Exercise Bike

The exercise bike is a great way to get in shape. I remember the old bikes that you would ride that we called stationary bikes. They were so basic. You would turn a knob to increase the tension. That was it. There was no fancy computer to tell you your heart rate, calories burned, how long you had been riding it for, our how much time you had left to go.

Exercise bikes are really sophisticated. They have 5 or 6 programs for you to choose from. They ask for you weight, how long you want to ride for and at what level. You can choose from level 1 -10.

I like to ride an exercise bike in the gym and watch TV at the same time or listen to music. It really passes the time away.

Exercise bikes have become popular as an exercise class which is called spinning. The class is usually 1 hour in length and everyone sits on their bike and pedals like crazy to loud music. The instructor at the front of the class is there to tell you when to increase the tension, when to stand up and pedal and when to take it easy and coast. It is a great workout.

Some exercise bikes are designed so you are sitting back leaning against the back of the seat and your legs are stretched out in front of you. They are quite comfortable to ride as you can adjust the seat and lean back and relax a bit. The other exercise bike is more of an upright bike that you sit on and then hunch over and rest your hands or forearms on the handle bars. I'm not sure why some people prefer one or the other. Maybe it is just what you are used to.

Exercise bikes keep you in shape if you ride them on a consistent basis. For many it is better for them then running because they don't have the hard pounding like you do if you are running.

Give an exercise bike a try. It's good for your heart.