Top 7 Best Pedal Exerciser for Seniors – Read Before You Buy

Nowadays, most people’s work involves a desk job, and right now, you might be sitting at your desk and reading this article. Also, seniors and the elderly will typically spend more time sitting. But sadly, without much physical activity staying healthy doesn’t seem to be a feasible option.

Exercise equipment like seated pedal cycles offers you the option of working out while sitting, which can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your lower body muscle, and promote blood circulation without hitting a gym or setting up your home gym.

These foot peddlers are designed especially for older adults, just like passive leg exercisers. They are portable and easy to use and can provide you with a safe and low-impact workout.

With the best pedal exerciser for seniors, you can enjoy a simple yet effective workout option at work or home. Here are our top picks. See overviews, pros & cons below.

• Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine
• DeskCycle 2 Under Desk Cycle, Pedal Exerciser
• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B0418 Magnetic Mini Exercise Bike
• Vive Pedal Exerciser – Stationary Exercise Leg Peddler
• Platinum Fitness Fit Sit Deluxe
• Exerpeutic 7101 Mini Exercise Bike for Elderly
• MagneTrainer-ER

What Is a Pedal Exerciser?

As the name suggests, a pedal exerciser is a simple piece of equipment that makes you exercise by pedaling. The pedal exerciser mimics an exercise bike, and you can call it a miniature exercise bike.

As a piece of cardio equipment, this machine can be placed on the floor under your desk to provide an engaging lower body workout. Hence, the pedal exerciser also goes by the name of an/a desk bike, exercise peddler, or floor exercise bike. All you need to do while sitting down on your desk to work is to put your feet on the exercise pedals and start your workout.

Why Choose a Pedal Exerciser for the Elderly?

Sitting down all through the day can wear away your physical and mental health bringing in a feeling of frustration and lost health. This is especially true in individuals aged over 45 years and elderly citizens who suffer from lost mental health due to their depleting physical health.

The primary reason why elderly people are recommended using a pedal exercise machine for fitness is the equipment’s ability to improve and increase mobility. And these exercisers allow seniors of any age to engage in fruitful cardio workout sessions with their simple and easy operation.

We all know that cardio workouts are indispensable for a healthy heart and fit body, and the pedal exercise bike helps you with it. It primarily focuses on the muscles of the lower body, glutes, hip flexors, calves, hamstring, and quads.

If you want some upper body workout, you can use a type of portable pedal exerciser that uses your hands to pedal away vigorously. This way, your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms reap great workout benefits. So, use either type of pedal exerciser (upper or lower body) depending on your requirements. Besides, you can use a low-impact elliptical machine to reap the same or even more health benefits.

Benefits of Using a Pedal Exerciser for Elderly

If you are quite inactive and would like to get into the groove of being more healthy, there can not be another more suitable equipment than a pedal exerciser.

If you are an elderly adult, the pedal cycle can be used as a leg exerciser, activating your lower body and keeping constantly activated. Irrespective of the age, the pedal exercise cycle can get your heart pumping and keep your mind at peace.

As an elderly, your primary aim would be to skip the sedentariness that can seep into your life, and calorie burning takes a backseat.

The foot pedal exerciser might not be a great weight loss equipment, but it does help you burn a considerable amount of calories. For instance, exercising vigorously for 30 minutes on the equipment burns close to 400 calories.

Main benefits of using a pedal exerciser by the elderly include:

• One of the best low-impact equipment for strengthening your muscles and joints
• Promising benefits of improved heart health and blood circulation
• Improve mental health, wellbeing, focus, and mood
• It helps you stay on a healthy weight by curbing obesity issues
• Affordable compared to your regular exercise bikes

Top 7 Best Pedal Exercisers for Seniors

Below are the top 7 pedal exercisers recommended, especially for seniors catering to their needs and safety purposes.

#1. Cubii JR1 Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine

Cubii JR1 is considered one of the best low-impact elliptical machines for seniors. You can use this Cubii JR1 cycling elliptical to exercise away your sedentariness at the home, workplace, or anywhere

The foot pedal exercise machine is an utter delight for anyone who wants a convenient piece of equipment that’s useful to you but doesn’t disturb others in any way.

This is mainly because of its whisper-quiet operation, smooth functionality, and a built-in monitor that’s convenient for elderly individuals with its large display of calories, strides, RPM, and distance.

If you are interested in challenging workouts, use the eight different resistance levels that promise versatility.

#2. DeskCycle 2 Under Desk Cycle, Pedal Exerciser

The DeskCycle 2 is equally useful and efficient as DeskCycle, with the only difference here being the addition of adjustable legs.

You can use it at your office or home while watching TV, speaking on your mobile, or playing video games too.

As a piece of great equipment for bad knees and physical therapy, the pedal exerciser is one of the best for seniors who want daily activity to stay in good health.

The equipment uses a patented magnetic resistance mechanism that promises smooth operation and minimal impact on the knees and joints, making it highly valued by seniors.

Pedal away whisper on your equipment without disturbing others or even taking off your attention while working. This is possible mainly due to the magnetic resistance and precision flywheel that weighs 40 lbs.

Eight different resistance levels are helping you choose from very easy to complicated movements. The DeskCycle 2 offers twice the resistance range compared to other pedal exercisers.

The stationary pedal exerciser is mostly suitable for any desk as it is compatible with even desks as low as 27 inches.

The main advantage of DeskCycle 2 is the pedal height of the fully adjustable equipment and can be set to 9 or 10 inches.

#3. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B0418 Magnetic Mini Exercise Bike

If you are looking for the smallest pedal exercise machine in town, don’t miss out on purchasing the Sunny Health & Fitness mini exercising equipment. This is the best mini foot pedal exerciser for the elderly that’s not too lightweight but extremely compact.

The seated pedaling machine has a front-facing knob that easily twists and turns to accommodate any of the eight different levels of resistance set by you. The resistance works principally using magnetic tension.

Also, as mentioned earlier, Sunny Health & Fitness offers the most sought-after additional feature—handlebar add-ons.

Work out both your upper and lower body using the foot or hand pedals provided by the equipment.

Perform lower body workouts by placing the equipment on the floor and pedaling. For an upper-body workout, keep it over a sturdy desk and pedal with your hands.

With adjustable pedal straps, this pedal exerciser is suitable for anyone. Still, the only downside is that the equipment can withstand only up to 220 lbs of user weight for lower body pedaling.

Still, heavy users who have worked out regularly on the equipment complain of no troubles with its durability.

#4. Vive Pedal Exerciser – Stationary Exercise Leg Peddler

You might constantly be traveling shuttling between office and home, or even commuting to different cities. Whatever it is, the Vive mini pedal exerciser is the best portable pedal bike.

The manufacturer guarantee that the machine fits comfortably under most desks. Still, I recommend you measure the space and height availability before purchasing it.

That’s primarily to avoid your knees hitting the desk underside while pedaling, as complained frequently by many users. In comparison, standard desks don’t cause any such problems.

Be sure of building muscle strength, especially your quads, calves, hamstrings, and glutes, besides being an excellent choice for toning muscles, increasing circulation, and improving concentration levels.

The machine is a good choice for seniors as it is easy to assemble and even comes with a step-by-step setup guide.

You needn’t worry about the machine’s stability as the company guarantees the utmost safety by providing non-slip rubber feet to make it stay intact in place.

#5. Platinum Fitness Fit Sit Deluxe

The specialty of this pedal exerciser is that it is easily foldable, making it different from the rest. Designed with a quick folding frame, this Platinum Fitness equipment is straightforward to move and store as it is foldable.

You might be an elderly adult suffering from mobility issues, needing physical therapy or rehab for your lower body.

If so, this pedal exerciser is the best fit for you as the equipment promises improved mobility and an increased range of motions for post-op patients, especially those out of knee and hip replacement surgeries.

This exerciser can be used to support upper body workout by pedaling with your arms. However, you use the anchor straps do guarantee the stability of the equipment.

Choose your color from pink, orange, blue, green, and purple and track your performance using the five-function LCD screen that shows time, distance, calories, RPM, and total revolutions.

#6. Exerpeutic 7101

As we are looking for a pedal exerciser that’s good for elderly people, buying a motorized pedal exerciser as the motor works advantageous for the disabled and senior individuals.

Use the motor as a guide while exerciser rather than resisting its presence. Otherwise, you might end up damaging the machine.

Though not suggested for a vigorous cardio workout, the equipment delivers both upper and lower body workouts.

The motor is present to help you perform a rather effortless workout, and if you want some intense sessions, I would suggest turning off the motor and use the manual mode.

We have a handheld dial that changes motor speed, and this can be placed on the machine’s base or removed for easy access.

You can monitor your progress using the LCD monitor that displays speed, calories, time, and speed.

#7. MagneTrainer-ER

I’ve saved the best for the last, and the MagneTrainer can be recommended as the best pedal exerciser that can be recommended for use by seniors.

With a sturdy steel base and easy-to-use mechanism, the equipment promises utmost stability. The patented magnetic resistance system provides twice the resistance of other pedal exercisers.

Control the resistance using a dial knob in the front of the machine, increasing or decreasing levels using the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ sign provided.

Besides seniors, the MagneTrainer can also be used by pro athletes due to its excellent training ability and the provision of adjustable Velcro straps that accommodate different foot sizes.

Keep this equipment on the floor or top of a tabletop, but you should notice that its height is pretty more than other pedal exercisers in this range.

This makes it incompatible with lower desk heights, and you should make your measurements precisely before making a purchase.

How to Choose the Best Foot Peddler Exerciser for Seniors?

You’ve decided to purchase a pedal exerciser, but there are quite a few integral factors that make a piece of equipment worthy of purchase. These factors include size, safety and stability, usability, resistance, straps, storage, noise generalization, and warranty.

Consider the below-given important factors before choosing to purchase the best pedal exercise machine for your daily needs.

#1. Size

The small size of the pedal cycle lures many individuals to go for the equipment without a doubt. Just like an under-desk elliptical, you can fit your pedal exerciser under any desk that you want.

So, it only makes sense that you are definite about the machine’s height and the desk’s height before choosing as you are going to keep the equipment beneath your working desk.

#2. Safety & Stability

Any exercise machine must promise the utmost safety to keep you at peace. The key criteria for ensuring safety is to look into the machine’s durability and stability. They are essential to avoid any injuries.

We call it a stationary peddler, and hence, the equipment should guarantee strong footage on the flooring without any wobbling.

If you are using a pedal exerciser that workouts your upper body, the machine is kept on your desk. Find a machine that helps you work out comfortably without locking your knees/elbows and makes it easy to turn the handlebars.

#3. Resistance

Good pedal exercisers that have excellent ratings always come with standalone resistance settings that guarantee the fulfillment of the exerciser’s needs.

For instance, you might be an 80-year-old individual suffering from arthritis problems or a 25-year-old athlete distressed for your knee issues. The peddler should contain resistance levels to satisfy the needs of every type of user.

Reliable desk peddlers come with different options for an easy, moderate, and vigorous cardio workout and with numerous resistance levels to help you choose your desired exercise intensity.

#4. Usability

What’s the use of purchasing a piece of equipment if it doesn’t guarantee ease of use? Make sure that your choice of pedal under-desk exercise machine is easy to pedal forward and backward.

Know whether the pedal offers smooth or jerky movements. A good pedal cycler guarantees smooth pedaling and comfortable placement of feet/hands.

#5. Straps

Exercise bikes usually have straps to keep the feet secured while exercising, and the pedal exerciser is no different. Straps are vital for keeping you safe and comfortable during the workout session. Choose a machine whose straps are comfortable, adjustable, and non-slippery.

Elderly people who use the machine might be wearing orthotic shoes, and hence, the machine should have adjustable straps to accommodate the bulky shoes in place.

#6. Portability & Storage

Being a piece of leg exercise equipment usually placed below the desk, the machine should promise compactness and be of optimal size. So, when the size is compact, the machine surely does promise easy portability.

Portability is important as the exerciser should provide the facility for seniors to move it around easily, at home or the office.

Also, ensure that the machine promises easy assembly. As an elderly, a complicated/time-consuming assembly process is annoying. Besides, the device should be easy to assemble and disassemble in case you are storing it or transporting it.

#7. Noise Level

Promising to be of help to your fitness while you are at your office desk, the machine must not hinder others with its constant noise generated.

While some pedal exercisers are 100% noiseless, others start letting out squeaky sounds with frequent usage. Try to choose a piece of noiseless equipment by going through user reviews and suggestions made by experts.

#8. Extra Features

Additional features of any exercise equipment always depend on the machine’s pricing. Expensive models come loaded with multiple extra features, while cheaper ones are mostly basic.

I would recommend you look out for one extra feature that can make your purchase a fantastic one—handlebar add-ons that make it simple to convert your equipment from a lower-body workout to an upper-body workout.

Besides this, you can prioritize buying equipment with a digital monitor that helps you monitor your daily performance and track progress.

If you are elderly, it is wiser to choose a machine with larger and easily readable numbers, including distance, calories burned, and more.

#9. Warranty

Machines come with different warranty periods. Some have no warranty at all, some machines have a warranty for some parts covered for different periods, and some machines have a warranty covered for at least one year.

In general, the equipment frame has a one-year warranty period, while additional parts are covered under six months.

Final Thoughts

The idea to stay active and healthy during your older years is a great one, and the pedal exerciser can be of utmost help with this.

Besides elders, the equipment can be an excellent addition for those with desk jobs because you are motivated to exercise while working, serving a dual purpose.

The only concern here is to choose an exerciser that adapts to your desk height and fulfills your goal.

Go for equipment that offers both upper/lower body workout provisioning and also covers a reasonable warranty to reap maximum benefits from your purchase.

FAQs:

How to Keep Fit By Using Pedal Exercisers?

You can stay fit using pedal exercisers in not one or two but multiple different ways. Primarily, the equipment helps you get out of your sedentary lifestyle. In a world where inactivity and not doing exercises is common, the pedal exerciser keeps you moving.

The machine also promises muscle toning and strengthening, helps with blood pressure and circulation, and aids in weight loss.

Does Pedaling Help Lose Belly Fat?

In general, a pedal exerciser is a piece of equipment primarily used to keep you fit and active. Weight loss is possible, but not as much as seen in other cardio equipment.

Also, the machine focuses on weight loss all over the body, and hence, the loss of belly fat is a part of the weight loss process. You need to cycle for a longer time and more vigorously to achieve your desired calorie loss/weight loss goal.

Which Muscles Are Involved When Working out with a Pedal Exerciser?

As you can pedal with your feet or hands, the muscles involved depending on whether you attend to your upper or lower body.

If you pedal with the legs, the exerciser benefits your glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quads. When you pedal with your arms, it’s the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms involved.

How Many Calories Can You Burn Per Hour with a Mini Exercise Bike?

Doing any exercise burns calories, but the numbers vary depending on factors such as the resistance settings of the machine and the user’s weight.

According to SportsRec, a 135-pound person can easily lose up to 123 calories when pedaling for just 20 minutes.

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