11 Best Recumbent Bikes for Seniors

While this product from BARWING is undoubtedly a recumbent bike, it also has pulleys and resistance bands so you can perform a range of strength training exercises too.

It folds flat for easy storage. This is a 3 in 1 home gym and not just another recumbent bike!

Pros

• Strong steel frame
• Magnetic resistance
• 16 resistance levels
• Built-in resistance bands and ankle cuffs for upper and lower body exercises
• It can be used as an upright, semi, or fully recumbent bike
• Padded saddle and backrest
• Large LCD display
• Transport wheels

Cons

• Not a step-through frame
• No pre-programmed workouts to follow
• No heart rate monitoring

Why Are Recumbent Bikes So Good for Seniors?

Any kind of bike is good for developing your cardiovascular fitness, improving your endurance, and strengthening your legs. However, recumbent bikes are especially useful…

1. Ease of use

Getting on and off a recumbent bike is much easier than mounting an upright bike. You basically sit down onto a recumbent bike instead of having to climb up onto it. If you have mobility issues or your balance isn’t quite what it should be, you should find a recumbent bike much more forgiving.

2. Comfort

Recumbent bikes have wide seats and padded backrests so you can work out in comfort. Instead of sitting with all your weight balanced in a narrow seat, it’s spread across a broader area. If riding a regular bike brings tears to your eyes, you’ll find a recumbent much more enjoyable to use.

3. An easier workout

When you use a regular exercise bike, your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood up your legs against gravity. On a recumbent, your legs are extended in front of you, so your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through your legs. This is especially useful if you are currently unfit or have a history of cardiac illness.

4. Safety

Recumbent bikes are very safe. Accidents are rare as they’re so easy to use. Once your workout is finished, just lower your feet to the floor and stand up. You can use the console/handles at the front if necessary. You don’t need to try and fling your leg over a central crossbar, as you would on a regular bike. Your workout SHOULD be safe; after all, it’s supposed to be life-enhancing and not life-shortening!

Buying Guide

Consider the following before buying a recumbent bike:

Seat designs

Recumbent seat designs vary, but wide and padded are the most important features to look for. After all, you should be comfortable during your workouts. Along with a padded seat, there should also be a backrest for enhanced comfort and support.

If possible, try before you buy you ensure that your recumbent is as comfortable as possible. If that’s not an option, look for products with a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you are unhappy with your purchase.

Size and stability

If recumbent bikes have a disadvantage, it is that they’re bigger and heavier than regular exercise bikes. So, before you buy, make sure you have space for a recumbent bike in your home.

However, once installed, that extra size and weight can be a benefit, as they make your bike more stable. The last thing you want is for your recumbent bike to wobble during use.

The more stable you feel, the more confident you’ll be, and the more enjoyable your workout will become.

Ease of setup and use

Most recumbent bikes are delivered in parts and require at least some self-assembly. Because they tend to be quite big and heavy, this is usually a job for two people.

While assembly is usually a simple process, with all the necessary tools supplied, it will involve some lifting and shifting of some potentially heavy components.

If you can, get someone to help you with putting your recumbent bike together. Otherwise, it may be worth paying a little extra for the delivery person to put it together for you. This is a service offered by many companies, including Amazon.

Once your recumbent bike is set up, you’ll find it very easy to use. All of the controls will be within reach, and things like the resistance and timer are very straightforward to operate.

It may take you a couple of goes to familiarize yourself with the controls, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!

Bottom Line

There are lots of different workouts you can do at home and several different types of workout machines. Treadmills are useful for walking but walking outside is usually more enjoyable, and it’s free, too.

Rowers are okay, but they can be hard on your lower back. Ellipticals are another good choice, but they tend to be very large and not all that easy to get on and get off. That leaves cycling.

Regular exercise bikes are popular but, with their high crossbars, mounting and dismounting are no easy matter, and anyone who’s ever suffered saddle soreness will only too quickly tell you how uncomfortable upright bikes can be.

A better choice for seniors is recumbent bikes. With a recumbent, you sit comfortably with your back supported and don’t have to contend with a narrow, painful seat.

With your legs elevated in front of you, your heart won’t have to work so hard to pump blood up your body, so your workout will be easier but no less beneficial. Recumbents are also easy to get on and off of and very easy to operate.

The only real drawback of recumbent bikes is their size and weight – you’ll need to make sure you have plenty of space to use your bike and will probably need some help putting it together. Other than that, recumbent bikes are arguably one of the best home workouts for seniors.