Exercise Bike

So you want to save yourself some time by not having to go to the gym or fitness club. You have the idea of bringing some exercise equipment into your home to get aerobic exercise while you watch tv or read. You know the benefits of exercise, so what would be a good piece of exercise equipment to purchase? The debate almost comes down to an exercise bike, exercise treadmill vs everything else. But of the two main contenders gives you the best workout? Both an exercise bike and a treadmill have good and bad points to consider. Let's take a look at these.

Best Calorie Burner

Let's start with: which of the two will burn the most calories for the same amount of time? After all, this is what you want your workout to do; burn calories. So here it is; Nordic Track conducted a study and found that most people burn around 750 calories per hour on a treadmill vs 550 calories per hour on an exercise bike. So the treadmill is a better choice, right? Well, that would be the case if calories alone was the determining factor.

The Safety Factor

The safety factor must be taken into account while deciding between a treadmill and a exercise bike. A treadmill can be a dangerous piece of exercise equipment if the proper precautions are not taken, and treadmills can be very dangerous for children. If a person on a treadmill looses the rhythm, he or she can very easily fall. It is practically impossible to fall off an exercise cycle. A treadmill is also not very friendly to your joints. A workout bike is a low-impact piece of exercise equipment.

The Space Consideration

The space required for a treadmill is much larger than the space required for an exercise cycle, even a recumbent bike which takes up considerable space. If you are in a small apartment or don't have much space available in your home, you may want to tilt your decision in favor of an exercise bike.

The Boredom Factor

Another consideration is the boredom factor. Treadmills are boring, and the noise they make can drown out your favorite television shows if you are thinking of that as a diversion. Reading is difficult as you are bobbing up and down, making it hard to keep your eyes on the page. Exercise bikes by and large have been refined to the point of almost complete silence, TV viewing and listening is very possible. Reading is still difficult on an exercise cycle for the same reason as a treadmill.

To sum up, if you are strictly after equipment that will burn calories, a treadmill is for you. But if you're looking for a piece of equipment you will be more apt to use, an exercise cycle might be the better choice.

Exercise Bike |