When it comes to getting exercise, you’ll hear many fitness trainers shout “anything is better than nothing.” The obvious reason for that is because so many Americans spend all day sitting at work, sit down to eat, then finally relax on the couch for TV all evening. This is a total ticket for a disaster ending in bad health, heart disease, obesity, and a high risk of diabetes. On the other hand, if you are going to start exercising, there may some types that are better for you, or that have less risk of injury. Let’s take a quick look at two of the most popular, running vs. biking.

Of Course, For the Scenery, Biking Wins Hands Down

Back to the original problem, getting people to get out and just get moving, running can get a little tedious, you don’t pass very much to look at very fast. Biking can be a lot more enjoyable as you pass blocks of houses, cars and other people every minute. You can go mountain biking, city biking, or rural road biking and really enjoy yourself.

In addition to that, many people have a hard time getting a breath of air when they’re running, but biking is less strenuous and has downhill coasting that enables you to talk to your biking friends. This can be a huge plus for some people that like to converse while they exercise.

Running’s advantage, on the other side of the coin, is that if you like to put on your headphones and ignore the world, you can do that while on foot. It’s not such a good idea while on a bike since you’re out on the street and may not hear a car approaching, depends on the situation.

When It Comes to The Joints, Running Can Be Tough on Them

Many runners eventually get so that they can hardly walk because of the wear and tear on their joints. The impact with the hard surfaces is not okay for the cartilage in the knees, ankles, and hips. Plus, there is also the chance of a twisted ankle or other problem because of uneven terrain.

Biking, whether stationary or on the road, is very easy on the joints because it’s super low impact. In fact, many athletes use bikes while they are recovering from knee surgery to stay in shape. There is still the chance of a road accident that can happen if you get hit by a car, but overall, there are far fewer injuries while riding.

The Calorie Burn Is Better for The Runner

The research shows that running burns about 500 calories in a 40-minute long run while biking will burn around 400 instead. This is due to the extra weight that your body is supporting as you run, but the bike supports you as you ride. Generally, speaking running will burn more calories.

Another alternative is the Elliptical machine that does use your body weight at part of the equation. This machine increases the number of calories you burn while not increasing the risk of injury due to impacts with hard surfaces. It also is excellent at working more different muscles in the body like the arms, chest, shoulders, and abdominals. This is a better whole body experience, and you can do it from the comfort of your home while watching TV or listening to music.

Still, the bottom line with all of the different cardio workouts is that the one you’ll constantly do is the one that is best for you. But joint injuries are a problem with many long-term runners. If you can burn an average of 3,500 calories per week, you’ll lose a pound a week on average since that’s what scientists have determined.

If you’re not trying to lose weight, but just maintain what you have and be in shape, then you don’t have to burn as much. About 1,500 calories burned using cardio exercises is enough to keep you in pretty good health forever. Of course, you can’t use the fact that you’re exercising as an excuse to overeat or eat poorly, that defeats the purpose of your hard work.

If you are thinking of starting an exercise program, you should try to find something that you really enjoy. Many people have various tricks they use such as listening to music, using a stationary bike and watching TV, or any other thing you can do that will keep you working out daily. That’s the real goal, to get yourself up and off the couch for at least 30 good minutes a day.

A home healthcare agency should use equipment that helps people to work out. Will someone that your company is caring for benefit from bicycle ellipticals? Taking care of someone means you have to think of their physical health and without exercise, things can get worse for some.

Mental health is improved if you are more active in your day to day life. For example, if you can move around and not just stay in one spot all day in your house, you will feel better. The elderly need to get out of bed and should be moving around at least once a day. Don’t push someone too hard, but also don’t let them make it a habit of not doing anything each day. Once you get them to ride the equipment, you should notice a boost in their mood. If they’re still depressed or not feeling well, then it can be helpful to speak with a professional about it.

Healthier Elderly Life Style

Elderly people need to have something to look forward to. Whether it be watching a new movie or working out every day, they will enjoy it if you take your time to spend a few moments with them from time to time. Even if you are not there a lot, you will enjoy your time as long as you are positive in your interactions with someone. Make sure that you speak with the person about their likes, and you may find that some do better when they are talked to as they do the workout. Some like silence, so it’s smart to find out what the personalities are like of every person. Many home care agency in CT provide this type of one on one personalization service to their elderly clients. The state of Connecticut has been one of those states that as performed extremely well with home care giving.

Muscles can become a lot weaker if someone is always staying in one place. Picking out a good bicycle that someone can ride in place for exercise will move their legs and get their blood flowing so that they can stay as strong as possible. While it may not look like they are doing much, this kind of equipment is like walking up hills or riding bikes around. The good thing about this is that you don’t need a lot of space to use it and you can be there to help if anything goes wrong.

Increase In Blood Flow

One thing you have to know about a bicycle elliptical is that it can assist the elderly have better blood flow. This is important because if they don’t move around a lot, it could lead to clotting or other serious issues that may end in death. If you know that they are at risk for strokes or anything of that nature, then making sure they move and don’t let themselves get too lax in their lives are good things. Some people say that with exercise, you can also avoid dealing with issues that lead to high blood pressure problems.

This kind of equipment is nice to have because someone will feel a lot safer using it than if they were to try riding an actual bike outside. While some elderly people can get out and about still, those that use home health agencies tend not to be able to take risks like that. Falling off of a bike could lead to serious injuries or even death. But, with the elliptical, they are safe and don’t even have to leave home or strap on safety equipment.

Why not spend more time with someone trying to keep them from getting hurt from being inactive? It’s tough to say whether or not someone will cooperate with you on this, but if you get the feeling that they’re mentally or physically unable to cope with their days, this may be the best option. Nobody benefits from being in their bed or in a chair no matter who they are.

Ellipticals can be heavy and hard to get into place, you can have the elliptical brought in by someone from your company or by a mover and that way you know that it’s going to be put in safely.  Make sure you look around the target home for it to make sure there’s enough room to have it inside somewhere so it can be covered in case of weather issues.

Why would a home health agency have bicycle ellipticals?

This is a way to exercise that many older people or those with disabilities, in general, can use. You’ll notice a vast improvement with the health of someone if they remain active and eat a proper diet.

While nearly everyone that exercises at home or in the gym will have slightly different goals, they all want to get in better shape in the least amount of time and expense. If you are working out at home, you’ll most likely have a limited amount of space and a much smaller budget than the local gym will. But, when you go to the gym you always want to do the most productive exercises that you can because you have things to do and there are other people waiting in line behind you. That’s why a lot of individuals these days are choosing elliptical machines instead of the standard exercise bike.

The Old Standby

Nearly all gyms these days will have a variety of cardio workout machines to keep their customers happy. The treadmill is always quite popular and so is the regular exercise bike as well. Many ex-athletes will be forced to work on the bikes because they have nagging knee injuries that won’t take a lot of pounding. The circular motion of the bike will work the legs and core out nicely without hammering the knees, hips, or ankles.

The treadmill is one of the most purchased machines for both the home and gym. Even if you can’t run, you can almost always walk, and it’s good for you. Of course, for many people the pounding just isn’t good for them and so they must pass on the treadmill.

The second highest sold machine these days is now the Elliptical machine for various reasons. It still gives the user an injury-free experience, but it also cross-trains the body with more upper body movements and more strenuous leg workouts. The stand-up position that the Elliptical uses increases the resistance on the legs which will have the effect of making the body increase the bone density there. This is a long-term advantage as people age and their bones lose calcium, the higher the density, the longer it takes for them to become weakened by age.

For those in rehab after strokes and other neurological incidences, there is also an advantage of being able to pedal in reverse. Research has shown that pedaling backward increases the relearning speed of lost motor skills. This will shorten the time of rehabilitation for many people.

When It Comes to Cardio Fitness the Bike and Elliptical Are Both Self-Regulated

By self-regulated the user has most of the control over the speed because they can simply increase the speed on either machine to raise the fitness level. Also, both machines have variable resistance levels that the user can also adjust for a more intense workout.

However, since the Elliptical incorporates more different muscles, especially the arms, shoulders, chest and abdominals, then it’s getting cardio to more of the body. Plus, the legs always get a more intense workout because of the standup position. This all serves to give the enthusiast a better cardio and muscle workout in a shorter period of time. If you only have room for one machine in your home, the Elliptical machine will always be the better choice.

Many Football and Basketball Athletes Train on The Elliptical

Lots of professional athletes spend long hours in the gym to maintain their fitness levels and increase athleticism. An old standby exercise that many of them used to do was run the stairs in the stadiums where they play. This was great for their lower leg strength, making them incredibly powerful on the field or court. However, its enormous drawback was the horrible toll that it took on their knees and hips

There have been speculations that some of the biggest names in the sports world would have lasted many years longer at the game they love by using an Elliptical machine instead of doing the stairs. Also by including the utilization of the arms in the exercises it keeps the athlete from becoming overly muscle bound in the legs and out of proportion.

Although Costs Are Higher, The Stronger Workout Is Worth It

When it comes to comparing the costs of buying the machines the stationary bike is fairly inexpensive, and the Elliptical is costly. On the other hand, it gives such a better workout that it’s well worth the extra cost. With just the bike you may have to do planks, sit-ups and jumping jacks to equal the entire body workout of the other machine.

If getting a nicely rounded butt is of interest to you, you will also have to add squats and several other individual leg exercises to your routine to get to the same level of benefits of the machine as well. Which every method you choose for your cardio, working out at home is far less expensive than joining most gyms. You can easily save the money from a year at the fitness club and pay for your machine at home.

When you workout at home you can spend your time watching television or listening to music instead of looking at other people working out in the mirror. Plus, don’t forget the hassle of traffic, parking, gas and bad weather that can cost you time and money traveling to the gym.

An Important Note Is to Read Customer Reviews Online

As you search for the right machine to use in your pursuit of fitness, it’s always a good idea to read the online reviews first. There you’ll find that some buyers of these machines had problems using them in low-ceiling locations, less than 8 feet.

Most of the customers also recommended buying a machine that you could test out at the local sporting goods store before buying. This idea changed their minds on which machine to buy because of small differences that only made sense to them. Plus price didn’t always dictate the best machine to buy, some of the are way overpriced, and others are a better value.

In your pursuit of the best machine for your use, do your research online and read the reviews carefully. Then test the machines, either at the gym or local store before you order one for yourself.