Are you on the market for the best exercise bike for arthritic knees? We’ve got you covered. In today’s post, we will share some of the top-recommended options available today.
Suffering from bad knees makes exercising very hard to enjoy. There are plenty of exercises that will strengthen your knees and help develop muscles around the joints. These exercises help reduce stress on the knee and prevent injuries.
If you want the best option for working out from home, choose stationary bikes. Stationary bikes provide both physical and mental health benefits. The stationary bikes are the best exercise bikes for bad knees because they allow you to adjust the setting in accordance with the fitness your body wants.
Before beginning your exercises, you might experience knee pain. Here at FitnessAlpha, we will provide you the various tips that will help you avoid knee pain.
They include wearing comfortable shoes that provide enough support, stretching your legs before and after exercising, resting your knee for a while, and lastly if your knee hurts continuously, stop exercising for a while and seek medical attention.
Cycling is a good form of exercise because it is knee-friendly which enhances knee joint strength and it also enhances flexibility.
Exercise bikes offer various benefits to your health. Some of them include restoring muscle strength and endurance, reducing discomfort, inflammation, and recurrence of damage, helpings in losing weight, and many more.
Top 7 Best Exercise Bikes for Arthritic Knees
By the end of this post, you will find the best exercise bike for arthritic knees. We have only included models from top brands. You will not make a mistake investing in any model we have shared today.
We will look at both the recumbent and upright exercise bikes available today.
Let us now look at the best-handpicked exercise bikes for people with bad knees.
1. Sole Fitness R92 Recumbent Bike – Best Overall
The Sole Fitness R92 is rather expensive but it can also fit very well in your budget. The warranty of the machine is quite interesting because it is a lifetime warranty. The lifetime warranty covers the frame of the bike while there is a warranty of three years for parts and one year for the labor involved.
The cushioned seat is adjustable and it also provides comfort to the back and when sitting down. The pedals of this bike are slightly sloped inwards to provide comfort and also protect your feet from injuries or slipping off. The inbuilt sound system allows you to listen to music while working out.
It also has a water bottle holder in case you become thirsty while working out. The heart monitor is inbuilt to keep track of your heart rate.
Both the seat and the handlebars are adjustable meaning it can be possible to do a lot of routines and exercises. The fact that also the pedals can be adjusted means that it is a great choice for users who have problems with the back and knees.
The bike is also very quiet and smooth because it operates on a magnetic tension resistance system. It also has an extended warranty, comes with two custom and six standard programs available, and is ready to be used.
Features
- Adjustable seat and handlebars.
- Inbuilt sound system.
- Excellent warranty.
- Water bottle holder.
- Heart rate monitor.
2. EXERPEUTIC 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike
This is a compact and lightweight bike. It weighs only 39 pounds meaning it is easy to move around and store. It has a high weight capacity and comes with 8 tension-setting levels.
The EXERPEUTIC 400XL folding recumbent bike comes with a large display screen that displays various elements and it tracks your fitness goals like distance, heart rate, speed, calories burned, and time elapsed. However, the screen is placed in a rather low position on the bike making it hard to see at times while exercising.
The bike is easy to assemble. The seats are well cushioned and adjustable. The bike is foldable hence saving on space and making it mobile when you want to store it. It uses a magnetic resistance mechanism that is very quiet. It is also affordable and friendly to your pockets.
However, some users might find the cushion of the seat rather uncomfortable.
Features
- Adjustable seat
- Cushioned seat
- Large display screen
- 8 tension-setting levels.
3. ProGear 225 Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Heart Pulse
This is an affordable bike that is a great option where you will stay fit and spend less. It is a great option for knee rehabilitation dues to its easy pedaling. It comes with a dual transmission flywheel so that you can enjoy sufficient resistance during workouts.
The seat of the ProGear 225 Folding magnetic upright exercise bike with heart pulse is contoured and it can also be adjusted to different heights depending on your height. This type of bike is undoubtedly comfortable and user-friendly.
The pedals come with adjustable straps so your feet will not slip out during intense workout movements. This ensures your feet are secure and do not cause injuries to you.
The base of the bike is fitted with adjustable stabilizers that keep the bike stable when you pedal faster. Using this feature, the bike is less likely to fall over or move.
It comes with an accessory holder keeping your smartphone secure and where it can be seen easily.
Features
- Accessory holder.
- Adjustable pedal straps.
- Heart pulse monitor.
- Adjustable stabilizers.
- Adjustable seat.
4. FitDesk Standing Adjustable Desk Exercise Bike
The FitDesk Standing adjustable bike can also be used while you are working or watching movies while pedaling. It has a non-slip desk that can be used to hold a laptop or a tablet.
The adjustable arm of the bike allows one to personalize the position of the forearm support and can also work as a massage roller. They help in relaxing the muscles while you work out.
The digital display that the bike comes with is used to show the different stats of your performance and also helps in monitoring the performance. You can also work out your upper body with the help of the resistance band that is under the seat.
It can fold hence creating space if you have a small room. It is also easy to store.
It comes with a magnetic resistance level of 8. The intensity of the workout can be adjusted using the tension knob. It is recommended that you should keep your workout intensity low if you have knee arthritis.
Features
- Digital display.
- Non-slip desk.
- Adjustable arm.
- Resistance band.
- Tension knob.
5. NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle
All the workouts on the NordicTrack bike are pre-recorded. Another thing is that the resistance and incline are automatically adjusted during workouts. It is also sturdy and durable. It also comes with a digital display that has a variety of videos to choose from.
When assembling, the instructions are clear and easy to understand and it is written in the English language. The bike pieces are put together using screws and hex wrenches.
It has a big touchscreen of 22 inches that is used to display different elements like speed, calories burned, time spent, and of course the different exercise videos you can choose from.
The good thing about the screen is that it has a high-definition resolution making everything vibrant and pleasing making the exercise more interesting.
It is without a doubt that the adjusting of the resistance in an incline and decline manner makes it one of the best features to choose from.
Features
- Big touchscreen digital display.
- It is made from durable materials
- You can adjust the resistance.
6. Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike with Magnetic Resistance and Pulse Sensor NS-908R
The Marcy Recumbent comes with a magnificent design making it durable and sturdy. It is made from high-quality steel. It has 8 levels of manual magnetic resistance mechanism allowing one to customize workouts in accordance with your training demands.
It is small meaning can fit it in small spaces hence space convenient. Its backrest is cushioned giving off comfortand relieving back pain when doing heavy workouts. The bike is very harmless because it provides comfort to the user.
The Marcy Recumbent exercise bike has an odometer fitted with an LCD screen. The screen tracks distance traveled, speed, calories burned, elapsed time, and measuring heart rate.
The fact that the bike is durable means that the experience your legs will have while pedaling, will be ideal because it will properly work on your muscles. The movement also stretches the muscles that are around the knees.
The pedals of the bike are counterbalanced giving optimal support for the feet. The bike is also weighted making it ideal for maintaining the flexibility of the bike.
Features
- LCD monitor.
- Cushioned backrest.
7. NordicTrack S22i Commercial Studio Cycle Exercise Bike
The NordicTrack S22i Commercial Studio Cycle is an expensive bike but it is a good option for commercial purposes. It is one of the best options for bad back and knees.
It has a 22-inch touchscreen display that has a high resolution and it displays on-demand workouts which make exercising more fun and productive.
The machine is smooth and quiet thanks to the silent magnetic resistance mechanism technology.
This provides a pleasant workout experience. The screen comes with built-in programs that you can get to access either live or world-class interactive training. The bike can also rotate at an angle of 360 degrees so you can watch from any angle.
The bike has digital resistance levels of 24 which makes it the best for bad knees because you can choose the lowest settings for low resistance workouts.
Features
- 22-inch display screen.
- Magnetic resistance mechanism technology.
- It can rotate.
- It is smooth and quiet.
Factors to Consider When Shopping for the Best Exercise Bike for Arthritic Knees
Here are the important factors you need to consider:
- Size
The available space or space that can be spared will really determine the sole purpose and the type of bike you will buy.
A compact bike is the most suitable option for minimal spaces. Also, you can choose a bike that has a folding design. This will also save you some valuable floor space if you have limited space.
Also, if a bike is large but has wheels, it will be a good option because it can easily be stored away when not in use.
- Resistance
If you have bad knees, avoid high resistance exercises because they will make things worse. Each bike comes with different levels of resistance so the goal is to have adjustable resistance to fit your needs.
- Seat
A good comfortable seat is one that is large, padded, adjustable to the preferred height, and has an ergonomic design. With that, you are guaranteed that you will be comfortable during workouts.
- Pedals
Pedals should have straps to keep your feet secure from slipping during intense workouts. Also, good pedals should not put so much strain on your knees. Slightly inward and sloped pedals are also a great option for people with knee problems.
- Handles
The handles should not be strenuous and provide a comfortable position on your arm when working out. The handles should also have an easy grip and can have additional foam or cushioning plus some texturing grip.
Other bikes come with heart rate monitors on their handles. The handles should also be adjustable depending on your comfortability.
- Console
When talking about the console of the bike, we are talking about the display or screen that will monitor the progress of your workouts. It displays various stats like speed, calories burned, and distance, among others. The console should also have a large backlight display which improves vision depending on the time of the day.
Conclusion
In summary, we have reviewed 7 of the best exercise bikes for arthritic and bad knees. As you have seen they are loaded with many features to improve your workout experience.
If you want the best option for working out from home, choose stationary bikes. The stationary bikes are the best exercise bikes for bad knees because they allow you to adjust the setting in accordance with the fitness your body wants.
The low-impact workout that is provided by the recumbent exercise bike pose is very helpful. They are very different from upright bikes because they have a wider padded seat. The padded seat helps in maintaining posture and provides support to the knee, back, and ankles.
The upright exercise bike is a small workout bike that has become the most reasonable bike to buy at home. They are cheap and they strengthen your legs and provide you with good aerobic exercise.
We hope that this post helped you to make a well-informed purchase.
Video Review
Here is a video review of the best exercise bike for arthritic knees: