Fitness Equipment: Enjoy Indoor Cycling with These Fitness Machines

February 23, 2009 by  
Filed under Fitness and Exercise Equipment

A lot of situations make an avid physical fitness enthusiast look for other alternatives to a regular bicycle. Whether it be because of bad weather or laziness, sometimes it just isn’t possible to go for a bicycle ride. Or, perhaps you simply can’t spare the time to get dressed, cycle a few miles, and return for an important date. Such situations will make a physical fitness lover turn to a piece of fitness equipment like the stationary bike for solutions.

Today, you can buy fitness equipment in the form of a stationary bike that provides just as great of a physical fitness workout as a good mountain bike and for a much cheaper price than 10-speed bicycles. By using this fitness machine, you can receive good benefits in the cardio, quadriceps and calves area. Plus, with this fitness machine, you can burn calories like mad, work up a healthy sweat and lose extra body fat!

These same benefits are available when you buy fitness equipment in the form of spinning cycles. In fact, there are hardly any differences between these two fitness machines, except relatively minor ones. The gear mechanisms of spinning cycles are built more similarly to those of a real outdoor bike. This fitness machine is also built at a larger scale and is shaped more like a regular outdoor bike. However, if you want to buy this fitness equipment, they do cost a little bit more.

Which fitness equipment to buy lies solely on your personal preference and your desired physical fitness workout style. This will decide whether you should buy fitness equipment in the form of a recumbent or an upright model. Whichever kind of fitness machine you decide on, a good one will still offer you the same set of minimalistic features.

Before you use your fitness machine, make sure you adjust its seat to fit your ideal height and comfort, in order to ensure that you receive the kind of physical fitness workout that you want. In general, the seat should be up to your hip height when you stand next to your fitness machine. Its pedals should fit your leg length and feel comfortable, whether you’re in motion or stationary. The fitness machine should also be easy to get on and off without snagging your clothing on it, bumping your knees, etc.

It is ideal to cover the gears and chain mechanism of your fitness machine for ultimate safety. This will help those who workout in sweat pants from avoiding accidents that are just waiting to happen. Chain guards will also help keep oil from spattering and ruining your workout clothes.

A very desirable feature on these fitness machines would be adjustable resistance. Just like with 10-speed bicycles, different gears will make it easier or more difficult for you to pedal, deciding how much effort you will have to put in with each physical fitness workout session. A regular stationary bike or spinning cycle should really have this feature on offer when you buy this physical equipment, so you can immediately tailor your physical fitness workout right from the beginning straight on until the end of each session. This will also make it possible for physical fitness beginners to start at a lower level and go to higher levels as you build up more strength and stamina.

Sturdiness and quality construction are also a must for any piece of fitness equipment, and it is no exception with these fitness machines. Get ready to spend anywhere from $50 for a simple mini-version with pedals to several hundred for a full-sized fitness machine that is built to last for years.

Extra features on any piece of fitness equipment can tend to become very handy. A built-in heart rate monitor, for example, is always useful, while a place to attach a magazine or rest an iPod is also very convenient, most of all if you like to read or listen to music during your physical fitness sessions. Fortunately, there are a wide range of fitness machine models available in every price category with a wide choice of extra features for you to choose from.