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Have we all not heard that the stationary bike is much easier on our joints and safer overall in comparison with all the other exercise machines?
TL-DR
Some Stationary Bikes that are good for knees
| Stationary Bikes for Bad Knees | TYPE | FOLDING | RESISTANCE LEVELS | WEIGHT CAPACITY |
| DKN AM-E Exercise Bike | Upright | No | 32-level resistance system (computer-controlled) | 140kg |
| Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike | Upright | Yes | 8 levels of magnetic resistance | 136kg |
| Marcy Start ME709 Recumbent Magnetic Exercise Bike | Recumbent | No | 8 levels of magnetic resistance | 110kg |
In this article, we discuss if riding a stationary bike is really bad for your knees or not. Let’s get started.
It is a convenient way of burning calories and toning your muscles. Riding a stationary bike is a fun sport. You can ditch your gym membership and get fit and healthy in the comfort of your own home.
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In the long run, it strengthens the muscles around your knees, improves joint stability, and increases your range of motion. However, it can be quite taxing on your knees, especially if the muscles around your knees are weak. Most people often ask, is spinning bad for knees?
Knee pain is a common complaint among cyclists. A study by the Journal of Family and Community Medicine has stated that 15.9% of professional cyclists and 25.8% of amateur cyclists experience this problem. Underweight cyclists are more at risk.
Exercise Bike Tips for Knee Pain
Here are some tips that you can implement if your stationary bike hurt knees:
Your seat is not adjusted properly
Wrong seat height and distance are the main perpetrators of knee pain. “If your bike is set up too low, your knees are taking on an additional strain by failing to properly extend and overusing your quads and hip flexors,” says NYC-based Flywheel instructor Bobby McMullen. “Conversely, if you’re too high you’re likely hyperextending your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke.”
McMullen further states that another big no-no is moving the seat too far back. “When you adjust your seat all the way back it creates this awkward angle with the pedal that requires your knee additional strain to push both forward and down instead of just straight down,” he says.
You are being a bit too sleazy in the saddle
When you go too easy on the saddle, you offer inadequate resistance. You start bouncing, and your body experiences more impact. “Moving to every corner of the bike while your feet are clipped into one place on the bike is going to go straight through your knees as well.” says McMullen.
You may have set the resistance a bit too high
High resistance causes more calories to burn. But too much resistance harms your knees as it puts a lot of strain on the joints.
Garner Pilat, a cycling instructor at SWERVE says “Of course we want to gear up and get stronger, but you want to make sure your speed is never lower than 60 RPMs (revolutions per minute),” she says. “If you’re not able to hold 60 RPMs with any given gear, you are putting too much load on your joints, specifically your knee, which will lead to injury.”
It is advised to keep a slight bend in your knees rather than fully extending your legs while pedaling.
Over speeding always does harm
The knee is a complex joint. Overspeeding with your stationary bike can lead to a lot of pain, and in some cases, even injuries. Don’t hustle, take your time, and do not forget to take short breaks between your sessions.
Therefore, it has been noticed that knee pain may be a result of either too speedy or too slow sessions on the stationary bike as well as bicycle misalignment.
Just because it is safer than other gym machines does not mean it is harmless for your joints. Your muscles and joints work hard to produce the force needed to pedal and maintain your balance.
“Low-impact indoor cycling doesn’t mean no impact,” says NYC-based Flywheel instructor Bobby McMullen.
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Mix Up Your Routine – Don’t Just Cycle
Biking all day can have a bad impact on your knees. If your diet is not proper, you will start to experience pain in your legs as well. The solution to all this is to mix up your routine.
If you were cycling for half an hour, you need to add other exercises to the same routine. For example, you should be:
Cycle: 10 mins
Squats: 5 mins
Plyometrics: 5 mins
Deadlifts: 5 mins
Lunges: 2 mins
Core: 3 mins
These range of motions will help relieve pain occurring from cycling on the stationary bike and recover from your injuries.
Let’s check out some bikes for people with bad knees.
Best Bikes for Knee Problems
Cycling helps knee pain. Now that you have developed know-how about how a stationary bike can, it is sensible to go for the one that is best for your knees along with fulfilling all your other personal requirements.
There are hundreds of exercise bikes available in the market that are best for bad knees and knee rehab. The three best bikes for knee problems that we have chosen for you include:
DKN AM-E Exercise Bike
Being an upright bicycle, this bike has an elevated seat position, making you lean a bit forward and extend your legs more to reach the pedals. This adds intensity to the workout. The height allows the knees to bend and extend more consistently, thus nourishing the knee and allowing proper workout for your hamstrings and quad. Due to the unbelievably good range of 32 resistance levels, this machine allows you to have an accurate and carefully adjusted workout intensity.
Marcy Start ME709 Recumbent Magnetic Exercise Bike
This particular type mainly focuses on the strengthening of leg muscles. What makes this bike a good purchase is its low and back seat position, which reduces pressure to your back and upper body to a great extent, but the legs still get a good stretch due to the front position of the pedals which is adjustable to a different height. So basically what you get is a wide-angle flex and a full knee extension, perfect for recovering from a knee injury or during knee rehab. Into the bargain, the bike comes with a soft, high-density foam cushion saddle and an add-on large backrest, mimicking a proper chair.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse
Exerpeutic folding magnetic upright bikes offer much more than most exercise bikes of similar price and quality offer. The Exerpeutic magtnetic bike has a padded and large seat cushion which has been specially designed for hefty users and generally comfortable for riding, especially with long-distance and low-intensity cycling. Seat height is adjustable and a 3 piece “high torque” cranking system provides smooth and even pedaling. Thanks to the 8-level magnetic tension option, it can be used for more intense or relaxed workouts.
Bottom-line: Is Stationary Bike Safe Or Not?
All things considered, you will have to be a bit conscious about the alignment and speed of the stationary bike the next time you hop on one. The bike is great for workouts but using it for a long time can cause some pain in your knees – especially if you ride at higher speeds.
With that said, indoor cycling is, without any doubt, the most convenient form of exercise. Therefore, it is recommended that you make yourself well aware of the dos and don’ts of cycling before starting your workout sessions.
