How To Choose The Best Exercise Bike For Hip Pain - Cycling Spin (2023)

FAQs

What type of exercise bike is best for hip pain? ›

Look for: A recumbent bike. Yes, you can use an upright bike if you have arthritis – but a recumbent bike makes it easier to maintain a proper posture, which results in less pressure on the spine and hip joints, says Lewis.

Since indoor cycling, and biking generally, is so low impact, the hips are generally not negatively affected. Tightness in the front of the hip, the hip flexor, might mean you need to do some extra stretching or foam rolling, or it might signal a preexisting issue, says Karp.

Ultimately, what will work best for you will depend on your fitness goals. If you are looking for a casual and easy to use bike that will be more forgiving on your joints, then go for an exercise bike. Otherwise, if you are looking to complete intensive bike workouts with high resistance, then consider a spin bike.

Spin Bikes: Workout Intensity. Generally speaking, you can get a more intense workout on a spin bike than a stationary bike. Spin bikes require greater muscle activation, including some upper body and core, whereas the workout on a stationary bike is really just isolated to the legs. They also have a heavier flywheel.

Raise your seat to reduce the amount of hip flexion and anterior impingement. You can also raise your handlebars so you sit a little more upright relieving the amount of hip flexion. If you are recovering from a bursitis you may need to lower your seat slightly when you return to cycling.

Cycling is more efficient than walking, so you'll probably work harder by walking briskly and probably exercise your heart, lungs and major muscles more. On the other hand, cycling is probably less hard on your hips, knees and ankles than walking.

Spinning is a low-impact activity, so it won't put as much stress on your joints as other activities might. Spin classes can get fairly intense, so they may not be a good option for those with severe arthritis. However, you may be able to tweak the workout to fit your level of ability.

Like all sports, however, cycling can potentially lead to nagging aches and pains that may lead to more serious injuries. While cycling is not inherently bad for your hips, there are multiple factors that can potentially lead to hip pain while riding your bike.

"The tightness in hip flexors comes from the fact that the body's moving in the same plane of motion," adds Erin Nelson, a cycling instructor at Swerve Fitness. So you're recruiting the same major muscles in the same direction for roughly 45 minutes, which doesn't leave much room for opening them up.

During short (less than 30 seconds) all-out bursts, peak power output has been measured at 25% greater when standing compared to sitting, but there is trade off. Research has shown that even at shallower gradients of around 4%, ascending at 19kmh while seated requires 10% less oxygen than when standing.

Can a spin bike be used as an exercise bike? ›

Regular exercise bikes are ideal for those who wish to make exercise a healthy addition to their current lifestyle. Having a heavier flywheel makes spin bikes ideal for high-intensity interval training and good for overall workout and weight loss as well.

Exercising on the bike for at least 30 minutes a day will build up your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. By putting in consistent effort, you'll notice an improvement in your aerobic capacity, enabling you to bike longer or on more intense rides.

How Long Should You Ride a Stationary Bike? Stationary bike workouts can be anywhere from just a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on your fitness and health goals. If you're just getting started, aim to ride a stationary bike for 10-20 minutes and slowly build up to 30 minutes or more.

They can be safely used every day as part of a workout routine and may be ideal for people with joint problems. However, because stationary biking only works the lower body, supplementing daily biking with exercises designed for the upper body is necessary to ensure a full-body workout.

Ciotola praises gentle cycling as “the best exercise for hip pain from arthritis," explaining that gentle cycling allows the hips to externally rotate if needed.

Yes. Although your stomach muscles aren't working as hard as your quads or glutes when you're riding, but cycling's aerobic nature means you are burning fat.

Most fitness experts who have calculated calorie burn for both exercises base their numbers on time spent rather than distance traveled. In several studies conducted by reputable scientists, it was determined that, under equal conditions, bike riding was at least equal to walking.

Another study found that weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and running, were associated with lower levels of a type of fat that accumulates in bone marrow, compared with cycling ( 9 ). Walking burns more fat than cycling. This may be because it's considered a weight-bearing activity, while cycling isn't.

What exercises should I avoid with hip pain? ›

Avoid exercises involving repetitive hip flexion, the motion involving bringing your hip or leg up toward your chest. If doing squats, keep them shallow and hold off on lunges entirely, until you receive a diagnosis from your doctor. Do not work through pain. When walking or running, pay attention to pain.

Bicycling. The body's position when riding a bicycle places most of the weight directly onto the hip. The result is likely to be increased pain and worsening of bursitis.

Improper bike fit and iliopsoas tension

Even if you have great muscular strength and balance in your legs, glutes, and hips, you may still suffer from hip flexor pain. One of the most common causes of hip pain during cycling - and sometimes the cause of muscular imbalance and overuse - is an improper bicycle fit.

Flexibility and strength exercises are key to relieving hip pain. Although these exercises may result in temporary discomfort, they should not cause or aggravate pain. If an exercise causes pain, stop doing it or try going at a slower or gentler pace.

“Stationary biking is an ideal low-impact exercise for people with arthritis,” says physical therapist Jessica Schwartz, founder of PT2Go in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. It's also safe and convenient.

Cycling causes your pelvis to tilt forward, pulling your glutes out of alignment and forcing you to rely too much on your hamstrings, quadriceps, and lower back. Since your hips act as a brace for your lower back, your back compensates by flexing, extending, and rotating.

Due to the forward-leaning position on the bike, cyclists are prone to tight hip flexors because the muscles are almost always in a shortened position while you're riding.

Common Complaints When Not Adjusted Properly: Anterior hip & Groin Pain: Seat height may be too low leading to pinching in the hip joint during the up-stroke. Medial Knee Pain: Seat height may be too low causing excessive medial knee strain during the downstroke.

World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18-64 years should indulge in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week to stay healthy. What many do not know is that a daily cycle ride of only 20 minutes is sufficient to achieve this target!

If you're starting with little or no activity, biking 15 minutes a day, or 30 minutes a few times a week, is an excellent way to improve health and will likely reduce your weight. Once you've adapted to moderate riding, add some intensity intervals, which are even better for burning calories.

What is the correct posture for spinning? ›

As general rule of thumb, Karp says, as long as your spine is relatively straight, your core is engaged when you're riding, and you have a slight bend in your elbows without too much weight in your shoulders, you're in a good position. "You also want your knees to be tracking over the middle of your feet," he adds.

Spin bikes are great if you are healthy and have no pain issues that would keep you from using comfortably. If you do have back or joint problems, you may want to consider a recumbent bike or upright exercise bike. Both are more comfortable to use and can offer great workouts.

Stationary cycling will result in the same benefits as walking, with the added bonus that it puts less pressure on your joints than other weight-bearing activities such as walking.

'Spinning' has evolved as a generic term that consumers use to describe indoor cycling. But that is not what it is. The term is actually a trademarked term owned by a California company known as Mad Dogg Athletics. They trademarked the term more than 25 years ago for a wide range of products related to cycling.

For seniors who are new to cycling, Simpson recommends starting with three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes each time. However, she says, “anything that one does that doesn't involve sitting on a couch is a positive.” Many new stationary bikes come with cycling programs available for all levels of fitness and ability.

For indoor bikes, the recommended flywheel weight is about 18-20kgs, whereas the weight can be around 20-22kg for commercial bikes.

A typical spin class lasts around 45 minutes, but in that short amount of time you will work it all. You can expect to burn between 500-700 calories in this amount of time, but it could vary depending on your weight and strength.

Now you ask, how many miles is 30 minutes on a stationary bike? Spending 30 minutes pedaling a stationary bike is equivalent to six miles.

Contrary to popular belief, spin class builds muscle strength without adding bulk. Calloway notes, like all other forms of cardio, indoor cycling recruits your whole body, not just your quads. "Once you master your form on the bike, you'll notice that you're able to work your full legs, core, and arms.

Aim to maintain a cadence (measured on the cycle console in revolutions per minute or RPMs) of 80 to 100 RPMs on “flat ground” (low to moderate resistance) and 60 to 80 RPMs on “hills” (moderate to high resistance). If you find yourself struggling to maintain 60 RPMs, decrease the resistance.

Is spin enough of a workout? ›

Overall, spinning is exceptional exercise. But if you're new to it, you need to ease in and give your muscles time to adapt to its intensity. Even if you're an experienced athlete, pushing yourself to your limit the first or second time you get on a spinning bike may be risky, Brogan says.

Cycling for 15 to 20 minutes per day has some important health benefits. The effort and intensity of your cycling will dictate how far these benefits go, but even 15-minutes of gentle exercise is beneficial for overall health.

"Spinning is an effective, low-impact way of improving fitness and helping to manage weight," says personal trainer Laura Williams. "Your lower body muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes) all work hard during a spinning session, while standing during a session means your upper body and core all play a role too."

Spinning is long known to decrease fat and help people drop pounds. In fact, it's so effective that research has shown replacing one bout of moderate intensity exercise with two 30-minute sessions of the high-intensity workout can improve everything from your cardiovascular health to your body composition.

Nadya Swedan said spinning is a safe exercise where you can burn more than 700 calories an hour in a very intense class. The danger is when you go overboard, spinning five to seven days a week and taking back-to-back classes.

A stationary bike introduces a low-impact exercise which allows the hips to externally rotate. Doing so improves lower body stability and prevents pain and injuries in the hips. Furthermore, the movement lubricates the joints – reducing pain and stiffness.

“Stationary biking is an ideal low-impact exercise for people with arthritis,” says physical therapist Jessica Schwartz, founder of PT2Go in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. It's also safe and convenient.

Ciotola praises gentle cycling as “the best exercise for hip pain from arthritis," explaining that gentle cycling allows the hips to externally rotate if needed.

Avoid exercises involving repetitive hip flexion, the motion involving bringing your hip or leg up toward your chest. If doing squats, keep them shallow and hold off on lunges entirely, until you receive a diagnosis from your doctor. Do not work through pain. When walking or running, pay attention to pain.

Improper bike fit and iliopsoas tension

Even if you have great muscular strength and balance in your legs, glutes, and hips, you may still suffer from hip flexor pain. One of the most common causes of hip pain during cycling - and sometimes the cause of muscular imbalance and overuse - is an improper bicycle fit.

Which is better an upright or recumbent exercise bike? ›

Which One Is Best For Your Home? In general, we would recommend seniors or people who prefer not to engage too much core muscles during an exercise to choose a recumbent bike. For those, who focus more on the results and an overall fitness, you would want to choose the upright bike.