Hi! Any suggestions on stationary bike for PD exercise st home that's effective & not expensive? Saw online re: theracycle. Your input is greatly appreciated .
Recumbent or stationary bike: Hi! Any... - Cure Parkinson's
Recumbent or stationary bike
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ASIA8
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12 Replies
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I have a theracycle and used it very little. If you are not in good shape and need help getting going it is great. For me too much money. A good Recumbent stationary bike would be good. I bought one on Craig's list for $75.
Thanks for your information.
Any form of biking may be able to slow down the progression of Pd but it is not weight-bearing and is nowhere as good as walking. Walking costs nothing, but it can be difficult in winter weather.
Read about an alternative that costs nothing in my PROFILE
Thanks John
Upright seems to be able to reach the 80/90 rpm more easily than the recumbent although the latter is more relaxing! Go and buy Nan Little's book on cycling for inspiration. At the end of the day, I think heart rate is important and find little difference whether I'm working like a hamster or in a low gear which needs lots of pushing. It all seems to raise the pulse.
I am 68 and was diagnosed in 2011. I recently changed medications, from the agonist Mirapex to Leva-dopa.
First of all, regarding walking versus cycling, yes, walking is free and potentially more effective (haven't read any comparative research, so not at all sure), but when you have knee/back problems or simply can't walk well due to PD symptoms, cycling is an excellent alternative.
I enjoy real cycling, but the 80-90 rpm / 45 minutes of "forced exercise" recommended for PD patients is quite out of my range at this point, not to mention the fact that there's no place in my real world where I could ride a real bike at those speeds. So I recently bought a "spin cycle"--at which time I learned of the differences between spin cycles and ordinary exercise bikes (correct me if I'm wrong). An ordinary exercycle gives your cardiovascular system a workout, but it would seem to be very difficult to maintain high cadence for PD. Also, an aero cycle has free-rotation pedals, so you can stop at any time by merely stopping pedaling. The spin cycle, otoh, utilizes a heavy flywheel (mine is 13 kg) that the pedals turn. You can add/reduce resistance to pedaling by turning a knob, but the pedals are directly attached to the flywheel via a belt, and have no free-wheel mechanism, so if you want to stop, you have to press a brake knob to stop it. One advantage of the spin cycle is that once you reach a target speed, the flywheel helps pull your feet through the rotation, so it's easier to maintain speed, and oddly produces a feedback sensation closer to that of a real bicycle (IMO). Unlike the theracycle, however, the spin cycle has no electric motor to actively help maintain speed, so I am not able to maintain 80 rpm for more than about 10-15 seconds at a time. I currently cycle while watching cycling videos on Youtube, and try to maintain 60-70 rpm with interim bursts of 80+ rpm. Needless to say, YMWV.
I have a small "exercycle" I purchased from amazon. It is just the pedals and it is electric. It moves almost at 80 cycles per minute and I use it quite a lot. It is sort of along the lines of the theracycle but the price is around $90. I leave it in front of my computer and use it for 45 minutes every other day or so. I feel it helps get the blood circulating well for me. I also swim and walk.
When you say electric pedal , it is automatic or you have to pedal ? Does it bring your pulse up 80-90? Thanks!
