If you are going to buy a cardio machine but are confused between a rowing machine and an exercise bike, I am here to clear your confusion.
Before knowing which, one is better, we need to find out about the cons and pros of these machines, which will help you to choose the best one for you.
Exercise Bike
An exercise bike is also known as a cardio bike or stationary bike. it is more effective to lose weight. Here are some benefits of exercise bikes.
Cardio Exercise: Exercise bike is a good warm-up exercise also for this exercise oxygen supply increases and keeps your heart and lung health.
Burns Calories: Exercise bike burns more calories than a rowing machine and it utilizes the muscles of the thigh, buttock and groin. Exercise bike burns 400-800 calories per hour depending on the resistance.
Reduces Joint Stress: Exercise bike helps to reduce overweight and when you exercise on it you can lean on backrest also the pedals are in front so it helps you to reduce the joint stress.
Helpful In Injuries: The exercise bike is recommended after knee injuries and operations such as ACL tear and it helps to recover faster because mild resistance pedaling is a good exercise for knee injuries and operations.
Safety: The exercise bike is safer than outdoor bikes and zero chance of an accident. beginners can exercise easily because it has adjustable resistance and easy to use.
There are some cons of the exercise bike and here are the cons down below.
Uncomfortable: When you exercise for a long time, you can feel uncomfortable in your buttock but it has a solution which is you can be in a standing position while pedaling.
Monotonous: It is very monotonous when it comes to indoor exercises because you have to do it for a long time and in the same environment. But you listen to music or watch videos of indoor cycling activities so that can reduce your boredom as well as add difficulty level in your exercise.
Types of exercise bike:
There are four types of exercise bikes and these are
- Recumbent bike
- Upright bike
- Indoor cycling bike
- Air bike
Recumbent Bike: People who have injuries on their knees or have had an operation recently can be beneficial by using a recumbent bike. If you have knee injuries or have an operation, a recumbent is best for you because it puts less pressure on the knees.
Upright Bike: The upright bike is beneficial for everyone because it doesn’t need so much range of motion compared to other bikes and it is not too taxing on cardio exercise.
Indoor Cycling Bike and Air Bike: If you want the best cardio exercise indoor cycling bike and air bikes are for you. It burns calories in a short time and increases your heartbeat.
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is another amazing exercise machine that has a flywheel connected to the handlebar and a pulley that helps you with moving.
You need to use your legs to push yourself backward while using a rowing machine then use your arms to pull yourself in the sitting position.
The exercise gives all the pressure on the biceps and back muscles but shoulder, leg and abdominal muscles are also involved.
The rowing machine has some benefits and these are down below.
Burns Calories: The rowing machine burns 400-800 calories per hour depending on the resistance and its intensity.
Muscle Use: In rowing machine exercise, muscles are more involved than the exercise bike. Biceps and back shoulder are the major parts that mean the upper body is more involved than the lower body. This machine is great for toning because it works for muscles.
Improves Bearing Level: It is a hard exercise for beginners because at first there will be a pain in your muscles but in a short period, it will be easier for you and become your routine exercise if you keep yourself motivated.
Not only pros but there are also some cons in the rowing machine and here are the cons,
Muscle Strain: You need to use more muscle in rowing machine exercises compare to exercise bikes so people who have back pain can have muscle strain during the exercise.
Knee Injuries: In the experts’ report, they recommend not to use a rowing machine in knee injuries and problems.
Consume Space: Compare to an exercise bike it takes more space and makes more noise.
A rowing machine is beneficial for those who want a full-body exercise and have no pain or injuries to the back or knee. It strengthens the back and helps with body toning.
Comparison Between Exercise Bike and Rowing Machine
- Burns Calories: Exercise bike burns more calories than rowing machine but it can change depending on the intensity of the exercise.
- Resistance: Both of the machines has adjustable resistance.
- Cardio: Both of the machines do not bear weight but you can modify the exercise bike workout including weight-lifting workouts. For cardio exercise, experts recommend 75 minutes of high-intensity workouts.
- User-Friendly: Exercise bike is more user friendly than rowing machine for beginners, kids and old people.
- Safety: as I mentioned earlier, rowing machine are not recommended for people who have injuries or operation but exercise bike helps to recover injuries. An exercise bike is safer than a rowing machine.
- Weight Loss: comparing to a rowing machine, exercise bikes are more effective when it comes to weight loss. You can do different exercises on the exercise bike than the rowing machine.
Both of the machines have their pros and cons. You can buy any of the machines but I suggest you the exercise bike because you need time to be the master of a rowing machine also you can get back and knee strain. Some qualities make exercise bike a better exercise machine and these are,
- Excellent for beginners
- Easy to use
- Adjustable resistance
- Various workout possible
- Easy to weight loss
- Do not take much space.
So, you can exercise 30-45 minutes, 2-3 days per week to have a good result.