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
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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
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