Walking vs. stationary bike?

I had been walking several times a week but due to my foot condition
(metatarsalgia) it is becoming extremely painful no matter how many gel pads
I put in my walking shoes and now I have developed blisters because my shoes
are now too tight. :-( Soooooooo I have ordered an exercise DVD from
Amazon.com to do indoors but I was wondering about an exercise bike. Does
any one know how a stationary bike compares to the benefits of walking?
I've always heard that walking is one of the best exercises there is.
dot

dot wrote:
:: I had been walking several times a week but due to my foot condition
:: (metatarsalgia) it is becoming extremely painful no matter how many
:: gel pads I put in my walking shoes and now I have developed blisters
:: because my shoes are now too tight. :-( Soooooooo I have ordered
:: an exercise DVD from Amazon.com to do indoors but I was wondering
:: about an exercise bike. Does any one know how a stationary bike
:: compares to the benefits of walking? I've always heard that walking
:: is one of the best exercises there is.

I've done a lot of walking and a lot of stationary bike riding.

Both are great and both have a place. They use different muscles.

One reason i quit walking was because I hurt my foot. Then I got a good
stationary and started riding it. IMO, I can do a much more intense workout
on the bike than I can by walking because there is little impact on the bike
(aside from your butt -- but you adapt to that quickly). If the bike you
get has a tension adjustment, I suggest you not set it too high to avoid
overstressing your knees.

Once your foot get better you may want to consider doing some of both, but a
stationary will serve you very well -- especially if you get one what moving
handles so that you can get your arms into the activity. IMO, that improves
the stationary bike workout.

You might want to consider a concept 2 rower, as well. These can be very
good low impact machines. You'll need some space, though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=28 060

Thank you very much for your excellent and informative reply Roger. I do
have bad knees as well, so your advise on the tension feature is a good one.
I'll look into a bike ASAP!
Thanks again,
dot

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
dot wrote:
:: I had been walking several times a week but due to my foot condition
:: (metatarsalgia) it is becoming extremely painful no matter how many
:: gel pads I put in my walking shoes and now I have developed blisters
:: because my shoes are now too tight. :-( Soooooooo I have ordered
:: an exercise DVD from Amazon.com to do indoors but I was wondering
:: about an exercise bike. Does any one know how a stationary bike
:: compares to the benefits of walking? I've always heard that walking
:: is one of the best exercises there is.

I've done a lot of walking and a lot of stationary bike riding.

Both are great and both have a place. They use different muscles.

One reason i quit walking was because I hurt my foot. Then I got a good
stationary and started riding it. IMO, I can do a much more intense workout
on the bike than I can by walking because there is little impact on the bike
(aside from your butt -- but you adapt to that quickly). If the bike you
get has a tension adjustment, I suggest you not set it too high to avoid
overstressing your knees.

Once your foot get better you may want to consider doing some of both, but a
stationary will serve you very well -- especially if you get one what moving
handles so that you can get your arms into the activity. IMO, that improves
the stationary bike workout.

You might want to consider a concept 2 rower, as well. These can be very
good low impact machines. You'll need some space, though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=28 060

dot wrote:
:: Thank you very much for your excellent and informative reply Roger.
:: I do have bad knees as well, so your advise on the tension feature
:: is a good one. I'll look into a bike ASAP!
:: Thanks again,
:: dot


I didn't mention....I had bad knees too (weak due to too much weight)....the
biking is excellent for it.

Good luck.

::
:: "Roger Zoul" wrote in message
:: ...
:: dot wrote:
:::: I had been walking several times a week but due to my foot
:::: condition (metatarsalgia) it is becoming extremely painful no
:::: matter how many gel pads I put in my walking shoes and now I have
:::: developed blisters because my shoes are now too tight. :-(
:::: Soooooooo I have ordered an exercise DVD from Amazon.com to do
:::: indoors but I was wondering about an exercise bike. Does any one
:::: know how a stationary bike compares to the benefits of walking?
:::: I've always heard that walking is one of the best exercises there
:::: is.
::
:: I've done a lot of walking and a lot of stationary bike riding.
::
:: Both are great and both have a place. They use different muscles.
::
:: One reason i quit walking was because I hurt my foot. Then I got a
:: good stationary and started riding it. IMO, I can do a much more
:: intense workout on the bike than I can by walking because there is
:: little impact on the bike (aside from your butt -- but you adapt to
:: that quickly). If the bike you get has a tension adjustment, I
:: suggest you not set it too high to avoid overstressing your knees.
::
:: Once your foot get better you may want to consider doing some of
:: both, but a stationary will serve you very well -- especially if you
:: get one what moving handles so that you can get your arms into the
:: activity. IMO, that improves the stationary bike workout.
::
:: You might want to consider a concept 2 rower, as well. These can be
:: very good low impact machines. You'll need some space, though.
::
::
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=28 060

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
dot wrote:
:: Thank you very much for your excellent and informative reply Roger.
:: I do have bad knees as well, so your advise on the tension feature
:: is a good one. I'll look into a bike ASAP!
:: Thanks again,
:: dot


I didn't mention....I had bad knees too (weak due to too much
weight)....the
biking is excellent for it.

Good luck.


A tip from the bicycle newsgroups - get a bike computer
that can measure pedal cadence (Cateye Astrale - $25).

According to the swell folks there, trying to hold a cadence
below 90 rpm can/will result in knee strain.

I own an Astrale and try to keep my cadence between
90-95 rpm. It's a bit tricky as my bike is a real bike ($600
Bianchi race bike - $35 at the good will store!!!). I'm
constantly changing gears to keep my cadence in range.

Ken
T2, Diet, Excercise & 1000mg Glucophage
300/240/175, LC'ing for 11 months
Fom 400u humalog/day to ZERO, thanks to LC WOE!

In article , says...
I had been walking several times a week but due to my foot condition
(metatarsalgia) it is becoming extremely painful no matter how many gel pads
I put in my walking shoes and now I have developed blisters because my shoes
are now too tight. :-( Soooooooo I have ordered an exercise DVD from
Amazon.com to do indoors but I was wondering about an exercise bike. Does
any one know how a stationary bike compares to the benefits of walking?
I've always heard that walking is one of the best exercises there is.
dot

I can't go out walking, either. I use a stationary bike that also has moving
arms. It doesn't have a tension adjustment -- it uses reverse airflow (or
something like that) for resistance. I can work up a sweat on it (of course, I
can work up a sweat just sitting down).

--
Saffire
205/172/125 - 5'2.5"
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

Saffire wrote:

:: I can't go out walking, either. I use a stationary bike that also
:: has moving arms. It doesn't have a tension adjustment -- it uses
:: reverse airflow (or something like that) for resistance. I can work
:: up a sweat on it (of course, I can work up a sweat just sitting
:: down).

That's how mine works. The faster you peddle, the more resistance it
generates. The only problem I have with it is the noise.

On Mon, 9 Feb 2004 23:34:18 -0500, "Roger Zoul"
wrote:

Saffire wrote:

:: I can't go out walking, either. I use a stationary bike that also
:: has moving arms. It doesn't have a tension adjustment -- it uses
:: reverse airflow (or something like that) for resistance. I can work
:: up a sweat on it (of course, I can work up a sweat just sitting
:: down).

That's how mine works. The faster you peddle, the more resistance it
generates. The only problem I have with it is the noise.


Take the cards out of the spokes.

there is little impact on the bike
(aside from your butt -- but you adapt to that quickly).




If you get a recumbent bike, there's virtually no impact on your butt.

(Leghorn Dude) wrote:

there is little impact on the bike
(aside from your butt -- but you adapt to that quickly).




If you get a recumbent bike, there's virtually no impact on your butt.

That's my next dream purchase to sit next the the Airdyne. (Who wants
to add a new room on for me?) Those I have used aren't as hard on my
knee and work on some of the lower abdominal muscles. I'd like to work
on both bikes if I could.