Recumbent bikes are fantastic pieces of gym equipment for rehabilitation and physical therapy. Their design and intent make them easy to use, with little strain on sore or injured joints, tendons, and ligaments. They also allow you to strengthen muscles during the process of recovering and after.

What is a Recumbent Bike?

A recumbent bike is a stationary bicycle that has a bucket seat. Instead of sitting directly over the pedals, the pedals are more forward centered on the machine. This makes it easier to use the bike, putting less strain on your knees, back, and hips, all while strengthening your muscles.

Recumbent bikes are seen in home gyms, fitness centers, and physical therapy rehabilitation facilities. Sometimes they are used simultaneously with a traditional upright pedal bike. However, they are typically used more as a graduated process, from a recumbent to a conventional bicycle.

Why are Recumbent Bikes Used in Physical Therapy?

Due to their design, recumbent bikes put less strain on your back, hips, and knees. When you are recovering from injury or surgery, the goal is to rehabilitate you back to the point you were before that event. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, this can take considerable time. Starting slow is a good way of reducing the risk of hurting yourself, all while providing gentle exercises to regain lost muscle tone and strength.

While you can use a recumbent bike for strength training, they are more often used as a way to work the same muscle groups as an upright bike, but with less trauma to the joints. If you have arthritis or a tendon injury, a recumbent bike is a great starter bike to get you on the road to recover or, at least, be more active.

Recumbent bikes do provide a cardio workout with less strain on the heart. With a goal of increasing heart rate and blood circulation, you can still get a great cardio workout with less stress on your joints.

If you have balance issues, a recumbent bike is often recommended over an upright bike. For patients recovering from a stroke, they can get a cardio workout in, without the worry of falling off the bike. Since you are seated and can be seat-belted in for added safety, a recumbent bike is a good alternative.

Some physicians specifically write their orders that no upright bikes be used for the treatment of their patients. This is because an upright requires you to have a weight-bearing tolerance for standing and mounting the machine. With a good recumbent bike, you can move the seat to the side, and the patient can get on the bike with minimal stress. If they are recovering from back, hip, or knee issues, this is an important differentiating feature between the two types of bikes.

Can You Do Resistance Training on Recumbent Bike?

Yes, you can do resistance training on a recumbent bike. Depending on the model and style of the bike, there are various ways to increase the resistance. If you are rehabbing an injury, the amount of resistance you will want to use will be minimal, so that you don’t hurt yourself. However, you can increase the amount of resistance, giving you a great workout as you heal and progress.

If you are using a recumbent bike in a home gym, you can get a fantastic cardio workout without straining your back and hips.

Recumbent bikes are a great tool in the physical therapy realm. They are also extremely beneficial for home and fitness gyms where you may have some limitations but still desire a great cardio workout.

Please consult your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. For help finding a workout that fits your lifestyle and ability levels don’t hesitate to call your physical therapist. They have the expertise and skills needed to help keep you active and safely avoid injuries during sports and exercise.

Periodization is an important technique utilized with training in order to maximize gains, whether it be through increased aerobic performance, speed, and strength. This guide outlines simple tips customizing training programs to prevent plateauing with training and improve performance. By no means is this an exhaustive guide, or an end all be all in regards to what specific exercises to perform to improve function or performance. For specifics on what exercises to perform, this depends on what goals you seek to achieve and physical characteristics, which can be outlined by a physical therapist or certified strength and conditioning coach.

1. Strength, endurance, hypertrophy, power continuing and rest

The amount of resistance, number of repetitions, and speed the exercises are performed all have an impact on how the body will respond to training. Proper training requires proper rest between sets to maximize the effect of whatever you are trying to accomplish. For a rough and dirty guide on training loads and adaptations, use the following:

Brute Strength
100% of Max (1-5 Reps)
In this range, gains are made more from neuromuscular adaptations with little effect on muscle fiber size.
REST: When training for maximum strength or power, rest for 3— 5 minutes between sets.

 

Power Training (High Velocity)
80-90% of Max (1-3 Reps)
At a high velocity to promote endurance and power.
REST: When training for maximum strength or power, rest for 3— 5 minutes between sets.

 

Strength and Mass
76-82% of Max (6-8 Reps)
This range still heavily taxes the neuromuscular system but provides a high enough volume to help elicit gains in muscle mass.
REST: When training for strength, utilize a rest scheme of 2— 3 minutes between sets.

 

Mass
68-74% of Max (9-12 Reps)
This range is the best for providing a high enough volume to elicit large gains in muscle mass, but not enough of a stimulus to cause as great of a strength gain as high resistances.
REST: When training to maximize muscle mass, utilize a rest scheme of 60— 90 seconds between sets.

Endurance Training
13+ REPETITIONS- These rep ranges do a better job at promoting muscular endurance, but do not have a high enough intensity to elicit large changes in muscle mass.
REST: When training for endurance, utilize a rest scheme of 30— 45 seconds between each sent.

*Note the above information is applicable to multi-joint movements like squats and deadlifts. Single joint movements, such as bicep curls, can typically be done for a greater number of repetitions at any percentage of an individual’s given maximum, and so, will need to be assessed accordingly when developing a training program.

2. Training Cycles

Training cycles are an organized way to design a training program to meet a specific over-arching goal. This consists of macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles.

3. Progressive vs. an Undulating Program

Progressive programs revolve around a systematic increase in volume, intensity, or both in a given cycle while an undulating program utilizes a randomized progression within a cycle, in which the volume, intensity, or both can vary daily, weekly, or monthly. Neither progression displays a significant superiority over one another in regards to peak performance. However, some suggest that undulating programs carry a smaller risk of overtraining. In reality, the utilization of both progression techniques allows progression and reduces the risk of overtraining while reducing the risk of plateauing.

Putting it all together (Example: 3 Month Training Progression)

Month 1- Capacity Building
Higher rep range to help the body become accustomed to training. Utilizing a combination of periodization an undulation in a month progression:

Example:

• wk 1— 4 sets of 13—15 reps at 55% — 60%;
• wk 2— 4 sets of 11—13 reps at 64%—70%;
• wk 3— 4 sets of 10—12 reps at 68%—72%;
• wk 4— 4 sets of 10—12 at 60% — 64%

Each week the rep ranges decreased with increasing resistance until week 4. The 1st 3 weeks utilize a linear progression in order to increase the body’s ability to handle a given training volume, but week 4 acts as a deloading week. This takes the undulating approach into account to alter load parameters to allow for recovery within a training cycle in order to reduce the risk of overtraining.  Another important note, the higher the resistance, the lower the number of repetitions performed.

Month 2- Hypertrophy Phase
Utilize a weight that is challenging for 9 to 12 repetitions with eventually progressing to 8 to 10 repetitions utilizing progressive system detailed in month 1.

Example:

• wk 1— 10 to 12 reps at 68%— 72%
• wk 2— 9 to 11 reps at 70%— 74%
• wk 3— 8 to 10 reps at 72%— 76%
• wk 4— sets of 8 at 64%— 70%

 

Month 3- Strength Phase
Utilizing resistance that is challenging for 6 to 8 reps and eventually progressing to a resistance that only allows for performing 4 to 6 reps.

Example:

• wk 1— 6 to 8 reps at 76%— 82%
• wk 2— 5 to 7 reps at 78%— 85%
• wk 3— 4 to 6 reps at 82%— 88%
• wk 4 sets of 5 to 8 at 70%— 75%

This would training progression could be used a stand-alone training progression, or as part of a more comprehensive training program. The three-month block could act as a mesocycle for a larger training program with each month acting as a microcycle to address short term goals.

*Note this is by no means an exhaustive list, nor is this a specific training progression for different sports. This is just an example of how the different concepts are written in this paperwork together in a training progression.

This article was written by Rehab Associates of Northern Virginia. Rehab Associates of Central Virginia is an outpatient physical therapy clinic that focuses on putting the patient’s needs first. Their physical therapists have advanced degrees in specialty orthopedic care from head to toe.

Nothing can put a halt in your fitness journey like a workout injury. As we start the new year, many will embark on a journey to achieve their own personal fitness goals. However, injuries such as sprains, fractures, lower back pain, and other injuries can stop you from reaching your goals. Making sure you are educated on the different types of injuries and how to prevent them can help you avoid the headache of a potential injury. If you do injure yourself, resting, icing the injury, compressing it and elevating it can help you recover from minor injuries and get right back into your fitness routine. If you are experiencing a lingering pain, please consult your physical therapist. Pain can be a warning sign from your body that an injury is likely to occur. Fitness19 has created an infographic highlighting the most common workout injuries and how you can avoid them. Check it out below for more information.

 

Injuries are a byproduct of sports, no matter if you are a professional athlete or just a sports enthusiast. You may go to extra lengths to prevent them and avoid the pain and trouble, but prevention can only go so far when you’re trying to achieve performance. Depending on the type of physical activity that you are engaging in, some injuries might occur more often than others. In this article, we will be talking about the most common of them and also, what to do to avoid suffering from them.

1. Ankle Sprain

Scary official numbers tell us that every day, about 25.000 people end up spraining their ankle in the United States. This is probably the most common injury among people of all ages. However, it doesn’t necessarily result from playing sports. It can also happen while you’re walking on the street or walking down some stairs. Nevertheless, the problem with ankle sprains resulted from playing sports like basketball, soccer, tennis or volleyball is that they can be more serious because of the increased force and speed at which the injury occurs. Naturally, this means that the time needed for recovery is longer and the treatments costlier.

Ankle sprains have three degrees of severity, according to doctors:

• Grade 1: Minimal damage to the ligaments, just some slight stretching;
• Grade 2: A loose ankle joint and partial tearing of the ligament, more pain is involved;
• Grade 3: The most severe case, very unstable ankle joint, a complete tear of the ligament.

The good news is that an ankle sprain is preventable if you truly want to avoid going through all that trouble and pain. Here are a few tips:

• Practice ankle strengthening exercises and stretching before every exercise session;
• If you’ve had a sprain before, always wear preventive braces before and while playing sports;
• Practice balance training regularly so that your ankle will become stronger and your body will gain more control over various types of exercises and positions;
• Wear proper footwear for the surface you’re exercising on and for the sport, you’re practicing.

2. Shoulder dislocation

Shoulder dislocation is also among the most common injuries that you can get. It usually occurs when your upper arm bone goes out of the shoulder socket where it should normally stay. This kind of injury is often caused by a nasty fall, a tackle in football for example, or by any other type of strong collision. Apart from football, rugby and hockey are the two other high contact sports where shoulder dislocations occur most frequently. However, surfers, tennis players, weightlifters, and cyclists can also suffer from it, but not as frequently.

A dislocated shoulder is a very visible problem, as you will immediately notice the deformed shape it will take after an injury, and you will feel a lot of pain. If you’re lucky, your arm bone might go back into the shoulder socket on its own, but if it doesn’t do that, a doctor is the only one who can fix your problem. Thankfully, you can also prevent your shoulder from becoming dislocated:

• Do strengthening exercises for your rotator cuff muscles so that you can decrease your chances of a shoulder dislocation;
• Wear a shoulder brace or some kind of support while doing physical exercise or playing sports, especially if you have suffered from a dislocated shoulder before;
• Invest in a resistance band and use it for exercises. Also, do some push-ups and shoulder shrugs to avoid a shoulder dislocation.

3. Knee Sprain

A knee sprain resulted from physical exercise is very similar to an ankle sprain. It happens when the ligaments in the knee become either stretched, partially or completely torn. The four ligaments in your knee that can be affected by a knee sprain are the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. People or professional athletes who play football, soccer, and basketball, as well as cyclists, tennis players, and runners often end up suffering from knee sprains. Often, this injury is the result of an abrupt directional change or a hit to the knee area from either side of it.  There are a few ways in which you can avoid this very common injury. Here are some of them:

• If you maintain your body weight under control and don’t go overboard you are less likely to injure your knee in any way because they won’t have to sustain so much pressure;
• Warm-up before your exercise session by biking, jogging, or walking;
• Strengthening exercises for your quadriceps, calf, and hamstring muscles will also help you prevent knee sprains.

4. Lower back injuries

Most people are affected by lower back injuries at one point in their lives, no matter if they’re professional athletes or not. However, people who play a sport or are physically active usually end up with common back strains. Those are, in fact, a group of injuries that affect the soft tissue of the spine like ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, and tendons. There are many causes of back strains like obesity, trauma, poor posture, etc. Even lifting something heavy or moving suddenly can cause such an injury. Here is how to prevent a lower back strain:

• Stretching helps a lot in these cases. So, if you have a sedentary job, try to get up as often as possible and walk around;
• Spine and lower back muscle strengthening exercises can help a lot when it comes to preventing injuries;
• Always warm up your back before doing any type of exercise. Also, after your routine, apply some ice on your lower back area in case you feel it sore or tight.

5. Hamstring strain

A hamstring strain is definitely one of the most common sports injuries and regardless of what sport or type of physical activity you have done, you most likely suffered from it. The biggest problem with it is that it can last for a very long time, and sometimes, you carry it for your entire life. Stopping suddenly can cause a hamstring strain, as well as running and jumping. In most cases, it’s caused by failure to warm up before routines, and poor flexibility and balance. However, there are a few things that you can do to avoid and prevent it:

• You always need to properly warm-up before doing any kind of exercise;
• Massage your hamstring before starting your routine;
• Strengthen your quadriceps and glutes to relieve the pressure off your hamstring.

Conclusion
All in all, it seems that certain injuries resulted from various types of sports and physical exercises are very common among people of all ages. Fortunately, there are certain things that you can do in order to avoid them. The truth is that certain injuries are sometimes unavoidable no matter how hard you try, but just a bit of precaution might go a long way.

This guest post was written by Benjamin Holeman, an amateur pickleball player and a writer for toppickleballpaddle.com.
He thinks that sport has many benefits and that’s why he wants more and more people to play sports.