If you are working on fitness training at home in order to lose weight, then it is likely that you will have to rely on exercise bikes a lot. As far as home cardio machines are concerned, exercise bikes are one of the best ways of losing unwanted belly fat, burning calories, and building up your stamina and endurance.
In this article, we will talk about the various benefits of using exercise bikes at home and guide you on how to choose a suitable exercise bike for yourself. We would also give you a brief overview of the best exercise bikes currently available on the market so that you can consider various options and then choose the one best suited to you.
How Are Exercise Bikes Useful?
Exercise bikes are one of the most versatile fitness equipment at home. Apart from helping you to lose weight, it offers a brilliant workout option for your muscles, strengthens your body core, and improves your lung capacity. It also reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer and prepares the body for athletic events like a marathon or a pentathlon.
Exercise bikes can also be used for endurance training as well as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint workouts.
How to Pick an Exercise Bike for Your Home that Best Fits you
If you are planning to invest in an exercise bike for your home, then it is wise to do a bit of research beforehand. There are a few criteria that you need to consider before you buy an exercise bike:
• Evaluate Your Budget
This is related to how frequently you will be using the bike. If it’s just for a short-term purpose, and you won’t be using it daily, then it might be prudent to buy one of the cheaper options. But if you plan to use it for the long haul and train on it nearly every day, then it’s better to splash a bit and buy a bike that has more features and would last much longer.
• Available Space
You have to think about where you will put the bike before you buy one. Some exercise bikes require a lot of space, while others can work in limited spaces, so you need to figure that out before you make your investment.
• What to Look for
You need to be very clear about what are your requirements for the bike. If you just want a pedaling machine, then you can buy one of the basic models. But if you want an exercise bike that will stream fitness classes, offer Bluetooth connectivity, track your fitness progress, etc., then you need to consider the advanced models, which will doubtlessly be more expensive.
• Build Quality
You need to choose a bike that you will feel comfortable using and is optimally suited to your height and weight. You would also have to decide whether you want an upright bike or a recumbent bike. Most people prefer uptight bikes, but if you suffer from any recurring back injury, then recumbent bikes will be a much better option for you.
• Brand
There are a lot of decent brands in the market that offer sturdy, dependable bikes that can tolerate rigorous daily use. While choosing a brand, you have to consider again what your demands are and whether that brand is capable of fulfilling those demands. For example, Xterra offers great options for people who are on a tight budget, while Peloton would be an excellent brand for people who are looking to stream fitness classes on their bikes.
What are the Best Exercise Bikes to Lose Weight?
If you are pedaling even at a mild speed, exercise bikes are capable of burning up to 300 calories in 30 minutes. So it’s no wonder that more and more fitness aficionados are relying on exercise bikes to lose weight. There are an array of models that will help you to lose weight quickly, but we are still going to suggest a couple of models as the best exercise bikes to lose weight.
• Velocity Exercise Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike
This is actually a simple and user-friendly model that is perfectly optimized for people who want a bike that will help them lose weight with minimum fuss. It is attached with wheels so you can transport it between your home and your workplace if you need to; it keeps track of your fitness progress and the number of calories you burn, and it also has eight different levels of tension control so that you can work on the one best suited for you.
• Exerpeutic 900 XL Extended Capacity Recumbent Bike
This is the perfect model for people with recurring injury issues who want an intense workout without putting excessive pressure on their joints and back. It will burn excess calories quickly and would help you develop a toned body shorn of undesirable weight within a matter of weeks.
Can You Lose Belly Fat by Riding a Stationary Bike?
Having excess belly fat is not just something that you are worried will lower your beauty; it’s also a significant health risk. Visceral belly fat causes hormonal imbalance, increases blood pressure, and makes you more susceptible to cancer.
Riding a Stationary bike is extremely effective in burning belly fat. It will help you to burn 300-700 calories per hour, lose excess fat through cardio activities and HIIT workouts, and reduce stress in your body, which is actually one of the reasons for the accumulation of visceral fat.
However, to lose belly fat through riding stationary bikes, you have to follow some protocols regularly.
• Alternate between Cardio workouts and HIIT workouts. Consult a fitness expert who will draw up a workout plan for you.
• Exercise on your bike regularly. You should ride your bike at least 30-45 minutes per day for a minimum of three times a week.
• Combine your bike exercise with a healthy diet plan. Cut back on food that might cause accumulation of fat, like fast foods, ham, cheese, etc.
• Follow a healthy sleep schedule because if you don’t get proper sleep, it will make you more hungry and force you to eat unhealthy items that will again accumulate visceral fat.
If you follow these steps diligently, then it’s likely you will see a drastic reduction in belly fat within a few weeks.
Here are the Top Rated Exercise Bikes for Home Gym Use
We would now list the best models that we think will be suitable for you to invest as fitness equipment for home:
• Bowflex C6 – Best Option for those looking to lose weight
Bowflex C6 exercise bike is an affordable but versatile option that will offer you a lot of facilities at a very reasonable price. It supports interactive training, contains a heart-rate monitor that will track the progress of your exercise, and as a bonus, includes a set of dumbbells for your workout.
Other perks include a 40-pound flywheel, access to high-quality fitness classes, and dual-link pedal systems. The best thing about Bowflex C6 is its price, which is only $949.
• Best Recumbent option- Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike
Amongst the options for Recumbent Bikes currently available in the market, Schwinn 270 is probably the best option. It offers Bluetooth connectivity to the best fitness apps, 25 levels of adjustable resistance so that you can vary the intensity of your workout session and an LCD screen that will monitor your progress. Schwinn 270 is sure to offer you a comfortable and effective cardiovascular workout session.
• Best Folding Option – Xterra Fitness FB150 folding exercise bike
If you are operating under the restrictions of limited space, then this might be the best model for you. It gives you the option to fold it if you have storage issues and also includes transport wheels. In terms of price, it is extremely affordable at only $113.
• Top Notch Alternative Premium Option – Peloton Bike
With this model, you get unrestricted access to Peloton, which will allow you to stream their excellent fitness classes. Other attractive features include the Auto-follow feature, which adjusts the resistance range of your bike through voice instructions from your trainer, and the turning screen, which gives you the option to do floor workouts.
So if you are willing to splurge your cash, Peloton Bike is where you would want to end up. If you don’t want to spend that much though, there are several other options for you out there, our next bike is one of them.
• Schwinn IC4 – Alternative to The Premium Peloton
Schwinn has been dominating the market of exercise bikes for a long time, and they have churned out another great model in the Schwinn IC4. If you want to enjoy the Peloton experience without the high prices that come with it, then this is a great option for you. It lets you stream fitness classes from popular apps like Zwift and Peloton, is easy to operate and move, and offers Bluetooth connectivity to aid interactive training.
Considering it is priced under $800, Schwinn IC4 is probably the most affordably priced model in the market that can offer these advanced features.
Final Thoughts
We had tried to offer a thorough analysis of most of the best models in the market, but before investing in an exercise bike, you have to consider your own unique needs and requirements. If you manage to procure the right exercise bike for your home, your fitness issues will be doubtlessly gone soon.