and a space to keep it at home, before you finally decide to go for it. Unnecessarily buying such a costly piece of equipment and not using it will make you feel unhappy about your idea. This is why try and avoid hasty decisions and think before buying a recumbent bike. Nonetheless, if you buy one and use it on a daily basis it will help your body and mind in several ways.
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