With the busy lifestyles we lead today, it can be a challenge to find convenient ways to exercise. The best pedal exercisers allow us to achieve a cardiovascular workout that also strengthens muscles and improves circulation, and can be undertaken at the office or at home.
What Is a Pedal Exerciser?
A pedal exerciser is a portable piece of equipment with two bike pedals joined onto a central stationary platform. Most products feature an adjustable resistance dial, which means you’re able to build strength and fitness by varying your levels of exertion.
A pedal exerciser is good for strengthening the arms and legs through low impact cardiovascular exercise. This type of workout also tones the body, burns excess calories, improves joint mobility and aids circulation.
Who Needs a Pedal Exerciser?
A pedal exerciser can be beneficial for people of all ages. They can be used for physical therapy and rehabilitation after an injury or operation, to strengthen weak or sedentary muscles, and to improve cardiovascular fitness and blood circulation throughout the body. They’re also be beneficial if you’re returning to exercise after a lengthy break, as it’s both a low impact and low risk form of exercise which is safer for your musculoskeletal system.
How Do I Choose the Best Pedal Exerciser?
Before you choose a pedal exerciser, it’s important that you first discuss your needs with a fitness or medical professional as they can best advise you on the product that’s most suitable for you. It’s particularly important to do this after surgery or if you’re rehabilitating an injury.
Pedal exercisers have various features that you need to take into consideration when choosing one. A lot of products feature a range of resistance levels, which allows you to change up the difficulty of your workout and adjust this as required.
Some pedal exercisers have a small display screen, which gives you readings such as distance travelled, time taken, revolutions per minute and calories burned. This is really helpful for those who want to monitor their workouts and measure their progress.
Many products have straps attached to the pedals, which keep your hands or feet in place while you exercise. Non-slip rubber feet on the base of the equipment help to stop it from moving, and some models feature a strap which can attach the product to your chair for added security.
It’s possible to fold up some models of pedal exercisers, which makes storing or transporting them much more simple, and a built-in handle also makes moving the product easier.
What Is the Best Way to Use a Pedal Exerciser?
A pedal exerciser is simple to use. You need to sit down in a chair or on a sofa, position the equipment in front of you and place your feet in the pedals. If it’s possible to adjust the resistance, choose the level which is best for you. Then begin pedalling your legs in a forward motion. To exercise the arms, it’s most effective to place the pedal exerciser on a table or desk with your hands on the pedals.
The length of time you need to pedal for and the intensity of your workout should be discussed with a medical or fitness professional, as they can advise you on the best way to use a pedal exerciser for your age, level of fitness and any injuries or conditions that affect you.
The following video shows a demonstration of how to use a pedal exerciser for both the legs and arms:
What Are the Features and Benefits of a Pedal Exerciser?
Pedal exercisers have numerous features. Being able to change the resistance level of your workout means you can improve your cardiovascular fitness, increase strength, vary the intensity level, and work your way up to more difficult tasks.
Many models of pedal exerciser have LCD displays, which show you various readings including time elapsed, distance covered, calories burned and revolutions per minute. This product can also feature straps to secure your feet on the pedals, rubber gripped surfaces on the underside of the base to prevent slipping, and a strap to secure the pedal exerciser to the chair you’re seated in.
Low-impact cardiovascular exercise, which can be done using a pedal exerciser, has many health benefits. It places less stress on the body, which is particularly beneficial for the hip, knee, ankle and back joints, while still increasing your heart rate and strengthening your muscles.
A pedal exerciser is a great way to get regular aerobic exercise conveniently. Regular aerobic exercise reduces the likelihood of many health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, and has also been found to positively change the area of the brain which is involved in learning and verbal memory.
What Is the Best Pedal Exerciser?
With a variety of different products available, finding the best pedal exerciser for you can be challenging. We’ve made things easier for you by choosing five of the most popular models currently on the market, and evaluating each of them on features, quality and value for money.
Our Choice
After evaluating our five products, our choice for the best pedal exerciser is the MagneTrainer ER Mini Exercise Bike Arm and Leg Exerciser. While it was one of the more expensive models that we looked at, it’s a high-quality product featuring magnetic resistance and a flywheel. This means it’s a lot quieter and the pedal function is smoother than the other models.
The MagneTrainer pedal exerciser also features an adjustable resistance range that’s far superior to any of the other products we evaluated, including the DeskCycle exerciser. The MagneTrainer’s range of resistance levels makes it the most versatile pedal exerciser and suitable for a variety of uses, from physical therapy and injury rehabilitation to an intensive workout. Although the size of the DeskCycle exerciser allows it to fit under a variety of desk sizes, it had some manufacturing issues which reduced its overall quality.
The combination of versatility, durability and quality of the magnetic resistance mechanism makes the MagneTrainer ER Mini Exercise Bike Arm and Leg Exerciser the best pedal exerciser currently on the market.
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