GETTING ON THE ROAD TO FITNESS

Thistime of year, many individuals aspire to stay active, often setting New Year's resolutions to prioritize their fitness. Yet, the winter months can pose challenges for outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, running, and walking popular choices that offer scenic and motivating experiences. Challenges such as inclement weather, urban living restrictions, time constraints traveling to and from natural environments, safety concerns during early mornings or late nights, or recovering from an injury are a few potential hindrances. In response to these challenges, indoor home exercise equipment and programs have emerged, providing effective alternatives that simulate the outdoor experience while offering the convenience of indoor accessibility.

When the desire to hit the road clashes with these challenges, replicating the outdoor experience at home becomes a practical solution. Exercise equipment such as stationary bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, and immersive programs can recreate the outdoor exercise feel within the confines of your living space. Renowned brands like NordicTrack, ProForm, Peloton, and Echelon, among others, offer a range of options catering to different preferences and budget considerations.

Stationary Bikes

Suppose you are temporarily unable to bicycle outdoors because of an injury or weather or you are simply looking for a safer option. In that case, you can replicate the feeling of cycling outdoors with an indoor stationary bike. There are many options for indoor bicycles depending on your wants and needs. Costs vary depending on the type of bike and features and range from $200 and up into the $2,000s or higher for more advanced equipment.

Upright bikes are the most similar to outdoor bikes offering a smaller seat above the pedals. They tend to be more lightweight and have a smaller footprint. You can adjust the resistance and even stand up to change up your workout. An air bike is a type of upright bike with a fan instead of electronic controls to add resistance and replicate the feeling of wind experienced when bicycling outdoors.

Recumbent bikes are lower and more extended. The pedals are in front of the seat with a seat back to provide back support. It's more laid back and suitable for a variety of fitness levels. It may be safer for those who are more out of shape, overweight, new to bicycling, or seniors. Recumbent bikes do take up more space because of their design.

Dual-action stationary bikes are combined with another type of exercise equipment like an elliptical or stair-climber to combine different types of exercise.

Interactive bikes, such as those from Peloton or connected to apps like iFit, have a screen attached to incorporate a virtual aspect to your ride but tend to be more expensive.

Bike trainer stands, like the BalanceFrom Bike Trainer Stand, can temporarily convert an outdoor bicycle for indoor use when you can’t take it out on the road. This is a much less expensive option.

Treadmills And Ellipticals

If you enjoy running, hiking, or walking outdoors, treadmills and ellipticals are indoor options that can give you a similar experience. Treadmill costs vary significantly depending on features and brands from the low to mid-hundreds. They can cost $2,500 or more for higher-end products. Ellipticals have a similar range, with many of the best products for athome use ranging between $1,000-$2,000.

There are basic treadmill models that can fold up or fit into small spaces for walking and slow jogging. More advanced treadmills and ellipticals can better replicate outdoor changes in elevation. They can sync to actual trails and roads, automatically changing the machine's elevation or resistance to match the outdoor environment.

Immersive Programs

iFit is an interactive fitness program compatible with many different stationary bikes, treadmills, and other indoor workout equipment from several companies. There are live and recorded workout videos. iFit offers a large number of immersive experiences. Hence, you feel like you're biking or trekking through faroff places around the globe or even on your own path traced on Google Maps. If you have compatible equipment, it can adjust your resistance, incline, and speed to match the environment.

Zwift is a virtual fitness adventure program on an app for a monthly fee. You create an avatar that travels through one of the virtual courses in France or Zwift's own created world, Watopia. There are options for either running and walking or bicycling. You can earn badges and complete challenges to increase motivation. There are also community events where you complete routes with other users.

Peloton offers an all-access membership app and their own stationary bikes and treadmills with screens for home-based workouts. There are both live and recorded classes with a trainer and scenic rides that let you virtually travel to reallife destinations using recorded video. Bikes start at $1,895, treadmills at $2,495. Digital membership can be used without a Peloton machine or choose the allaccess membership for those with a Peloton machine.

Bringing exercise equipment into your home offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond mere convenience. While simulating that outdoor feeling, indoor exercise equipment and programs eliminate the barriers posed by unpredictable weather and provide a consistent and comfortable environment for physical activity. By investing in their own exercise equipment, individuals not only enhance their physical well-being but also cultivate a sustainable and enjoyable approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle rain or shine!

KIMBERLY BLAKER is a freelance writer. She also owns an online bookshop, Sage Rare & Collectible Books, specializing in out-of-print, scarce, signed, first editions, fine bindings, ephemera and more. Visit sagerarebooks.com to learn more.