How effective is an airdyne in cardio build up and strength?

[Jermz]

I am thinking about buying an Airdyne as a low impact exercise to do to build up my cardio. What do you guys think of it, reviews and opinions are welcome. Thanks.

[TigerDude]

I assume you mean a stationary bike.

Sure, they're effective. The problem is that they are incredibly boring for most people. As a result, they end up being high priced places to hand clothes. Get one used - there are a lot available.

[Jermz]

I only want one for the low impact it is going to have on my joints. My knees and ankles are kind of bad, and I get pain in them when I work out for prolonged amounts of time (eg. 1 1/2 hours). I'll probably be watching tv or listening to music while I use the airdyne to lower the "boringness" of the exercise. Thanks for mentioning about getting a used one, they are overpriced about 500-600 dollars.

[bushido_man96]

You could also look into an elliptical machine. They are low impact on the knees, and give you a better workout, I think.

[kkennedy219]

I agree about the elliptical machine. I bought one about a year and a half ago and it's been a really great investment. They range in price from about $200 to upwards of $2000. I did a lot of research on them when I was shopping around, and found that the lower priced ones(i.e. $200-$500 range) are typically pretty rickety. The one I ended up getting for about $900 on Amazon is a Schwinn, and it's proven to be an excellent machine. Definitely would recommend doing some comparative shopping with the Airdyne.

Good luck!