Best Exercise Bike in 2020

Best Bike in 2020

In this edition of our “Best Equipment of 2020” series, we will be taking a look at the features and benefits the bike has to offer along with what I consider to be one of the best exercise bikes of 2020. Thus far, we’ve taken a look at the treadmill and the elliptical. It’s time to see what the bike can offer.

Benefit #1: Low Barrier to Entry

Over the years I’ve come to learn that one of the most common reasons someone doesn’t exercise is because they don’t feel confident in themselves. They feel silly and feel like they would have no clue where to start if exercise became a new part of their life. As someone who used to be in the same boat, I totally understand.

This feeling of not knowing is more common in the weight floor, as some weights and strength equipment have higher barriers to entry. There is much more to learn when it comes to doing a proper deadlift, than riding a stationary bike, for example.

And this is why the bike is such a great piece of equipment. Whether you are someone that has exercised for years, or it’s your first time putting a home gym together, a bike can be a staple piece of equipment allowing you to get movement and activity in without having to become the next competitor in the Tour de France.

Benefit #2: Low Impact

I believe that it is beneficial for everyone to learn how to properly handle high impact movement in their activity. However, having a high-quality low impact option at home is a great idea and the Life Fitness IC6.

Whether you’re recovering from a knee operation, or your joints are just a little achy, using the bike to train your legs is a great idea. The circular motion/pattern that your feet follow allow the hips and knees to move without all of the impact they may get from running or jumping. Again, that’s not to say those movements should be avoided, but everyone’s joints could use a break here and there.

The quads are the big muscles on the front of your upper leg, and the serve to extend the leg at the knee joint. If you’ve been on a bike for an extended period of time at a high resistance, you may have noticed that your quads get quite the workout. The bike gives the quads resistance different than any other cardio equipment can.

Benefit #3: Cardiovascular Health

Although strength training should be the meat and potatoes of most everyone’s workout routine, having sound cardiovascular health is very important, and mixing it up with different cycling workouts can help keep your cardio in tip top shape.

Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour, both High Intensity Interval Training and Steady State Cardio can allow you to improve your cardiovascular fitness. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is done in short periods of time with varying intervals and has been shown to be one of the most effective forms of cardio. Steady State Cardio is done for an extended period of time at a moderate pace and has been shown to improve cardiovascular endurance.

Having high quality cardiovascular health can provide a higher quality of life, allowing you to enjoy experiences with those you love, like hiking and recreational sports. There’s nothing worse than being the person that has to hang back because you can’t “keep up.”

No matter what stage of your health and fitness journey you’re on, the exercise bike can provide great workout options, calorie burn, as well as low impact activity that is easy to learn. If you are looking for the best exercise bike in 2020 for your home gym, I recommend learning more about the Life Fitness IC6.