Recumbent Stationary Bikes
Report #6115
Many people don't like to use stationary bicycles because it causes them pain and numbness. A recumbent bicycle rarely causes either.
When you ride a conventional stationary bicycle, you have to sit on a narrow bicycle seat between your legs to allow your legs to reach down to the pedals. The seat often presses your pudendal nerve against your pelvic bones, which can cause numbness and pain in your behind/ and genitals. However, when you sit on a recumbent bicycle that has the pedals at the same height as your pelvis, you don't need a narrow bicycle seat. You can sit on a regular chair which is contoured to fit your back and is very comfortable. Recumbent bicycle seats are so stable that anyone who can sit comfortably in a chair should be able to use it for exercise. People who can sit comfortably in a chair, even some who have been paralyzed on one side by a stroke, can use a recumbent bicycle. They use toe clips to stabilize the weak leg on the pedal and push the paralyzed leg up by pushing down with the healthy leg. The wind resistance recumbent bike/ pedals/ far more smoothly than the one with a resistance of a belt against the place where a tire would normally go on a wheel.
Sit in the chair and pedal against slight resistance at a comfortable rate until your legs feel heavy or hurt and stop. Wait until you recover and pedal again. When you can pedal continuously for 30 minutes, three times a week, you should have strong upper thigh muscles and be fit.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
Checked 11/9/09