Keeping Fit at Home With an Exercise Bike

Also: Buying the Best Exercise Bike For You

Cycling is, without doubt, one of the best and most enjoyable forms of exercise for keeping fit and healthy. It is also a special type of exercise in that, like walking, it is easy to use it in combination with a hobby or interest. It can also be used for getting around cities jammed with cars, thus not only speeding up your journey to the office, but helping you get your daily quota of exercise at the same time.

However, cycling in the modern world does have its disadvantages, and not everyone is suited to or even remotely likes cycling outside. This is especially so in car dependent societies like the US and UK. To make things worse, although the action of cycling may be keeping you fit in one way, building your leg muscles and providing aerobic exercise, it does bring with it some hazards.

Cycling is one of the safer forms of transport, but there are a lot of crazy car drivers around who have little patience, sympathy or care for cyclists who they probably consider eccentric. Cycling therefore brings with it the risk of accidents, and in clogged up cities may be an unpleasant experience, leaving the cyclist feeling very exposed to danger and abuse. Some may have the benefit of cycle paths, but not everyone.

Another hazard with "real" cycling is traffic fumes and other pollution. City areas especially can leave a cyclist gasping for air. The air can be very toxic in city centers, so it seems a bit self defeating to cycle for health and fitness while damaging your lungs and overall health with pollutants.

For those who understand the benefits of cycling, but do not want the hassles associate with the real thing, the use of an exercise bike is a good solution. In fact, it is an excellent solution. There have been times in my life where I have had both.

I have found exercise bikes the most beneficial of the exercise equipments I have owned over the years, and they have been well used. Now in my 50's, I used an exercise bike quite intensively in my 20's, in the approach to a dual hip replacement operation. It certainly built up my leg muscles enough to make my recovery from the operation rapid, and I was soon back on the bike with my new joints.

See also: Recumbent Exercise Bikes