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The Right Cycle: Recumbent or Upright?

Posted May 7, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Caroline Shannon

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health

It would be nice if a gal could just pop into a gym, get her groove thang on, leave and move on with her day. But, seeing as how most gyms are typically chock-full of equipment, a quick workout can sometimes be tough to accomplish for the woman on-the-go.

And when it comes to the recumbent versus the upright bike the “What-the-heck-is-this-thingamajig?” questions do not fall flat.

In fact, most exercisers want to learn more than just the simple operating instructions; for many, it is important to also know which bike burns more calories or provides a more comfortable ride.

Well, according to experts, both bikes can give their riders a solid workout. The thing every woman should keep in mind, however, is her personal goals when hopping on for a cardio, pedal workout. Those factors, experts say, can assist a busy chica in making a quick decision when choosing a bike to workup a good sweat!

• The Upright Bike – This cardio machine has a high seat which provides a very similar position to an outdoor bike. The bike that is commonly used in gyms is an electronic bike which has high handlebars that keep a riders bike moderately upright when she is sitting. However, a spinning bike – which is also considered to be an upright bike – has lower handlebars, in turn, causing a person to lean farther forward than she would with an electronic bike.

• The Recumbent Bike – Boasting a lower seat than an upright bike, the recumbent bike is positioned so that the pedals are front of the body and the legs are horizontal. The seat allows the rider to peddle with the feet at hip height and the bike is equipped with a back rest, so a woman may lean back in a semi-relaxed position, as she would in a chair.

While there have not been many studies conducted that compare the two bikes, researchers have found that a person’s body position does play a large role in how her body will respond to exercise. This means that, regardless of which bike a woman chooses, her body should always be engaged and moving at a consistent pace; just as it would if she were to hit the streets for a brisk walk.

What’s more, even though fitness trainers and exercisers alike would agree that the recumbent bike is more comfortable because of the added back support, Martica Heaner, a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, claims in an “Ask the Experts” column for MSN Health and Fitness that “only a person with a back that is highly sensitive to any forward lean whatsoever would find the standard upright bike uncomfortable.”

Heaner does caution, however, that a spinning bike can cause back problems for riders because of the tendency for the handlebars to be positioned too low.

“For all bikes, the best back position is one where the handlebars are as high as possible,” Heaner writes. “If you do need to lean your upper body forward, sit tall as you do so. Hold your ribcage lifted to engage your core muscles for support, and to maintain the natural curve in your lower back—a slightly arched, not rounded, position.”

Heaner also recommends women learn to adjust the seat of a bike before beginning to ride. 

“For knees, it’s crucial to keep your seat high enough on an upright bike, or far enough on a recumbent, so that you’re legs almost fully straight when you reach the farthest point in the revolution (but avoid locking them rigidly straight),” says Heaner. “If you are too close to the pedals, your knees stay flexed as you pedal. This position is more stressful to the knee joint, especially if you are ‘climbing,’ or cycling with resistance.”

And if what you are getting for your burn is still a concern, according to SELF magazine’s online fitness calculator, a 135-lb woman would burn 225 calories during a 30-minute, moderately-paced stationary bike workout – recumbent or upright. That’s the amount of calories in one Milky Way Midnight bar!

So, whatch-ya waiting for? Start pedaling!

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Tags: bike, cardio, caroline shannon, exercise, gym, health, joints, knees, recumbent bike, upright bike, workout

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