Exercise bikes can be purchased in a range of types and costs so there is sure to be one to suit both your exercise needs and your budget. The three types available are upright, semi-recumbent and recumbent exercise bikes. Using an exercise bike is an excellent form of cardio-vascular exercise, will tone your muscles and will also help to reduce your weight by burning calories. This type of exercise has also been shown to help reduce high blood pressure. A recumbent exercise bike is as popular nowadays as a treadmill and is as efficient at burning calories and toning the body.

When using a recumbent exercise bike you will be seated close to the floor with the feet on the same level as the chest. This is a comfortable position to exercise and many people prefer it to the more upright position of traditional exercise bikes. This position is also very suitable and easy for beginners. Most experts agree that recumbent exercise bikes are safer, easy and pleasant to use and you are much more likely to continue to work out. Although ideal for beginners they are suitable for everyone at all fitness levels as the resistance has a wide range of settings from almost no resistance at all to extremely difficult, suitable for the dedicated athlete. One can easily simulate up hill pedalling and sprinting and you can even add weights and do reps while pedalling for an upper body workout.

A recumbent exercise bike will have a wide range of built in programs to keep you from becoming bored and give up! You can adjust the type of workout you need from a lazy, gentle pedal while reading a magazine to a strenuous, uphill slog depending on your mood and level of fitness.

These types of exercise bikes are also safer as they put less strain on the back and knees. You will be sitting in a comfortable position with a good posture, unlike on an upright exercise bike where you may be hunched over , causing enormous back strain. Unlike many other types of exercise there is much less strain on the knees and joints so they are particularly good for those of us of more mature years. With an upright exercise bike you can stand in the pedals when the going gets tough which is very bad for the knees. You can't do this with a recumbent bike so you can't cheat in this way!

A recumbent excercise bike is easy to adjust to your height and resistance level.They come with a range of accessories, such as a heart rate monitor, LCD display and a range of programs and are available from around $300 to over $2000 depending on the quality and range of accessories and programs.