Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bikes: Burn Fat Away with Low-Impact Exercise

Updated May 18, 2010

America's health is declining. Both obesity and diabetes are growing at an alarming rate. However, it doesn't have to be this way. If Americans would get more aerobic exercise, their health would improve.

Aerobic exercise uses large muscles to increase oxygen and the heart rate to 50% to 90% of its maximum. If you strive for three 30 minutes sessions per week, it can result in numerous health benefits. Some of these benefits include

• Releases endorphins for improved well-being and pain control.
• Combined with a healthy diet, exercise can help you lose weight and keep it off.
• Improves cardiac function
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and improves good cholesterol.
• Builds muscles and maintains mobility.
• Reduces cognitive decline as we age.
• Reduces the risk of diabetes and other diseases. If you're already a diabetic, it can help reduce your blood sugar levels.
• Improves sleep
• Helps you live longer.

With all of these benefits, can you think of a reason not to exercise? Recumbent exercise bikes offer an easy, stress-free way to get aerobic exercise.

Recumbent exercise bikes not only improve your health, but they can improve your looks too. Superior to upright stationary exercise bikes in some ways, they offer several benefits. They include:

• They are more comfortable.
• They don't put as much pressure on the knees.
• They are more back-friendly since they support your back and help you to maintain better posture while exercising.

When it comes to  sticking with an exercise program, comfort is critical. Although many people don't view exercise as fun, if it's uncomfortable, you won't stick with it. The following chart offers a list of comparison benefits for Schwinn recumbent exercise bikes.

The following are a compilation of the most frequent Amazon customer comments.

Schwinn Active 20 Series Recumbent Exercise Bike - Rated an overall 4 1/2 stars out of five, out of 93 reviews, this bike has 63 five-star reviews, 20 four-star reviews, 5 3-star reviews, 2 two-star reviews, and 3 one-star reviews. Pros: Easy-to-assemble. this bike is sturdy with built-in front wheels for easy portability. Lift the rear end, and moves anywhere you want it.  Easily adjustable, it fits most users from 41/2 feet to 6 feet. However, some customers complained about it being uncomfortable for users over six feet. Most customers said it has a comfortable seat, but a few complained about the seat being uncomfortable after riding it for awhile. Customers with back and knee problems said it didn't hurt their backs or stress their knees. It is very quiet to ride. The display is nice and large and easy to understand without the manual. Cons: Several customers complained that this bike was uncomfortable for users over six feet, and that the resistance levels were not challenging enough. They also didn't like that the screen doesn't have a back light.

Overall, I am very impressed with the customer reviews on this products. The overwhelming majority were very pleased with this model. It is the first time I've seen this many consistently great reviews when researching a product!

Schwinn 220 Recumbent Exercise Bike - Rated an overall 4 1/2 stars out of 5, this bike has 8 five-star reviews, 3 four-star reviews, 1 three-star, and 1 one-star. Pros: This model had many of the same pros as the Active 20 Series. Most customers thought it was easy to assemble and solidly built. Unlike the Active 20 Series, the customers felt the seat was comfortable, and it doesn't appear there were any problems with adjusting the bike for customer heighth. It didn't aggravate knee problems. Cons: One couple complained they could not grasp the front handle bars while sitting with their back against the backrest. It needs to be plugged into an AC outlet. One customer felt the owner's manual was not helpful in assembly or learning to program the workouts. One customer complained about the fly wheel being jerky at slow speeds.

Although, there were not near as many reviews as on the Schwinn Active 20 Series, this seems like another fine product. Unlike with the Active 20 Series model, I didn't hear any complaints about the workout program not being challenging enough.

Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike - Rated an overall 41/2 stars out of 5, out of 234 reviews, this bike has 159 five-star reviews, 51 four-star reviews, 5 three-star reviews, 4  two-star reviews, and 15 one-star reviews. Pros: This model is well-built, sturdy, and comfortable. While some customers said the heart rate monitor is accurate, others said it is inaccurate. Some customer's complained about the bike being difficult for short people, under 5'4", while others had no problems. It doesn't take up alot of space.
Cons: The display doesn't have a backlight, and watching television is difficult because the screen is mounted too high. It has to be plugged in.

On this model, for an unknown reason, customers seemed to have alot more problems with the product being damaged during shipping. Some boxes also came with damaged or missing parts. This problem was significantly more frequent with this model than the other models.  Considering this, it make me wonder if there is a problem with the package design.

Schwinn 240 Recumbent Exercise Bike - Rated an overall 41/2 stars out of 5, out of 21 reviews, this bike has 15 five-star reviews, 5 four-star reviews, and 1 one sta reviewr. Pros: This model is sturdy, well-built, and quiet with a smooth ride. Like the other models, it is easily portable. The bikes seems to work well for both short and tall people. Cons: The "create user" settings were difficult for one user to understand and another user thought it was a challenge to assemble.

After reading the reviews and comparing the features, if you're not worried about challenging resistance levels or the degree of seat comfort, the Active 20 model appears to be the best buy. All four models were praised for easy assembly, sturdiness, and quietness. However, if you're over six foot, you might want to choose a different model since some customers complained about the bike's adjustability for taller riders.

If challenging programs are important to you,  I think the model 220 is the best buy. It has just as many resistance levels as the two higher-priced bikes and has the second highest number of programs. Furthermore, there doesn't seem to be any problems with adjustability for the user's heighth. Considering this, it might be worth the extra $100 compared to the Active 20.

Considering the frequency of shipment damage, I would stay away from model 230. Some customers complained about this model not being adjustable enough for short people, too.

Model 240 doesn't cost any more than model 230. Unlike model 230, there does not appear to be near as many shipping problems. Nor does there seem to be any heighth adjustability problems like Active 20 or model 230. Model 220, 230, and 240 all have the same number of resistance levels. However, this model has 11 more programs than 230, and 5 more programs than model 220. The only major difference I see between model 220 and 240 are the number of resistance programs. Are five more programs worth $100 more? Consequently, I think either the Active 20 or model 220 are the best buys dependent upon your exercise needs.

Although I said model 220 appears to be the best buy, I finally decided to purchase model 230 last week. When the box arrived, although there were a few minor holes in the exterior packaging, the bike itself came in excellent shape. I've only had the bike assembled for a few days, but I love it so far! It is the best exercise bike I've ever owned, and I've owned about five throughout my lifetime. The pros are: Although I am only 5' tall, the bike fits fine. I don't have long legs either. The seat is well-cushioned and comfortable. I have five herniated discs in my thoracic and lumbar back, yet it doesn't bother my back. I love the "Ride in the Park" exercise program. It gives you a good workout, but the intensity isn't so hard that it is unenjoyable. If you're worried about it bothering others, don't be. When other customers have commented on how quiet it is, they are telling the absolute truth. This bike is so incredibly quiet, you can't even hear the pedals rotating. If you like to read while working out, it even has a book holder. Although it won't hold real thick books, it is perfect for the average-size books. Sturdy, comforable, and quiet with a variety of exercise programs, so far, I love this bike! The only con I have seen so far is that compared to bikes I've owned in the past, this one had more assembling to do. However, it wasn't hard, just time consuming.

When it come to exercise whoever said "No pain, no gain" was wrong. Exercise doesn't have to hurt. With the Schwinn recumbent's comfortable seats, smooth rides, and low impact exercise, you will be more inclined to consistently exercise. After exercising on a Schwinn recumbent, you will not experience the health benefits and an improved well-being, your body will become more trim and tone. Right now Schwinn Recumbent exercise bikes are anywhere from 17% to 30% off the list price and qualify for Free Supersaver shipping. Furthermore, since Amazon delivers right up to your doorstep, you won't have figure out how to get it home. Buy a Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bike today and experience the life-changing benefits!