There are different types of exercise bikes but among them, the upright exercise bike is one of the most popular ones. The reason behind its huge popularity is that it is almost similar to a traditional bike. This low-impact exercise bike is great for cardio workouts and strengthening your core and leg muscle.
Beyond its all benefits the only downside of this bike is its upright position that puts pressure on the hands and wrist. In addition, the small seat of upright exercise bikes is a little bit uncomfortable, especially for the seniors.
Therefore, before going to ride on an upright exercise bike most seniors want to know: Are upright exercise bikes good for seniors? There’s no straight answer to this question as it completely depends on the current physical condition of the person.
Read the article thoroughly to get detailed information about this question and other relevant factors.
Should Seniors Use an Exercise Bike?
Exercise bikes have many health benefits for all types of people regardless of their ages. It’s great for seniors because of its low-impact cardio exercise. Plus, it helps to keep the heart rate up, increase blood circulation, and improve the strength of the overall body.
What Problems Seniors Encounter?
When a person gets older, daily exercise becomes more crucial for them. As per the law of nature, seniors are less active and weaker. They are stuck with several diseases compared to younger people. Their blood circulation remains extremely low and cardio works very slowly.
Simply, they’re at the peak of the mountain of physical disorder. In such a situation, physical exercise is the best approach to get rid of old age difficulty. (According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people who stay physically active live longer and physically stronger than others.)
Why Exercise Biking?
Seniors people can’t do any high-impact or hardcore exercise because of their physical limitations. Therefore, an exercise bike is one of the best solutions for them. As it’s a low-impact exercise, they can do exercise effortlessly without getting any pain and strain on their body.
Benefits Of Exercise Bike For Seniors
It doesn’t matter whether you’re 60 or 100, you can still benefit from an exercise bike. Just make sure you get the right exercise bike with an effective workout plan. To enjoy the benefits of an exercise bike, you can go for an upright, recumbent, or a mini exercise bike for elderly.
Below, I’ll show you some of the physical benefits of exercise bikes that seniors are going to enjoy with their exercise bikes.
- Enhance lung capacity and make the heart stronger.
- Assist in building the muscles of hamstrings, glutes, calf, and quadriceps.
- Strengthen the bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons.
- Minimize the blood pressure.
- Improve mobility and overall balance.
- Reduce diabetes risk.
- Lower cholesterol.
- Prevent Alzheimer’s.
Are Upright Exercise Bikes Good For Seniors?
Among the different types of exercise bikes, the upright exercise bike is the most popular form. One of the biggest reasons behind its popularity is it mimics the regular bicycle with the pedal position and many more. It’s an excellent choice for people who want to do low-impact cardio workouts and strengthen their leg and core muscles.
The difficulty of this exercise bike is, it may put pressure on your wrist and hand. Besides, the seating position is a little bit small which is uncomfortable for long-time workouts. Considering these facts senior people may remain in doubt and look for the answer: Are upright exercise bikes good for seniors?
Let’s dive into the facts to determine whether an upright bike is good for seniors or not!
Problem Face By Senior People With Upright Bike
An upright bike is great for seniors if they don’t have any major medical conditions, such as muscle and joints problems or any other issue. It’s almost similar to a traditional bike but users don’t need to balance their bike or steering.
However, when you ride on it you’ve to balance your body, which makes it difficult for senior people sometimes. Besides, when you ride on an exercise bike, you have to put your whole body weight right on the seat. Consequently, it puts pressure on the hips and back which is a major concern for seniors who have bad backs.
Advantages Of Upright Bike For Senior
Upright bikes are beneficial for senior people in many ways. They are:
- With the time being, the muscles of senior people get weaker gradually, by using an upright exercise bike they can make them stronger again.
- As it’s a low-impact exercise equipment seniors can do exercise with it effortlessly without any strain and pain on their body.
- It helps to burn calories and boost stamina.
- An upright bike is also effective for burning body fat and weight loss programs.
- It keeps the body balance stable by distributing the weight evenly.
- Most importantly when we get older our cardiovascular system gets weaker but you can enhance your cardio fitness with an upright bike.
Now that you know the problems and benefits of upright exercise bikes that senior people are going to experience, you can make the decision by yourself. Using an upright exercise bike mainly depends on the current physical condition of the users. If he or she doesn’t have any major medical conditions, using an upright exercise bike is definitely great exercise equipment for seniors.
Safety Considerations for Senior People when Workout With an Exercise Bike
Riding an exercise bike is safe for senior people if they follow some safety considerations that are described in the below.
Warm-Up
Warming up and stretching is an important part before you ride on your exercise bike. Especially for the seniors as their muscles remain inactive and tighten. By doing some warm-up activity they can loosen the tight muscles and get prepared for riding an exercise bike.
Start With Low Resistance
A little pressure in the muscles and joints of senior people can produce pain. So before peddling the exercise bike it’s important to set the resistance of the bike at a lower level. Later they can accelerate the resistance once the body copes up with the current resistant ability.
Ensure Right Posture
Ensuring the right body posture before sitting on an exercise bike is necessary for both seniors and the young. Because when a person sits with the wrong posture they will develop backaches and it happens with the senior-most.
Keep Your Feet In Right Position
To avoid slipping risk it’s important to keep the feet in the right position. And, it’s more crucial for the senior people as sudden fall can cause too much strain and pain in the muscles.
NB: If you’ve issues like heart problems, blood pressure, balance, etc. then consult with a doctor to ensure riding an exercise bike is safe for you.
Conclusion
When you get older, lots of things get out of your control. You can’t do whatever you want due to your physical limitations. Exercise is one of the best ways to break this chain and increase your strength. As it’s not possible for you to do high-impact exercise, you should switch to low-impact exercise like an exercise bike.
When you opt for an exercise bike, you’ll find the upright exercise bike on the top. But your curious mind may want to know: Are upright exercise bikes good for seniors? It’s hard to give a direct answer to this question as it entirely depends on the current physical fitness of the person. If you read this article thoroughly, you know the facts behind it.