What are Recumbent Bikes?

The recumbent stationary bike is an exercise bike. It offers an easy aerobic workout indoor. This bike allows you to sit down and back to lift the weight off your upper back. In this bike, you can focus on the workout of the legs safely and comfortably. Plus, a recumbent bike is a great choice to achieve various physical fitness goals. So, if you want to workout indoor with a stationary exercise bike but don’t know which bike will work fine for you. Then keeping reading to know more about what are recumbent bikes. So that you can understand its importance and judge which bike to purchase.

What is the Recumbent exercise bike?

It is also a stationary exercise bike. But slightly different from the traditional bicycle. A recumbent bike is designed in such a way that you can sit back with full back support on a larger seat. The recumbent bike provides you an upper-body comfort. So, it allows you to focus only on challenging the lower body and cardiovascular system.

The recumbent exercise bike is uniquely constructed. So that you can sit closer to the ground in a seat where you can workout in a comfortable position.

In a recumbent bike, your back won’t feel any kind of pain while and after the workout.  It is due to the reclined position of the seat. Plus, due to handlebar free design of a recumbent bike allows your hand free during the workout. So, you can add some fun while working out like reading a book, playing your favorite games or texting anyone, etc.

We can say a recumbent bike is a good choice for those who have balance problems. Because the bike has a lower center of gravity as it sits very close to the ground.

A recumbent bike can allow you to burn the same amount of calories like other stationary bikes. But it not so effective in terms of getting a good cardio workout. Yet, they are very comfortable to use so you will feel more inclined to a longer workout. Thus, you can burn even more calories.

Nowadays a recumbent bike comes with various features which makes your workout simple. So below some features of recumbent bikes are given.

Some features of a Recumbent bike to consider:

Resistance Regulation and Pre-Programmed Workouts.

You can easily fine-tune the bike resistance level according to your choice. As a result, it creates more interest in people to do a challenging yet achievable workout. Plus, many recumbent bike displays enable you to regulate pre-programmed workouts. Also, some of them are tuned with a heart-rate monitor . It is to provide you a cardio workout which is led by your target heart rate level. Different resistance levels and pre-programmed workout fascinate people to try new challenges.

Flywheels.

Heavy flywheels are a great tool if you want to experience the road like momentum. Some models of the recumbent bike feature the perimeter-weighted flywheels. It is to enhance and stimulate the feeling of being on a road bike silently and smoothly.

Trackable data.

Some models of the recumbent bike have a computer monitor that displays useful data. Such as time, distance and calories, etc. It keeps track of your fitness progress.

Have speakers and fans.

To add up a little spice in your workout many recumbent bikes model features extras. Such as fans to cool you off and attached speakers and USB ports to plug in and play your favorite songs to not get bored while exercising.

The seat position can be adjusted.

You can adjust the bike seat fore and aft. As a result, you can get your desired seat position which you will give you more comfort while working out.

Weight capacity.

At maximum, a recumbent exercise bike can adjust users of weight 250 lbs. or 113 kg.

It comes with a warranty.

A recumbent bike that comes with a warranty on its frame and parts means that the manufacturer confides in the quality of the product. Thus, it can go through any vigorous performance.

How does recumbent bike work?

The recumbent bike is a stationary exercise bike that has a larger comfortable seat with a backrest and the pedals situated in front of your body. The seat position is very comfortable and back-friendly which are the reasons for high-appeal to the buyers. Resistance present in the recumbent bike is often magnetic and it is applied on a flywheel. The flywheel produces a momentum that stimulates the feeling of cycling on the road outside. Whether you are pedaling faster or slower you are working all your lower body. Including thighs, calves, and glutes. The recumbent bike also has some abdominal effects. It helps keeping your abs tight to maintain your leg posture. In the case of a programmed workout, the resistance will differ based on conditions. Such as your monitored heart-rate or hill plot.

What muscles do recumbent bike work?

The recumbent bike is great cardiovascular equipment. Workout in a recumbent bike uses several groups of muscles. Following are the groups of muscle you are challenging while working out on a recumbent bike:

1. Heart: An aerobic workout is good for your heart. Steady aerobic workout is proven to build up heart muscle, increases breathing capacity and reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

• Gluteus muscles: They are the major muscles that comprised your butt. These muscles workout when your thigh moves behind the body. This motion is called extension. So, your leg extends and your glutes take part in this motion whenever you pedal on the bike.

• Quadriceps: It is a group of four large muscles on the thigh front. They act as knee extensors. They got exercised on the recumbent bike while helping out the glutes when you push down the bike pedals. It also assists to draw the leg back up again at the top of the pedaling motion. Small muscles at the inner part of quadriceps also get engaged with this motion.

• Hamstrings: The hamstring is situated at the back of the upper thighs. Their major function is to flex the knee. You can see this response when your legs go from a straight position to a bent position while pedaling your bike. It gets trigger along with the quads to move the foot back to the top of the pedaling bike.

• Lower leg muscles: The main calf muscle is gastrocnemius. It is situated on the lower back part of the legs just below the knees. It gets worked on when you are riding a recumbent bike. Calf muscle help to lift your heel and extend your ankle when the knees are straight to make you pedal. The smaller calf muscle is soleus which helps to lift the heel to cycle when your knee is bent.

• Abdominals: Your lower abdominal muscle is likely to get worked out on the recumbent bike due to its bucket seat and leg angle adjustment. You will experience your lower abs are working a bit harder when you adjust the leg angle closer to the pedals. A strong core balances your entire body.

Conclusion:

There is a secret to every exercise and it is “if you are not enjoying the workout, then it won’t work out”.

You can’t continue exercising if you don’t search for fun in it. So, the recumbent bike has no parallel in achieving fitness goals being in comfort.

The bike has been designed in such a way that people keep coming back for more intensity and challenges. Plus, modern technological recumbent bikes keep the people more interested in the workout. The workout on the recumbent bike is so effective that it won’t strain your body.

Now that you know what are recumbent bikes then I hope you can judge that whether it will be worth buying or not.