Aerobic Riders: How Effective Are They?by Renee Cloe,Personal Trainer |
Aerobic Riders are advertised everywhere these days. Ads claim that they
exercises all large muscles at the same time, accelerate fat-burning,
increase metabolism and speed weight loss. Whew, that’s a tall order! Do
they really deliver on these promises? If calorie burning is your main
concern, you may want to reconsider buying a rider. A study from IDEA,
an international association of fitness professionals, compared the
calorie burning capacity of treadmills, stationary bikes, cross-country
skiers and aerobic riders. The rider finished last.
Another study was commissioned by A.C.E., The American Council on Exercise, at California State University, Northridge to test the exercise intensity and caloric cost of exercising on a rider. Seven women ranging in age from 21-28 were tested using the HealthRider, E-Force and CardioGlide. All of the women were initially tested on a treadmill to determine their maximum aerobic capacity. The researchers found that when the participants performed the most strenuous work on the CardioGlide, their oxygen consumption (i.e. calories burned) was only 74% of the amount consumed on the initial treadmill test. The oxygen consumption on the E-Force and HealthRider were 69% and 67%, respectively of the amount consumed on the treadmill. Basically, what this means is that you would burn at least 25% fewer calories exercising on a rider than you would exercising at a similar intensity on a treadmill. The researchers also found that you can only workout so hard on the riders. Once you reach a higher level of fitness, the aerobic riders may no longer provide a strenuous enough workout. As for the strength benefits of riders, the researchers measured the muscle activity of one taller (74 inch) participant and one shorter (64 inch) participant. They found that biceps and abdominal involvement was highest on the E-Force. The HealthRider had considerably lower abdominal activity. The deltoid, quadriceps, and back muscle activity varied considerably between the two participants and the three machines, indicating that an individual’s size may have an effect on which muscles are used. The only muscles used consistently, regardless of the machine or the rider, were the hamstrings. It’s interesting to note that the participants reported some side effects from using these devices. More than half of them said that all of the riders caused forearm tightness and fatigue. All of the riders reported this problem when using the E-Force. Back pain was a major concern on the CardioGlide and the HealthRider. Five of the seven participants experienced low back discomfort on these two machines. That’s important to note, considering that all of the participants were young and healthy with no history of back problems. The bottom line is that the riders are best suited for beginning exercisers. If you’re not in very good shape, using a rider will increase your level of aerobic fitness. The only catch is that, regardless of brand, you’re likely to reach a point where you’ll be unable to make further improvements on the rider and you may have to move on to another type of equipment. In that case, the rider is still an excellent way to get a total body warm-up before cross-training with other activities. If you’re thinking about buying a rider you should definitely try before you buy. Make sure that you enjoy the movement and that it doesn’t cause you undue discomfort. You should also take into account your current fitness level, your goals, and the cost and quality of the rider.
ACE Consumer Matters, "Aerobic Riders: Can You Ride Your Way to a Healthier |
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