Indoor cycling is ideal for physical rehab programs!

Benefits of Indoor Cycling for Rehabilitation: Indoor cycling is beneficial for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, weight issues, knee rehabilitation and is a proven part of rehab programs after stroke or heart attack. Bob Fietsam is a convert. He used to be a runner, but for the past 15 years, 77-year-old Fietsam of Belleville, Ill., has been waking up early to ride his stationary bike before going to his accounting job. He has kept fit without pounding his joints like he did when his exercise of choice was running. "I've lost 30 pounds, I don't feel pain in my knees anymore and I am able to play golf again, which I couldn't do when I was running," he says. Fietsam, who has logged more than 100,000 miles, the equivalent of four times around the world, says his routine works well for him. He points out he can use the indoor bike year-round in his snowy Illinois hometown, he doesn't have to dodge cars on the street and he can listen to the radio or watch TV during his rides. And Fietsam credits the cardiovascular benefits of cycling for giving him the stamina to continue working well into his 70s. There's no question that indoor cycling is an excellent way to get a cardiovascular workout without stressing weight-bearing joints, says Matthew Goodemote, head physical therapist at Community Physical Therapy & Wellness in Gloversville, N.Y. It's also a good option for people with balance problems, he adds, because there is no need to lean the bike to turn. "People with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who become inactive because of pain often develop balance problems, so they are less likely to injure themselves on a stationary bike," he says. more info at: http://lmt.arthritis.org/ways-to-move/index.php

Cycling for Knee Rehabilitation Exercise bikes, static bikes, stationary cycles, bicycle ergometers - these are all names for the bicycles that you find in virtually every physiotherapy clinic, gym or health club across the world. Many knee rehabilitation protocols include cycling so why is this exercise modality so popular for knee rehabilitation? This article will give you an insight into the use of a cycle for knee rehabilitation. Firstly what we need to consider is that the broad goals of any knee rehabilitation programme are likely to be to - * increase or restore knee joint range of movement * increase or restore knee joint stability * increase or restore the strength of muscles around the knee * decrease or eliminate pain * prevent reoccurrence of the injury In comparison with other exercises cycling is a relatively "knee friendly" activity that can help to improve knee joint mobility and stability. Cycling is frequently used as a rehabilitation exercise modality after knee injury or surgery as well as part of the management of chronic degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis. The bicycle has a number of features that make it a particularly good tool for knee rehabilitation: * Non weight-bearing * Low impact * Uses a range of motion that is needed for most activities of daily living * Controlled movement * Variable resistance * Stable position * Cyclic movement nourishes joint cartilage * Closed kinetic chain exercise (see this article) * Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise activity more info at... http://www.cartilagehealth.com/cycling.html written by Karen Hambly at "Knee Guru."

How to select a Cycle Ergometer (Stationary Bicycle): How to select a Cycle Ergometer (Stationary Bicycle) Cycle ergometers are referred to as "ergometers", "stationary bicycles", or simply "bikes". Your budget and the intended application determine the selection of an ergometer. Obviously, for home use you will expect to spend substantially less than for professional use, but even here it makes a difference whether the user is a fitness buff or a cardiac patient. Things to consider are: Smoothness of ride Minimum braking (workload) resistance Maximum braking (workload) resistance How important is accuracy of the workload setting Is the set workload dependent or independent of pedaling speed Do you plan to interface the ergometer with a computer Do you need an integrated heart rate meter that will automatically keep the workload within your target heart rate zone In general, ergometers with a higher kinetic energy stored in a bigger mass or higher speed of a flywheel will have a smoother ride and only magnetically braked ergometers will be able to keep workload constant (iso-power) independent of pedaling speed with relative design simplicity. more info at.... http://www.vacumed.com/317.html