In case you discover that the majority cardio exercises really feel too laborious in your physique, the most effective recumbent train bikes are a superb various. As a substitute of sitting perched over the handlebars (like on a conventional stationary bike), you’re in a reclined seated place on a recumbent bike. That places much less pressure in your knees and core, and engages your hamstrings extra, Andy Fata-Chan, PT, DPT, a bodily therapist and health coach at Second Bodily Remedy & Efficiency in New York, tells SELF.
Intrigued? Able to improve your dwelling fitness center with a beginner-friendly piece of train tools? Proper this fashion—we spoke to Dr. Fata-Chan about the advantages of recumbent bikes, what to search for within the mannequin you deliver dwelling, and the most effective machines presently available on the market.
Our high picks
- Greatest General: NordicTrack 10 Recumbent Bike, $1,500
- Runner-Up: Sole LCR Train Bike, $2,000
- Greatest Finances Choose: Merach S19 Recumbent Train Bike, $360
- Greatest Splurge: Life Health RS1 Lifecycle Train Bike, $2,339
On this article
Store the most effective recumbent train bikes
Begin pedaling.
Greatest General: NordicTrack 10 Recumbent Bike
Dr. Fata-Chan extremely recommends NordicTrack’s recumbent bikes—and the brand new 10 mannequin is really distinctive. It has an adjustable seat with lumbar assist, vast pedals, and resistance stage controls proper on the handlebars. It’s a severely comfortable bike that newcomers and seasoned cyclists can equally take pleasure in. The vast resistance vary and iFit entry make it straightforward to choose your tempo and discover courses that concentrate on your health stage. Plus, with the bike’s SmartAdjust characteristic, it will probably mechanically dial into the precise stage of resistance that fits you.
At $1,500, the ten Recumbent Bike is definitely an funding. However its sheer consolation and studio-quality exercises make it properly value it.
Weight: 186 kilos | Dimensions: 67.20 x 23.30 x 51.90 inches | Resistance settings: 26 ranges of magnetic resistance | Weight capability: 350 kilos | Show: 10-inch touchscreen
Membership and app choices
This bike is suitable with iFit memberships, which join you with 1000’s of trainer-led exercises, sync with third-party apps like Strava and Apple Well being, and value $15 per thirty days for iFit Practice and $39 per thirty days for iFit Professional.
Runner-Up: Sole LCR Train Bike
For much more resistance choices, pre-programmed and customizable exercises, and a transparent interface, take into account the Sole LCR, one other high decide from Dr. Fata-Chan. He says it has an incredible vary of options and shouts out the big show, which makes all of it the better to comply with together with the Sole+ App’s exercises. It additionally has a cushty seat and a heavy-duty flywheel, so you may put a ton of miles on it with out worrying about put on and tear.
The one draw back to the Sole LCR is its barely increased price, which is why we put it behind the NordicTrack. That mentioned, if you happen to’re open to this worth level, it’ll severely improve your property exercises.
Weight: 152 kilos | Dimensions: 56 x 29 x 60 inches | Resistance settings: 40 ranges of magnetic resistance | Weight capability: 350 kilos | Show: 10.10-inch touchscreen
Membership and app choices
The free Sole+ app comes with all Sole health tools and supplies entry to lots of of courses.
Greatest Finances Choose: Merach S19 Recumbent Train Bike
Merach’s extra budget-friendly S19 recumbent bike received a SELF Dwelling Health Award final 12 months for its almost silent journey, breathable mesh seat, and kit shift-style resistance controls.
Katie Pierson, CPT, creator of MT Lady Health, an indoor biking teacher, and a Dwelling Health Award decide, advised us it’s her favourite machine when she desires a extra relaxed journey. “I believed it was such an incredible piece of kit that I gave it to my mother after I used to be finished testing to assist her with hip-replacement rehab,” she says. “I nonetheless journey it once I go over to her home.”
Weight: 97 kilos | Dimensions: 48.03 x 23.62 x 46.46 inches | Resistance settings: 8 ranges of magnetic resistance | Weight capability: 330 kilos | Show: LCD show display screen
Membership and app choices
The Merach Health App has free courses, progress monitoring, scenic rides, and exercise challenges.
Greatest Splurge: Life Health RS1 Lifecycle Train Bike
Dr. Fata-Chan notes that the Life Health RS1 Lifecycle bike doesn’t have fairly as many high-tech options because the NordicTrack and Sole do, however it comes together with your selection of two show consoles. The Go Console supplies core metrics, whereas the Monitor 2.0 is extra detailed and may hook up with health trackers just like the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. That lends the machine a streamlined expertise that spares you the sophisticated tech, so you may get straight to pedaling.
Bells and whistles apart, this bike merely supplies a clean, luxurious journey. It’s quiet, comfy, and constructed to final. In case you’re uninterested in schlepping to your fitness center or PT to log a while on a recumbent bike, you may deliver that high-quality exercise expertise dwelling to you.
Weight: 133 kilos | Dimensions: 66.50 x 25.50 x 51.50 inches | Resistance settings: 20 ranges | Weight capability: 300 kilos | Show: LCD display screen
Membership and app choices
This bike is suitable with the Life Health Join App while you entry it out of your private system and hook up with the bike through Bluetooth. The App has an enormous train library, exercise monitoring, and exercise scheduling.
What are the advantages of utilizing a recumbent train bike, in comparison with biking on a standard train bike?
As SELF has beforehand reported, low-impact cardio is a good various to operating or plyometrics if you happen to cope with joint ache. And in case your ache is concentrated in your knees and again, a recumbent bike is an particularly good choice—even in comparison with an ordinary train bike, Dr. Fata-Chan says. “The recumbent bike has much less calls for on the knees and again, so it may be used as a regression,” he explains. He provides that recumbent bikes additionally put much less stress in your core and trunk, as a consequence of their reclined seats.
Plus, recumbent bikes are the higher selection for folk recovering from an damage. “Whereas each [recumbent and upright bikes] are low influence, the recumbent is even much less influence, making it an incredible choice for rehab,” Dr. Fata-Chan says.
What do you have to search for when looking for a recumbent bike?
Possibly you need an enormous show display screen, Bluetooth connectivity, or membership-only courses. You’ll find these techy options in a number of high-end fashions. However there are additionally recumbent bikes for individuals who need a extra streamlined person expertise—say, a easy LCD display screen and simple changes. Dr. Fata-Chan says these options are completely a matter of non-public desire, however it may be useful to notice which of them really feel key to your exercises earlier than you begin purchasing.
Dr. Fata-Chan recommends contemplating the bike’s seat adjustability, whether or not it has added assist within the again relaxation, and the way simply you may get onto and off the bike. It’s best to be capable to attain the pedals comfortably and really feel supported by means of your decrease again. Most recumbent bikes have a step-through design that makes it comparatively straightforward to get seated and begin pedaling. However the placement of the bike’s handlebars and show console can have an effect on this, so see if you happen to can take a look at a pair fashions out in particular person.
Recumbent bikes are likely to have bigger footprints than conventional train bikes, so be sure you have sufficient room in your house fitness center earlier than bringing one dwelling. Measure your area, then take note of the mannequin’s dimensions. Dr. Fata-Chan additionally notes that heavier bikes are typically sturdier and extra sturdy. In case you plan to make use of your machine lots, the additional weight could possibly be properly value it.
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