If you're anything like me when you hear the words "exercise bike" you probably cringe. The images of an old style "stationary" bike as many have called them is one I have trouble getting out of my mind when I hear exercise bike. I flash back to my mom peddling away in our family room and hearing the sounds of the wheels spinning around. Not that it was traumatizing or anything, it's just an image and sound I remember from my childhood. And one that left me thinking an exercise bike was not for me. I mean who wants to peddle and peddle and never go anywhere!? Of course fast forward to adulthood (and middle-age belly) and I now understand why one would want to perform such a daunting task. I could also write about the limitations of actual cycling and hauling your bike places. For example, there's a ton of gear (i.e. vehicle protection) you need to maintain cleanliness when toting a bike back and forth.
The idea still makes me want to cringe, but not so much now that I have a Fitnation - Flex Bike Ultra. Now bare with me as I sound like an infomercial here for a minute. The Fitnation - Flex Bike Ultra is so much more than an exercise bike. Not only can you peddle for exercise, you can also use the upper-body resistance bands to strengthen your upper arms at the same time. Now you're working on more than one part of your body at the same time. And you can even sit in different positions to further work your body. For instance you can lean back and hold the handlebars at the sides of your body, you can sit upright while using the upper-body resistance bands, or you can lean forward and hold the handlebars with the hand pulse functionality. Now tell me what old school stationary bike can do that? The bike has an LCD display with six functions: speed, time, distance, scan, calories, and pulse. All of the basics you'd want to know while riding.
The part I like best about the Fitnation - Flex Bike Ultra is that it even has an app to go with the bike from the maker Echelon. Finally a place to learn how to actually put a piece of exercise equipment to proper, and good use. Yeah you can hop on any bike and start riding, but if you're not using it to it's full potential it's honestly not doing you that much good. With the Echelon app you can follow right along with a professional either live or via videos that you can access 24/7 right from you phone or tablet! Now I can exercise at my convenience, not the convenience of a gym and personal trainer...been there tried that. I want to do my exercising on my schedule in the comfort of my own home. And now I can do that anytime I like, and wearing anything I like for that matter! We love it so much I actually convinced my husband that we should get a TV to set up in the room with the bike so we can project the videos to a larger screen.
Features:
• Heavy-duty steel frame construction
• LCD display with six functions: speed, time, distance, scan, calories, and pulse
• Multiple levels of adjustable magnetic resistance
• Built-in, upper-body resistance bands
• Fixed handlebars with hand pulse functionality
• Adjustable seat with padded cushion
• Nonskid foot pedals with safety straps
• Fold-up design; wheels for easy transport
If you've been on the wall about getting an exercise bike for whatever reason I would definitely recommend the Fitnation - Flex Bike Ultra. I've been using mine for a little over a week and feel like it actually helps me stay motivated to keep working at my fitness goals.
