Introduction
In an era where most of us are overscheduled and overworked, it’s an unfortunate reality that healthy things such as frequent exercise sometimes get dropped from your schedule. As a result, our waistlines are expanding rapidly as the obesity levels keep rising as well.
The solution to this problem so prevalent in our seniors lays in a workout machine that has been around for more than a decade. You can tone your muscles, burn calories and make your cardiovascular system more robust with a solid workout if you turn to an exercise bike. Making a choice on the best recumbent bike for seniors can be difficult since there are many products in the market, all with unique features, but our review can be helpful.
Best Recumbent Bike for Seniors
Why Purchase a Recumbent Bike?
Perfect training companion
Whether your desire is to intensify your cardiovascular workout, exercise in the comfort of your home or to enjoy biking during the chilly winter months, a recumbent bike is a perfect training companion. These bikes can be used for vigorous body workouts, and they do not take up lots of space in your home gym.
A Superb Form of Exercise for Almost All Age Groups
Besides, cycling is a superb form of exercise for almost all age groups but is highly recommended for seniors. It is a low impact exercise that does not strain your joints, shoulder and back muscles like other exercises, such as running. When cycling, you exercise most of your leg muscles which is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise that can help you achieve your weight loss goals.
Prevent Heart Disease
Regular cycling aids in lowering your blood pressure which in turn minimizes your risk of suffering from heart disease. In fact, studies have revealed that cycling improves your brain power by triggering the growth of new cells in the part of the brain responsible for memory.
Improve Brain Power
In fact, studies have revealed that cycling improves your brain power by triggering the growth of new cells in the part of the brain responsible for memory.
Modern recumbent bikes are sophisticated machines that offer a lot of different features. In this guide, we have put together crucial information that can help you in finding the right bike for your beloved seniors.
Attributes To Look For Before Buying a Recumbent Bike
Before purchasing a recumbent bike, you need first to have an idea of what your fitness goals are. Try to think of how often you will use this machine and how hard you want your workouts to be. It can be very disappointing to buy the most expensive bike only to realize later that you are not making the most out of its full potential. So what attributes should you pay close attention to?
Workout Control Features
Most recumbent bikes often include settings that you can adjust to control the intensity of your workout. Here are the essential controls to look out for when selecting the best bike for you:
Resistance
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Exercise bikes create workout resistance in two ways, with the most common way being through magnetic resistance and an exercise bike can be set to different resistance levels. The higher the resistance, the more difficult it becomes to pedal and thus a more strenuous workout.
It is for this reason that you should always consider the bike’s resistance range. The resistance ranges for most consumer recumbent bikes varies between 10 and 16 levels. However, a few bikes have a range that exceeds 20 levels.
Comfort
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A huge number of modern recumbent bikes can adjust to meet your particular body type and workout needs. Depending on your height and the exercise you want to perform, some bike models are fitted with seats that can adjust horizontally or vertically.
Besides, some exercise bikes allow you to change the position of the handlebars for perfect grip during the ride. What’s even more exciting is that you can also adjust the bike’s console position so that you can easily view your workout statistics.
Preset Workouts
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Most of the best recumbent bikes for seniors include preset workouts that are usually programmed into their systems. Often designed by fitness trainers, these programs help diversify your daily workouts, and they all have a specific focus in mind.
For instance, a particular preset workout may be intended to maintain a target heart rate, burn calories or build endurance
Fitness Tracking
Fitness tracking features are equally important because they give you all the information you need to get the most out of your cycling session. Even the slightest data can make your workout more productive and fruitful.
Display Console
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Almost all recumbent bikes possess an electronic display console that holds and displays all of the bike’s settings and controls. These consoles have buttons you can use to increase the resistance level, or you can press them to select from the preset workouts. Most electronic consoles also display your fitness tracking data, such as calories burned, speed, time elapsed, heart rate and distance traveled.
Pulse Monitor Grips
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Some of the most advanced recumbent bikes have powerful heart rate monitors that keep track of your heart rate during the entire workout, and they are usually fitted on the handlebar grips.
Other bikes come equipped with heart rate monitor straps that you wrap around your chest. Although uncomfortable, these straps provide an accurate measure of your heart rate readings than the ones fitted on the handlebar grips.
Extra Features
The seemingly minor features on a stationary bike can make a huge difference in your workout. While some are standard features included in most recumbent bikes out of the box, you may have to purchase others separately and fix them onto your bike.
Water and Media Holders.
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It is essential to keep water close at hand when you perform strenuous exercises because it’s inconvenient to have to pause and jump off your bike to quench your thirst. Most exercise bikes come equipped with a water bottle holder so that you can stay hydrated during your training session.
Depending on the model, you can have the water bottle holder on the front bar, in the console or behind the seat.Keeping your motivation up and staying entertained while you work out is essential.
Watching a movie or listening to music are excellent forms of entertainment while you work your legs and some bikes come with tablet holders to hold your gadget safely and steadily even during your most rigorous cycles.
Reviews of the Top Five Recumbent Bikes for seniors
After intensive research and rigorous testing, we have chosen the five best recumbent bikes that will help you ride far and achieve your fitness goals without leaving your home.
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If you’re looking for an excellent way to increase your cardiovascular endurance and at the same time reduce your waistline without sacrificing your floor space, then the Marcy ME 709 is the answer. This exercise bike features eight preset resistance levels that can all be tested in a comfortable seating position.
For you to better regulate the intensity of your workout, this machine has an easy-to-adjust knob that can help you exercise on different fitness levels.
Besides having a compact design, this exercise bike has an easy-to-read display console that shows the distance you’ve covered, the calories burned, the time spent and speed at which you are working your legs.
This bike also boasts of a comfortable padded seat that offers optimal support and comfort while pedaling. Its counter balanced pedals with well-fitted foot straps not only keep your feet in the right pedaling position but also prevent them from slipping when cycling at high speed.
Pros
- Built with a compact design
- Easy-to-use console
- Completely quiet and easy to move around
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- ConsYou might not reach the pedals if you are short
- The tension does not adjust appropriately
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The Schwinn 230 is a basic recumbent bike that features an electronic display console, ergonomically placed heart rate monitors, acoustic chamber speakers and a built-in fan to keep you cool through your most intense workouts.
This exercise bike provides over 20 levels of resistance and 22 pre-set workouts that you can choose from to add intensity and variety to your exercise. The bike’s design is ideal for the elderly with joint problems since you can slide the seat forward or backward to adjust the user’s height.
Also, this bike is designed with two integrated levelers and a firm frame support that offers a robust workout platform. It is also fitted with transport wheels that make it easy to move around.
Pros
- Very stable due to its oversized crossbar tubing
- Seat can be adjusted easily
- Comes with a full operational manual
- Very robust and sturdy when assembled
Cons
- The hard plastic seat is uncomfortable
- The electronic console isn’t very intuitive
- The heart rate monitor is not always accurate
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The Schwinn 270 has almost everything that one needs to have an excellent bike, an intense exercise session, and fun workouts. This one-of-a-kind bike keeps you connected to the outside world with its Bluetooth connectivity and great media shelf.
Besides having a dual track LCD window that lets you monitor a total of 13 different display feedbacks, this exercise bike boasts of 29 programs and up to 25 levels of resistance for a broad range of workout intensity.
The Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike is excellently built, and it will stand up to even the most rigorous workout you perform. The high-inertia, high-speed perimeter weighted flywheel keeps this bike rooted to the floor, and its oversized pedals offer a comfortable biking motion.
This recumbent bike features a large vented, padded seat bottom that makes your workouts comfortable and relaxed. Also, the sealed acoustic chamber speakers, 3-speed fan, and a side-mounted water bottle holder are just among the extra features that make this exercise bike an irresistible machine.
Pros
- Comes with excellent directions for each assembly step
- Very comfortable seatIts operation is smooth as glass
- Attractive design
- Can be adjusted on the base for uneven flooring
Cons
- Fan is weak even at maximal strength
- Armrests and grips are poorly positioned
- Can be too hard to pedal
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At first sight, one may think that this lightweight bike that folds up with narrow stabilizers isn’t robust enough to support you but surprisingly enough, this exercise bike remains stable when you ride, all thanks to its steel tubing frame which makes it sturdy.
This machine features a semi-recumbent design which makes it easy for one to get on and off the bike without much hassle. It is designed with a large, well-cushioned seat and backrest which make it ideal for users of any size.
The bike’s 8 level magnetic tension system allows you to adjust the cycling tension level for an easy or challenging workout. The hand pulse sensors are strategically positioned on the handlebars for better heart rate monitoring.
And now to its mechanical design, this bike boasts of an excellent three piece cranking system that provides a smooth and consistent pedaling motion. What’s even more exciting is that the machine’s proper functioning will not interfere with listening to music or watching TV.
Pros
- It is foldableEasy to get on and off
- Has a great functionality
- The resistance can be adjusted manually
- You can exercise while leaning back or sitting upright
- The price is reasonable considering the machine’s quality
Cons
- It’s awkward to move when folded up
- The handlebars are out of reach for people with short arms
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If you are looking to perform the ultimate spin workout in the comfort of your office or home, then the Exerpeutic 900XL is the exercise bike for you. This recumbent bike offers a challenging cardiovascular workout while reducing the stress on your back and joints.
The bike’s 8-level magnetic tension control system lets you customize your ride to either something challenging or just an easy workout. The Exerpeutic 900XL boasts of an extended weight capacity that can support up to 300 lbs. in addition to a “step through” design that provides an easy on and off capability for an effective and comfortable workout.
The easy-to-read LCD lets you keep track of the distance covered, calories burned, workout speed, time spent and heart rate. Another impressive feature yet about this bike is that it is fitted with transportation wheels right below the frame for easy relocation and mobility after your workout.
Pros
- It comes well packaged
- Has a thoughtful design
- Large foot pedals that can accommodate a wide range of users
Cons
- Some of the bolts come loose frequently and need re-tightening
- The bike starts making squeaking noises with a few weeks of use
- The assembly is poorly documented
- The display is not backlit hence the bike cannot be used in a dark room
The Verdict
After reviewing some of the best recumbent bikes in the market, we had a hard time settling on a winner since all our products had impressive features that would make one want to ride more and more. Even with that said, the winner of this roundup would have to be the Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike.
This foldable recumbent exercise bike is portable and foldable which makes it ideal for people with small living spaces. Its precision-balanced flywheel and the double drive system make for an incredibly smooth and quiet workout, just what everyone would want.
This recumbent bike is also very easy to assemble and position all thanks to its compact size and comprehensive directions. You will assemble it with little fuss, and in under an hour’s time, you’ll be ready to make your debut on this machine.
