Which Piece of Exercise Equipment Is Best For Losing Weight?
The Exercise Equipment No Weight-Loss Home Should Be Without
When I'm discussing health and exercise with our readers I'm often asked which piece of exercise equipment is the best. Which is the one that can magically transform even the most out of shape bodies into something worthy of being seen on Baywatch (if it were still airing). The answer isn't cut and dry, but there is definitely one piece of exercise equipment no weight-conscious home should be without -- and you might be surprised what it is.
The Wonderful World of Exercise Bikes
Why in the world would exercise bikes be the best exercise equipment choice out there? First of all, it performs a two-fold function. It gets your heart pumping (which improves health, heart condition and burns calories) and the resistance features available on most of today's exercise bikes also help build muscle (which also assists in burning calories and reducing weight).
Treadmills do the same thing (burn calories, tone some muscles) but they're a lot more expensive, take up more room and are a lot harder on your joints. Steppers are great for building leg muscle but they don't really give you a good aerobic workout.
Recumbent vs. Upright
When you do decide to buy an exercise bike, there are some things you need to consider - such as the decision of buying a recumbent bike or an upright bike.
A recumbent bike is definitely more comfortable and easier on your body. If a piece of exercise equipment isn't comfortable, you're less like to stay on it for an extended period of time. If, however, you want the most intense workout possible you might consider an upright bike. Many people have told me that recumbent bikes don't give as intense a workout as the upright bikes do (and I agree to some extent).
How Much You're Going to Spend
Now here's the good news -- exercise bikes are some of the most affordable pieces exercise equipment options out there. You get a lot more bang for your buck than you do with treadmills or ellipticals. You can find nice bikes starting at about $300. Try Play It Again Sports if you have one by you. The one by me sells brand new exercise bikes and I was able to get a very nice recumbent bike (brand new) for $249 on sale.
As always, look into the various options and what your needs are (how many programmable workouts there are, fans, resistance levels, etc.) and compare prices. Then buy the piece of exercise equipment that's right for you.