The Best Exercise Bike to Lose Weight

Losing weight is no easy feat. It takes commitment to eating well, exercising and maintaining weight loss – you must make lifestyle changes. The formula isn’t new, but the stick-to-it is a whole other issue. It can’t be a fad or quick, or else you will regain the weight after all that hard work.

Losing weight safely means a balance of nutrition and exercise. One to two pounds per week is a good gauge to follow – slow and steady wins the race. Setting short term and long term goals are the best way to weight loss. Changing your lifestyle is not an easy thing to do, but it can be done. It’s always good to know your strengths and weaknesses, and then develop your plan around minimizing self-sabotage (consider best time, children, spouse, work, etc.).

Once you’ve figured your workout time, you need to develop your plan of action. How are you going to go about it? Gym membership or home gym? Both are good and you actually don’t have to choose between the two – you can have both. A home gym affords you the flexibility and the convenience. There are a myriad of gym equipment to build your home gym but one of the best to start with are stationary bikes. It is a low impact workout that builds strong cardio and tones muscles. And as far as weight loss, they work.

The best stationary exercise bikes to lose weight include both recumbent and upright bikes. You can lose weight equally on either of them, but if you suffer from back problems the recumbent is the better choice because it offers lumbar support with the design of the seat.

When selecting a bike for weight loss, look for the following features:

• Resistance levels: The wider the range, the varying degrees of challenge to meet you every step of the way as your fitness level improves.
• Workout programs: Enough to offer a variety.
• Heart rate monitors and calories burned.
• Technology: If you are one that knows you need motivation to keep going – a bike that offers live and or on demand streaming classes or virtual rides on different terrains may be the answer to your sticking to your routine.

 Below we’ve listed the top five selling residential stationary bikes for weight loss:

Nordictrack Commercial VR25 Recumbent Bike

The NordicTrack brand is known worldwide for manufacturing quality stationary exercise bikes. And the Nordictrack Commercial VR25 is their top of the line recumbent bike. It comes with 35 built in workout programs, 26 resistance levels and iFit subscription.  The combination of these features will take you to the calorie-burning zone for a long time to come. The wide range of resistance levels will help you tone muscles while losing weight. The iFit app makes things exciting and fun taking you on different terrains around the world or studios. Follow your workout on the web-enabled touch screen that allows you to read your stats while browsing. If you already have all your fitness stuff on your laptop, you can sit it in the bracket that is at level with your eyes as to not block your view of your workout screen.  

NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle

NordicTrack’s top cycle trainer is the Commercial S22i Studio Cycle with the iFit Coach app for personal training. A new luxury model, the Commercial S22i provides NordicTrack’s widest display – a 20” HD touch screen – for virtual escapes to iFit Coach spin classes and for biking with interactive Google Maps Street Views. Another special feature is power incline and decline; this ride can tilt for uphill/downhill training! Overall the new S22i is a digitally connected exercise bike that’s optimized for workout variety.

• Quiet magnetic flywheel system
• Slope settings from -10 to 20 percent
• Multigrip handlebars
• Auto-adjusting workout fan

Sole LCR

The Sole LCR is self-described by the manufacturer to be “dependable, comfortable and affordable.” The trainer features 40 resistance levels, flywheel drive design (30 lb. flywheel), foam 12-position adjustable seat, oversized and self-leveling pedals as well as 10 pre-defined workout programs.

• Heavy-duty flywheel drives smooth performance
• Wide selection of resistance levels (40 total)
• Commercial grade steel frame (max user weight 350 lbs.)
• Oversized pedals provide stability and comfort
• Comfortable seat with 12 different positions
• Two different warranty packages available

ProForm Studio Pro

The ProForm Studio Pro is an upright stationary bike, it’s not the top of the line for ProForm uprights but it is pretty close. It’s an exercise bike to lose weight.  This bike will challenge and motivate you with all that it brings to the table – from the magnetic resistance, the ability to incline and decline to the iFit Coach Plus and Live Cast Classes.  Check out the features:

• LiveCast Classes: Imagine riding along with fellow spinners, getting motivated and cheering each other on – but instead you are doing it from the comfort of your home. LiveCast allows you to stream certified coaches into your home, it doesn’t get better than that.
• 10” Touchscreen with Swivel: The swivel design allows you to turn the screen towards the other side of the room so that you can follow the off bike segments of the streamed workouts. The HD display streams your on- demand or live stream classes.
• Incline/Decline: Cycling on an incline burns more calories. The ProForm Pro slopes -20% to +20%
• Adjustable handlebars – they can be used in an upright or drop down position.
• User weight: It will hold up to 350lbs, so just about anyone is able to ride.
• Seating: A comfortable padded seat that can move forward or backward, up or down.

Sole SB900

The Sole SB900, is the premier stationary cycle for Sole. It is quite the specimen. It will more than help you lose weight, it could train you to be a competitive cyclist while toning and sculpting your legs. It’s 48 pound flywheel puts it in a class all its own.

• Flywheel: Gives a solid and smooth ride, while the magnetic – powerful – resistance makes for a quiet one.  
• Frame: Solid long lasting frame built steel and aluminum.  
• Adjustable handlebars – Moves forward or backward.
• Console: A 3”x 4” LCD screen, displays your stats: distance, speed, RPM, calories burned.
• Self-Generating Power: As you ride you generate the power needed, making it easy to place anywhere you like as well as not adding to your electricity bill.
• User weight: Rider can be up to 300 lbs.

Losing weight couldn’t be more easy or fun – in your own space. These bikes will definitely work with you as you lose weight, to your long term goal of  maintaining your new look and lifestyle. They are all sturdy and well made, definitely some of the the best exercise bikes to lose weight.

Photo credit: ESB Professional/Shutterstock; wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock; Dreaming Poet/Shutterstock