Indoor cycle or upright exercise bike?

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Ariel1977
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Indoor cycle or upright exercise bike?

Post by Ariel1977 »

Hello everyone,

After many years of paying gym memberships and many months when I never hit the gym, I decided to buy a cardio machine at home.

The reasons for not being able to go to the gym are multiple:
- lack of time
- driving more than the time spent in the gym
- changing clothes for only 25 minutes on the elliptical, plus driving there made me stay at home so many evenings when I was already tired and I wish I had the machine handy to just exercise 30-40 minutes and hit the bed.

I do not have a lot of money.
I thought of an elliptical initially but when I saw the price of a good one I realized I cannot afford one.

Now I am thinking to buy a stationary bike. There are about a million brands out there and a few different types.

At this point I am not sure which one should I buy : an indoor cycling bike or an upright exercise bike.

Here are a few of demographics:
I am a female, 41 YO, I gained around 30 pounds in the past 2 years ( I had to write thesis so I sat a lot).
I used to ride a regular city bike when I was a student, and after that I used to exercise about 3 times a week - some running outside and some elliptical runner plus weights at the gym.
Currently, I have a membership at Planet Fitness but, as I mentioned in the beginning, I do not have time to go there on a regular basis.
For whatever reason ( haven't gone to the Dr. yet) spine hurts when I sit a lot on a firm chair. current office chair has coils and memory foam ( just like a bed).

I feel better when I lean forward and this is why I am thinking of a indoor cycle, although I have never used one.

Could you give me some suggestion and help me make the right decision? Also, suggestions of brands and models would be highly appreciated.

THANK YOU so much.
Vegas Jon
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Re: Indoor cycle or upright exercise bike?

Post by Vegas Jon »

Because it sounds like you already have a history of sitting a lot, i wouldn't necessarily recommend either as it will only make your glutes/hips tighter and more inhibited (though it is good exercise). I might suggest trying to elliptical instead as it is an upright position.

Also, diet is the most important piece--make sure you are in a healthy calorie deficit (200-300 calories) and exercise with the above and you will make great progress. Best of luck!
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Boss Man
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Re: Indoor cycle or upright exercise bike?

Post by Boss Man »

However do your comments relate to a saddle EB a recumbent EB or both?

I am not disagreeing with anything you're saying just interested in some additional clarity.

I have often believed that if someone did cardio directly after a weights workout, that exercise bike work would be better than cardio done standing up, when the person had trained their legs, as it would reduce the amount of load bearing from the upper body onto the lower body, as the "kink" created in the groin area from sitting down, could create an upper body weight displacement scenario in theory, channeling weight into a seat or saddle depending on the type of machine used, thereby taking strain off the legs and helping to aid recovery more by not adding much, if any, to the exertion already placed on the legs.
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