Stationary bikes come in many shapes and sizes. Before making your choice you may want to know about the benefits of upright exercise bikes.
These machines are, as their name implies, distinct in the upright position of your body while using the exercise bike.
This posture is potentially positive for you but there are also some general trends in these equipment options and more general exercise benefits that deserve a mention because they are so important.
1. Compact
When looking at the dimensions of the exercise bike types it becomes clear that upright stationary bikes are generally the most compact.
Most people have at least some type of limit when it comes to the amount of space in their house or home gym.
Cardio equipment with compact designs leaves more room for other activities both during and in between workouts.
On top of that, some upright exercise bikes go one step further by adding the option to fold them.
It is not uncommon to see reviews of these models where customers mention that the exercise bike even fits in their closets.
Additionally, you could likely fit some of the more compact upright exercise bikes in a car. This will likely not be done that often but you could take your cardio machine with you elsewhere.
2. Easy to move
Another benefit related to the actual build of upright exercise bikes is that they are relatively light compared to other types.
The main area where this is helpful is moving your fitness equipment around in between workouts.
For example, you may not have a separate home gym or prefer to cycle in front of the TV. It will be a lot easier to move an upright bike than to move a recumbent exercise bike to create space.
Additionally, in some cases, the floor may have a limited weight capacity. In a situation like that, using an upright exercise bike will likely feel more secure than using a heavy recumbent exercise bike.
3. Can help you lose weight
While it is possible to overdo it, many people can improve their health by losing weight in the form of excess body fat. Excess body fat leads to a variety of negative health effects.
A popular way to try and lose weight is doing workouts like using an upright exercise bike. By moving your body at higher intensities, you use up more energy measured in calories and in turn, potentially lose weight.
One rough estimation is that a 155-pound individual can burn around 176 calories while using an upright exercise bike at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes.
The actual numbers will likely vary due to reasons like different body weights, hormone levels, body compositions, exact cycling intensities, etc.
That being said, it becomes clear that an upright stationary bike can help weight loss.
One important thing to note is that other lifestyle habits like nutrition still play a big role in whether and how much weight you will lose.
You could do many upright exercise bike workouts and still gain weight if these other habits are suboptimal.
4. Relatively budget-friendly
One of the consequences of being more compact and lighter is that upright exercise bikes tend to be relatively budget-friendly compared to other types of stationary bikes.
While investing money into your health is often a great idea, there are also many situations where you can get similar or more benefits with less.
Even if you are not on a tight budget, this can leave you with more to invest in other things that have positive effects on your health.
5. Improves cardiovascular health
Your cardiovascular system is the circulatory system inside of your body and includes the heart and blood vessels. These transport many types of important nutrients, oxygen, and waste throughout your body.
Using your body more intensely during activities like riding exercise bikes, the upright ones included, increases how to what extent this transport needs to happen.
In turn, your body increases your heart rate and uses your lungs more intensely. These parts of your body can actually be strengthened by doing this to safe extents.
A stronger heart and stronger lungs lead to a variety of other benefits which include reducing the risk of certain conditions (1, 2, 3).
One thing to note is that you also don’t want to overdo it.
If it has been a while since you last exercised intensely, you want to start with light upright exercise bike workouts and if that goes well, slowly build up from there to get the health benefits to a larger extent.
6. Can be more comfortable
Exercise bikes are not particularly known for their comfortable seats and positions. Even so, it is important to make the distinction between different types in this area.
Most people will agree that recumbent stationary bikes are the most comfortable with their big seats, backrests, and laid-back seat positions.
However, some people forget that upright exercise bikes also perform decently in this area. At least compared to air bikes and indoor cycling bikes.
The seats of upright exercise bikes tend to be padded and slightly bigger. Additionally, many people will find the upright position more comfortable for body parts like their lower backs.
7. Works your muscles
Using an upright bike is mostly a cardiovascular workout, this activity also works a few muscles. Most people should not expect too much, if any, actual muscle growth but working your muscles still offers other benefits.
These benefits include slowing down degradation, making the muscles healthier, and improving muscle endurance.
Some of the main muscles you work with an upright exercise bike are the:
- Quadriceps (front thighs)
- Glutes (butt)
- Hamstrings (back thighs)
- Calves
If you like working these leg muscles while using an upright exercise, you can turn up the resistance setting.
Do keep in mind that you want to turn to resistance training exercises like lunges, squats, and step-ups if you actually want to see leg muscle growth.
8. Allows you to exercise at home
This next point is also a benefit of other exercise bike types but it is valuable enough to mention anyway.
Due to their compact design and budget-friendly prices, upright exercise bikes are a popular at-home cardio equipment choice.
Having one of these machines at home has a few benefits.
First of all, by being able to exercise at home, you could avoid having to drive or cycle to your local gym or any other place you want to train.
Additionally, contrary to workouts like running or walking, cold temperatures or rainy days will likely not interfere with your workouts too much.
Lastly, you may work remotely or have other things to do at home and have a busy schedule.
In that case, upright exercise bikes make it easier to implement a few short workouts throughout the day. You don’t have to commit a big time block to one exercise session.
