Only bike for cardio?
Anyone else use only a bike for cardio?
To make a LONG story short:
My physical therapist recommends that I stop running if I want to continue to be able to play tennis. He says that I need to limit the amount of high-impact concussive exercises that I do on my knee. (Rebuilt with cadaver ligaments after a bike vs, truck accident in 2003.) Basically I can run OR play tennis, and I'd much rather play tennis.
So he recommends an exercise bike. Not spinning - because the high pressure standing up is just as much impact loading on my knee - but just seated cycling. Upping the resistance doesn't seem to bother it as long as I'm sitting.
So can any of you get a good sweat on with the exercise bike? Should I get a heart rate monitor maybe? I just don't "feel" like I'm getting the same level of cardio that I did when I ran. When I ran I was sweating and breathing hard but I can't quite get there on the bike. I'm not sure if this is real or just my perception.
What do you guys think about the exercise bike as a main form of cardio?
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