Let me take a moment to introduce myself
My name is Dave and I am the online guy for Recumbent
Exercise & Fitness Bikes here at the Bicycle Man, LLC.
Even more importantly though; since January of
2007 I have been (and continue to be) an Orthopedic
Patient and Physical Therapy & Rehab Patient for
injuries suffered to my knees and hips. And, since March
20, 2010 (the date of my heart attack and type II
diabetes diagnosis) I got authorization from my
cardiologist and my PCP to use the bike for cardio
rehab and to help control my diabetes within the
limits of my orthopedic abilities. So, not being a
physician nor a physical therapist, the information
stated here will be based on both; expert research and
my own personal experiences.
Important Note: We
recommend that you consult your physician and/or
physical therapist before beginning any strengthening,
exercise or PT / Rehab program at home.
That being said, I want to tell you about the benefits
of using a stationary indoor recumbent bike for your in
home physical therapy and rehabilitation needs.
In-Home Therapy for Homebound Patients
When people say, "in home physical therapy" or "home
care physical therapy" they are typically referring to
patients that are homebound or otherwise unable to
travel to an outpatient rehabilitation clinic.
"In-home physical therapists" provide invaluable
rehabilitation services to our friends and neighbors who are unable to
travel to clinical facilities. The list of exercise and
rehab equipment they bring to the patient's homes is
always growing. Some service providers are even
utilizing RVs to bring the clinic to the patient and we
are very grateful for these folks.
Enjoying Affordable Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation In
Home
I am referring to those among us who either
need to have and/or
desire to have
ongoing and affordable physical therapy & rehabilitation
in home.
If your physician, physical therapist, or occupational
therapist has approved your rehabilitation program plan
to include some in home physical rehabilitation and exercise equipment
~ a recumbent stationary bike is a quality piece of
fitness & rehab equipment to have and they can be found at a very affordable
price. In fact, according to both experts and consumers
- stationary recumbent exercise bikes are among the most
comfortable, versatile and affordable pieces of exercise
& fitness equipment.
If you have considered physical therapy equipment
options that would allow you to enjoy the ability to do
your strengthening exercises, physiotherapy, fitness training and
rehabilitation in the comfort of your own home...
A Stationary Indoor Recumbent
Exercise Bike with Magnetic Resistance
is one of the
Best Strengthening Exercise & Rehabilitation
Equipment options
available to help you convert a small space in your
house or apartment into an in-home rehabilitation center.
Recumbent Exercise Bikes - You Can
Feel the Difference
Perhaps the biggest advantage to
recumbent stationary exercise bikes is that they are
much more comfortable then upright bike models.
Recumbent fitness & exercise bikes along with
semi-recumbent exercise bikes that have a chair like
seat with handlebars next to or slightly lower
than the seat provide a more natural body position
which is a big plus when considering the benefits of
exercising in comfort toward your physical therapy, fitness
& rehabilitation goals.
See Also:
upright exercise bikes vs. recumbent exercise bikes
Home Physical Therapy Recumbents &
Home Rehabilitation Benefits
There is a special section of the Arthritis Foundation
website called "Let's Move Together." I found this
article so encouraging that I wish to share a part of it
with you.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The
Benefits of Stationary Cycling
Be a pedal pusher and strengthen your
heart, hips and knees.
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.
Article Source:
http://lmt.arthritis.org/ways-to-move/index.php
No Author Credited
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
What Does All of This Really Mean?
Here's the bottom line for me, and remember, I am a
rehab patient myself and I have been diagnosed with
arthritis since my injuries to both knees and hips. I
know what it is like to have chronic pain. I know what
it is like to do everything exactly as you were
instructed and then to be in sincere pain in the
following days.
For me personally; the XTerra Fitness SB 540R Stationary
Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike has not only been a
welcome part of my in home physical therapy program - it
has been a great blessing to me personally as I try to
make long lasting therapeutic changes in my affected
joints & muscles as well as helping my overall health &
fitness.
I will provide links to more details about the XTerra
Fitness SB540R further down the page. You can use those
links to learn more about the bike's specs, features and
benefits.
Right now I just want to share what I have learned and
what has worked for me:
 |
My first
orthopedic surgeon told me to "No upright
bikes." Then later told me that a recumbent bike
in moderation would be fine. Reasons; less
weight transferred to knees & hips during the
workout and because there was something going on
with the nerve in my left hip/pelvic region the
recumbent would allow me to open the hip angle
as I rode. |
 |
The
recumbent helped me to strengthen the muscles
around the knees and hip with less joint impact.
|
I started by
demo riding a LeMond G-Force RT - a great bike, just way
out of my price range and it got to be too much for me
and the doctor said stop riding.
 |
I had
surgery on the right knee that removed damaged
meniscus and major debridement.
|
 |
Began PT
just a couple of days after the surgery and
after a few sessions we tried an upright bike
which was difficult for me and by the end of the
session I left cursing the bike (mentally).
|
 |
The next
session we did different additional exercises
and I requested the recumbent vs. the upright -
the result was I left the rehab center with
significantly less pain. That's when I became a
believer in the recumbent stationary bike for my
PT & rehab and it is so stable I don't need to
waste any energy trying to balance - Very Safe.
|
Enter the
XTerra Fitness SB540R Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike
I began to demo
ride the SB540R in the fourth week of January 2010. At
first, I was not utilizing the program and resistance
adjustments very well. Then after I began to notice how
one day a resistance level of "X" caused me pain (either
right away or in the following days) I decided I better
familiarize myself with the console and the multitude of
magnetic resistance settings available so that I could
make the adjustments based on how my knees and hips felt
that particular day.
I am very glad I
did learn to use the console more effectively to adjust
the time, resistance level, etc. By doing so, I reduced
my pain level and increased both the comfort and
distance thus adding to the therapeutic benefits of my
PT & rehab efforts.
Another thing I
learned along the way was that the speed (both MPH and
RPMs) at which I ride also makes a huge difference. Now
this may sound very silly to some people; but for those
of you who understand what I mean when I say, "I have my
good days and I have my bad days." this little tip
becomes a gem of great value.
Say, for
example, that I have set up the
User 1 profile on the SB540R console with
my:
 |
my name
|
 |
my
weight |
 |
my age
|
 |
a time
of 10 minutes |
 |
and
using the settings on the console I set each
segment of my ride between a resistance level as
low as 5 with a peak of around 13.
|
On a
good day ~ I press
User 1 to bring
up that saved profile, press start and I am on my
way. At the end of the workout it provides me with a
summary of the workout and I notice my average RPMs
was 36 rpm and my average speed was 9.5 mph. Great,
I note it and go about my day.
Let's say
the next day is a bad day
~ I press User 1
to bring up that saved profile, press start and I am
on my way. But this time I haven't even completed a
full lap (1/4 mile) and my knees & hips are nagging
me.
I don't have
to stop riding, give up or quit. I can simply reduce
the speed & RPMs at which I am pedaling and finish
the lap focusing on my posture, leg alignment and
listen to what my joints are telling me. If my
joints are saying, "Much better - Thanks." I can
continue my ride in comfort. Now at the end of the
workout it provides me with a summary of the workout
and I notice my averages were 28 rpms and my average
speed was 6.7 mph. Fantastic! I listened to what my
body was telling me, I didn't quit - I continued my
workout and by not pushing myself too hard - I won't
pay for it later.
This, my friends is an enormous
success!
Why?
 |
I
listened to my joints and my body - avoiding
aggravating my injuries. |
 |
I didn't
have to stop or quit my pt & rehab efforts for
the day.
 |
We both know that by not using our
muscles can result in a slight loss of
function every day – and that’s
particularly bad for someone trying to
recover from injuries or health
conditions like arthritis in a joint.
|
|
 |
By
reducing my speed and the rpm's I was able to
enjoy the engineering behind the bike's
resistance level changes (which, by the way is
extremely smooth because of the magnetic eddy
current braking) and still enjoy the therapeutic
benefits of recumbent cycling in comfort.
 |
This is also of great benefit to me
fighting the affects of arthritis.
|
|
 |
You'll
understand when I say there are great benefits
in being able to complete your exercises beyond
the physical benefits... it is mentally,
emotionally and spiritually uplifting and very
encouraging. |
Benefits of
Recumbent Stationary Bikes for Arthritis Patients
My wife has been
diagnosed with Osteoarthritis or OA of the neck. OA is
the most common joint disorder and if you suffer from
this condition you likely know that OA of the neck is
not isolated to the neck itself. Its effect also impair
the use of your shoulders, arms and hands to some degree
or another.
My wife's
symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
-
Joint pain
that gets worse after exercising or putting weight
on the affected area.
-
Pain that
feels more intense when she begins activities after
a period of little no activity
-
Joint
swelling which creates the problems in her limbs
(shoulders, arms and hands)
-
Limited or
restricted movement and even some loss of grip in
her hands
-
Muscle
weakness around arthritic joints
The goals for
her rehabilitation are to:
-
Increase the
strength of the joints by increasing the muscle
strength around the affected joints
-
Reduce the
weight or strain put directly on the neck, arms and
hands to improve joint movement
-
Keep her as
fit and active (overall) as possible to help her
fight the effects of the disease
-
Reduce her
pain level
Tall order for
physiotherapy treatment but aside from the targeted
exercises she needs to perform here is where the
recumbent exercise bike benefits help her with her
overall health & fitness without aggravating the
affected areas.

Unlike an
Upright bike which transfers weight to the back, neck,
shoulders, arms, wrists and hands - The recumbent
exercise bike allows the rider to sit in a slightly
reclined position with the back, neck, shoulders, arms,
wrists and hands in a more normal body alignment
reducing the pain and discomfort on those affected areas
and joints.
The Benefits of
Recumbent Cycling for Rehab and PT?
 |
My wife
can ride the recumbent exercise bike to improve
her overall health and fitness without
aggravating her arthritis. |
 |
Because
her position while riding the stationary
recumbent exercise bike puts her head, neck,
back, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands in a
more natural body alignment without transferring
weight to those areas she can ride in comfort
and achieve her fitness and therapeutic goals.
|
Fact: A
stationary indoor magnetic recumbent exercise and
fitness bike has a great number of benefits toward your
home rehab and PT program.
Fact: When
possible, by using a recumbent stationary bike in the
patient's home environment - the results are clear:
 |
higher
physical therapy program compliance.
|
 |
better
compliance could well mean less chance of
relapse. |
 |
better
attendance - you are already home.
|
 |
for me,
I have more control and more motivation which
means I am more involved in my physical therapy
- very liberating & very motivating.
|
 |
for me,
this means I have a greater role and
participation in the therapy and rehab program
which means I have greater 'ownership' of my
physiotherapy plan. |
 |
Frequency and duration - Having the recumbent
rehab & fitness bike in the home allows you to
choose the frequency of your rehabilitation
rides and the duration of the rides (following
your physicians orders of course). which is a
very convenient and beneficial point to
consider. |
 |
A side
note on this: I was very disturbed to learn of
the vast number of patients who are allowed
surgery by their insurance carriers but NOT
ALLOWED PT or REHAB by those same insurance
carriers! This is beyond my understanding. I
won't rant here, but I will say I think this
manner of handling an individuals health care is
unconscionable. If you are among those who are
not covered for post operative PT & Rehab - an
in-home rehab program is definitely worth both
investigating and pursuing with due haste.
|
 |
In Home
Rehab is frankly a more realistic option for
many patients - especially when travel, weather,
time or other obstacles prevent good attendance
at traditional outpatient clinic-based physical
therapy locations. |
I hope that I
have covered the finer points of consideration toward
using a stationary recumbent bike for home based
physical therapy and rehab.
Here are some
links to the other points to consider when you are
trying to find the best possible options for home
physical therapy and rehabilitation fitness equipment.
I you are
looking for Fitness Club and Gym quality recumbent
exercise bikes at an affordable price - the XTerra
Fitness SB540R is a BEST VALUE in its class with
features and benefits typically found only on 'high end'
recumbent exercise equipment.
-
Magnetic
Eddy Current Braking (ECB) Benefits
-
Upright Bikes vs. Recumbent Stationary Exercise Bikes
-
Best Value &
Affordable XTerra SB 540R Magnetic Recumbent Exercise
Bike
-
XTerra Fitness SB540R
Stationary Recumbent Exercise Bike Specs
Limited Time Offer XTerra
SB540r Sale Price is Only $699.00*
* Plus
Shipping
* Plus
Sales Tax for NY Residents
What are you waiting for!
Contact us today to Order Your
XTerra Fitness SB 540r Recumbent
Exercise Bike!
Dave's email address is dave @ bicycleman.com
(no spaces)
Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 am -
6:00pm (Eastern)
Phone: 607-587-8835
and ask for Peter