What are the Different Types of Fitness Equipment Bikes?

Home fitness equipment bikes are popular amongst people who want to increase endurance and stamina levels. The three main types of exercise bike are the recumbent, upright and dual action. For a traditional workout, an upright bike is best while a dual-action fitness bike will provide a higher intensity workout that works both the arms and legs. Recumbent exercise bikes provide the lowest impact workout of the three types — especially for the knee joint.

Upright fitness equipment bikes are manufactured to be as close to riding a regular bike as possible. As the name suggests, upright bikes put the user in an upright position while exercising. The advantage of buying an upright gym bike is that the machine can provide a strong workout of the leg muscles as well as increasing endurance and stamina. Due to the upright position these types of bikes are perfect if the user wants to watch television or read a book at the same time.

Recumbent fitness equipment bikes place the user in a more horizontal position with respect to the ground. The seat is much lower and the pedals are in front of the person exercising. This puts less stress on the knee joints and is also a more comfortable way to exercise. For people with knee problems, recumbent exercise bikes are extremely useful as they allow medium intensity cardiovascular exercise without the extra strain on the joints. Recumbent exercise bikes are also commonly used by runners who want to cross train.

Dual action fitness equipment bikes provide the highest intensity workout. Instead of just working the leg muscles a dual action gym bike has handlebars that can also be moved. This means the person exercising has to push with both the legs and arms. Dual action fitness equipment bikes work in a similar way to cross trainers, although they allow the person to sit down while exercising.

There are also a variety of different types of resistance available. For example, magnetic resistance bikes provide a smooth ride as there is no friction involved. Flywheel resistance bikes use a heavy wheel in order to increase or decrease resistance. Many of the top models use electromagnetic resistance which provides a smooth ride while at the same time an easily adjustable resistance level. When choosing a home exercise bike the buyer should keep in mind the noise produced by a particular machine as well as the features it comes with.