Exercise Equipment Advice Needed

[jennifer123]

I need advice on what type of exercise equipment to buy. I am 47 years old and in moderate physical condition. I walk three miles weather permitting 3x week, attend dance class 2x weeks and use free-weights 2x week. I have arthritis in my hips and degenerative disks in my lower back. I cannot run or do anything with higher impact than walking. Walking helps tremendously with my lower back pain and hip arthritis. The more regularly I walk the less it hurts - unless I do more than 3-4 miles. I was advised by a physical therapist that an exercise bicycle would benefit my hip joints more that walking by providing more range of motion. But I get bored on an exercise bicycle fairly easily. Here is what my body type considerations are: I have large calves and do not want to build them up so a stairmaster/stepper is definately out. My thighs are fine. My muscles seem to be larger than most women. I do not have thin limbs. I can probably build mass pretty easily and more so than other women. I'm 5'4" and 140 lbs and need to lose 10 of those lbs. I live in an apartment on the second floor but might get away with a treadmill. Finally, cost is a real concern. Two hundred dollars is the most I can spend. My thoughts are between an elliptical and what is the minimum stride size needed to obtain long leans muscles and not mimic a stepper and build up my calves, a treadmill, an exercise bike (but what would that do for my thighs and hip joints?), and the tony little gazelle.

Thanks for any and all advice!

 

[[Focus]]

A reclining stationary cycle is great for low-to-no impact cardio. If you find you get bored, just set it up in front of a TV, read, or listen to books/instructional material/motivational stuff on tape/cd/mp3. Good music you really feel can be enough all by itself. Especially once you get used to your daily high. I recommend the lower end Schwinn models. Not sure if you can foot it on $200, but they have always been great for me.

Is there some reason you're not considering getting a gym membership? It's usually the more affordable option, provided transportation and having to share occasionally are not an issue.

 

[jennifer123]

reclining bicycle

I have a severely handicapped son so getting out is very hard to do and a gym would cost way more than I can afford in the long run. Do reclining bicyles provide much range of motion in the hip joints and work out the thighs?
I am looking for a comprehensive workout from the hips on down.

Thanks!!

 

[[Focus]]

Yep. That's pretty much what cycling of any kind is. The reclining (more commonly known as "recumbent") cycle simply provides you with more support for your back. It's a pretty excellent choice for someone in your situation, imo, because of being very minimal impact.

Also, for a beginner, it's perfectly doable to go at a nice leisurely pace. After a couple of months of conditioning under your belt you might want to work a little harder. It's a great way to ease into things.

I believe my last one cost me roughly $450 Canadian brand new. I'm sure you could find a deal on craiglist or some other website/reseller/bargain finder/random second-hand source. It's just a personal preference, but I've never had anything on a Schwinn wear out on me before I replaced it (which is very unusual for low end equipment). Might've just been luck, but that's been my experience. You can always google up some reviews, but they are occasionally biased/poorly informed/out-of-date. It's good to be skeptical of most of what you read on the internet. Maybe try running a forum search on recommended models to see what members have had to say.

 

[tjl]

For bicycling, a bicycle and a trainer stand will give you the option of bicycling either inside or outside. A dedicated stationary bicycle limits you to just bicycling inside.