Bike or Treadmill?

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Lexee15

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I posted this question in the weight loss thread, but I know not everyone reads it so I started a new thread cause I’d like to get as much information as possible, thanks in advance:D .

Does anyone prefer the bike to the treadmill?

I have a treadmill, but my shins hurt really bad when I jog/run on it:ouch:, I’m not able to finish my workout sometimes:banghead:.

I wonder if a stationary bike would work better for me? I also noticed that after using the treadmill my back hurts more, low back that is (I have a ruptured disk in the L4/L5 region).

Can I get the same cardio workout on a bike as I would on a treadmill? What do you all think? What would be a good stationary bike to get, I would like something good, but not too expensive?
 
Have you ever tried an elliptical trainer? That gets my vote over a bike or a treadmill. I can’t recommend specific brands for home-use because I belong to an athletic club and use their professional equipment, but the Cybex Arc-Trainer is my #1 favorite piece of cardio equipment. It has worked wonders for my aging knees, but I had to start very slowly and build up gradually. Good luck!
 
Here’s another vote for an elliptical machine. I’ve found that in the past few years that running is just too hard on my body (joints in particular). Elliptical machines can give you a great workout, and the motion is much more fluid and smooth than running. Not all elliptical machines are created equal though. Some of them seem awkward or have you at uncomfortable angles.

A stationary bike can be good too, but I’ve found that I tend to keep my heart rate in my ideal zone better with the ellipticals. On the stationary bikes my heart rate tends to be too low. YMMV.
 
I’m the opposite; the treadmill is the only piece of exercise equipment (apart from dumbbells and those stretchy bands) I continue to use.

The bike hurts by back porch and I can’t get up enough steam to even break a sweat.
 
My wife has an old Nordic Trac [without all the bells and whistles] that I find works well.
 
the elliptical trainer is very low impact, and would be better than the treadmill.

Yes, you can get the same cardio workout on a bike, I have a recumbent bike which works better for me than the upright bike.
 
Some poeple can run ouside just fine, but when they get on the treadmill their body just doesn’t adjust and they are “out of line.” I’m one of them. I do marathons, but just can’t get the treadmill down. Hats off to the folks who can.

I find that running, stationary bike, and rowing each relieve the stress from the other. There is enough variety of movement that the muscles don’t get too set in a limited pattern.

An alternative to the stationary bike is a wind trainer that can be used with a road bicycle. It’s a small unit that fits under the rear wheel and allows the bicycle to be used indoors as a stationary bike.

Concept II has the best rowing machines, but they cost. They are on the web. Mine has had daily use for fifteen years and is like new.

And Hatha Yoga is great for heading off all kinds of sports related problems.
 
My knees are bad, and I can’t stand/walk for an extended period of time without my back starting to cramp up. I have a recumbent bike that I use, and it is my primary form of exercise. I got it at KMart a few years ago for $100. If that’s too much for your budget, look for a “Play it again, sam” in your area–they are a chain of used exercise and sports equipment. You can also find some great deals in the classifieds or Craig’s List.
 
I vote elliptical too…amazing workout, and lower impact than a treadmill. You also do get that funny wobbly feeling like you have when you get off a treadmill. 😃
 
Lexee, I wonder if you’d like the reboundair.com. I LOVE MINE!!! I have never enjoyed exercise so much. (I broke my toe, so I’m a little out of commission at the moment, but otherwise - it’s great.) You can read about the benefits of rebounding on that site, too.
 
My Dh And I Were Both In Separate Car Accidents [hit Head-on] And Have Problems With Physical Injuries To This Day From Them.

We Asked Our Doctor A Long Time Ago About Bikes And He Recommended The Recumbent Bike. It Is Easier On All Parts Of The Body. We Bought One Used One [an Excellent Brand] For $200 Awhile Ago. It Has A Few Settings On It So You Can Build Up Your Heart-rate, And So Forth.

When I Was A Member Of The ‘y’ , The Trainer Said Not To Use The Treadmill Due To The Back Injuries. So I Used The Elliptical [sp] Trainer. It Had Several Settings As To What Type Of Workout You Wanted.

And If You Have A “rails To Trails” Near You, Use That Too … Walking Or Biking! Fresh Air, Great Outdoor Views, We See A Few Animals - Even Deer - When We Go! … And Exercise All In One!
 
Princess_Abby said:
Lexee, I wonder if you’d like the reboundair.com. I LOVE MINE!!! I have never enjoyed exercise so much. (I broke my toe, so I’m a little out of commission at the moment, but otherwise - it’s great.) You can read about the benefits of rebounding on that site, too.
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I went to the site, but I couldn’t find any explanation on “how” it can replace the treadmill:shrug: . It also doesn’t have any demos of how it’s used except for pictures, those don’t help I need video. How do you get a cardio workout using this?

Since you’ve been using it maybe you can give me a little more info., how do you use it? It just seems like you can’t get the same workout on this as you would running/jogging or on a bike, but I have been known to be wrong:p . Any info. would be great, thanks!!!
 
It depends on what your goals are. If you just want to exercise, either is fine. But if you want to go anywhere, I recommend the bike.
 
Leopard said:
It depends on what your goals are. If you just want to exercise, either is fine. But if you want to go anywhere, I recommend the bike.
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Actually I’m talking about a stationary bike, so I wouldn’t be going anywhere with either:p . Yes, it’s for exercise purposes, for the cardio portion of my exercise routine.
 
I’d go with the treadmill instead of the bike. You get the cardio benefits and the the benefit of weight bearing exercise to guard against osteoporosis in the future. Since running is hurting you–can you make any adjustments to your routine to prevent that?
 
aurora77 said:
I’d go with the treadmill instead of the bike. You get the cardio benefits and the the benefit of weight bearing exercise to guard against osteoporosis in the future. Since running is hurting you–can you make any adjustments to your routine to prevent that?
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Hadn’t thought of the weight bearing part of using a treadmill vs. a stationary bike but some thoughts about using the treadmill and shin splints and… A good pair of walking/running shoes made specifically for a treadmill might help some of the problems you are having, also, stretching after you are done with your workout are very important - this alone might help with the sore shins. If you can go to a gym for a short period of time (find one that will let you pay by the month) and get some advise from one of the fitness experts there, one should be able to tell you how your stance could be hurting you and give you the exercises/stretches to do after or during your workout no the treadmill - unless others here are fitness experts the best we can do is give you what works best for us or what we have heard of is best ;).

Personally I go to Jazzercise. I do low impact and always wear a good pair of aerobic specific shoes (I replace these at a minimum of once a year) and a knee brace (simple one) because I have one really bad knee. With your back though, you might not want this kind of exercise.

Brenda V.
 
Forget the stationary bike. Get a real one. Use it instead of your car. Save gas + increase cardio conditioning = 👍
 
DaveBj said:
Forget the stationary bike. Get a real one. Use it instead of your car. Save gas + increase cardio conditioning = 👍
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It’s hard to use the real bike in the snow:p, plus I have my ds to think about and most likely I’d have to bring him with me on the bike, which would then make it more of a “fun” bike ride instead of some real exercise:shrug:.

I am looking into the recumbent bike, they are a bit expensive though. What do you all recommend as far as brands and models go?
 
Try the elliptical. That goes smooth on all joints and the rest of the body compared to the treadmill.

I got both an elliptical and a treadmill. I personally prefer the treadmill because it keeps up my pace compared to the elliptical. I can be slacking a bit on the elliptical and not notice.
 
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