If you’re in the market for a home exercise machine, it’s natural to wonder, what is a recumbent exercise bike? These are bikes that you ride in a reclined position, and many people prefer to use them for cardiovascular and lower body workouts. They are comfortable to ride if you have lower back pain and if you enjoy longer rides, they may be the ideal choice. In this article, we will take a closer look at recumbent exercise bikes to help you make an informed choice.
What Is A Recumbent Exercise Bike?
Many people that have tried to use a traditional exercise bike with no success are surprised when they try a recumbent bike. They are far more comfortable, and people new to riding or cardio workouts, in general, will find it easy to get started with this type of exercise bike. If you enjoy using a stationary recumbent exercise bike and you want to venture out on the road, you can find models that operate in the same way.
Riding a Recumbent Exercise Bike
Because you can ride a recumbent exercise bike in a reclined position, you can watch TV or read as you ride. During a longer ride, many people get bored, and this makes it harder to get a full workout. But, these distractions are not necessarily going to diminish the workout intensity if you continue to ride throughout your chosen fitness routine.
A recumbent exercise bike is also a good choice for experienced bike riders too. This is especially true if you’re recovering from an injury and/or you need to ride for longer periods of time. When you ride in this position, you will notice that upping the resistance, varying pedaling speeds, and even cycling backward are significant challenges. So, you will find that it’s easier to tailor a workout to meet your own fitness levels and goals.
History Of The Recumbent Exercise Bike
The popularity of recumbent bikes has risen and fallen through the years, and they have their origins dating back to the late 1890s. The earliest models were not a success, and yet a wide variety of patents and designs were put forward for consideration. The first person to make an impact in the field was Charles Mochet, who was a French car inventor in the 1930s.
To create an affordable mode of transport in the economic downturn after the end of World War I, Charles Mochet invented the “Velocar” bike. This was a fast four-wheeled bike for road use with a recumbent riding position. The modest success inspired the inventor to create a two-wheeled variant that was more maneuverable to turn corners. This was the first incarnation of a recumbent bike design that we would recognize today.
Popularity of the Recumbent Exercise Bike in 1970’s
This early recumbent bike gained popularity when the cyclist Francois Faure began to break speed records. But, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) governing body banned recumbent bikes from cycling competitions because they were not “real bicycles.” From that point onwards, recumbent bikes lost a great deal of popularity, and there was no resurgence in interest until the 70s.
During this decade, recumbent bikes were mass produced for the first time, and they gradually gained popularity again. Today, recumbent bikes are a popular choice for recreational riders and commuters looking for extra comfort in busy urban riding environments.
Is A Recumbent Exercise Bike Harder To Pedal?
Recumbent exercise bikes have an unjustified stigma of not being as effective as upright variants with regard to calorie burning. But, the calorie burn is largely determined by the duration and intensity of the workout. So, a recumbent exercise bike can be as effective as an upright bike.
In fact, because recumbent bikes are more comfortable, many people find it easier to ride for longer periods on them. It’s also possible to push harder and pedal faster for longer, and this will burn more calories. So, if you’re looking to ride an exercise bike for optimum weight loss, it’s a good idea to choose a recumbent model.
The Benefits of a Recumbent Exercise Bike
To comprehensively answer the question, what is a recumbent exercise bike? It’s important to look at the specific benefits that these models offer for new and experienced riders. These include:
Comfort When Riding Recumbent Bike
A recumbent exercise bike has a backrest that offers full back support throughout the workout. The seats tend to be larger with extra padding, which reduces the saddle soreness that many riders experience. Riding a recumbent bike is easier on the joints, and it can help the rider to restore a full range of motion. If the weather is bad outdoors, you can ride for a long time indoors with no loss of calorie burning.
Customization of the Exercise Bike
The speed variable resistance levels available on a recumbent exercise bike make this a great choice for customized workouts. The incline settings can be adjusted to simulate a real riding experience up and down hills to make the workout easier or harder as needed. This customization promotes muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness, and even people with cardiac limitations can dial in settings to meet their needs.
Recumbent Exercise Bike Safety
A recruitment exercise bike reduces the stress placed on joints during a ride. Because the body position is reclined, the workout is much easier on the lumbar spine (lower back). This makes a reclined riding position an ideal choice for people with lower back injuries and cardiac limitations. If you have balance issues, you will find recumbent bike riding safer because the risk of falling off the equipment is much lower than on an upright bike, stair climber, or treadmill.
Conclusion: Recumbent Exercise Bike
We hope that we’ve answered the question what is a recumbent exercise bike? to your satisfaction. To summarize, a recumbent bike reduces the stress on joints, muscles, and the lower back because the rider is riding in a reclined position. This makes these bikes a perfect choice for anyone with lower limb injuries, lower back problems, and wheelchair users. The bike seat is positioned low and close to the ground, which makes it easy to get on and off the machine. This relatively low position also reduces the chance of any injury due to falling, mounting, or dismounting the exercise bike. These are a popular choice for seniors that want to improve mobility and burn calories. The only real drawback is that a recumbent bike doesn’t work the upper body at all.