- One of the most common complaints for people who use a stationary bike is strain on their hips and numbness in their posterior. This problem can be fixed by adjusting the seat height and position so that it's more comfortable for the user and doesn't cut off blood flow or strain the hips. If a person keeps cycling with a poorly adjusted seat, they could develop a more serious injury.
- Another common injury is leg strain. This is often a result of poor position, as well. The knee should be slightly bent when the pedal is fully extended, and this is usually a good judge of proper seat height. This will take strain off of the muscles, and it should prevent the strain from growing into a pulled muscle.
- While not all exercise bikes use fan blades to create resistance, many models do. There's usually a cage around the fan blades to prevent injury, but they can still be dangerous. If a bike has a fan or other moving parts that could create injury, care should be taken that the rider's body remains a safe distance from those parts at all times. This means that shoes--and not sandals--should be worn to ride the bike, and that baggy clothes which may get caught in moving parts should be avoided.
- Another source of muscle strain comes from the handlebars on a stationary bike. If the handlebars are too far away or too low, it can cause strain on the arms and back, respectively. Leaning down to grip the handles will put excessive strain on the lower back, and if you have to reach out too far the arms and shoulders will also feel the strain. This can lead to pain, and over time it may lead to pulled muscles or excessive stiffness.
- Many people use stationary bikes because they have old injuries that may be aggravated if they use other types of exercise. Shoulder injuries, knee injuries, strained backs and even injuries of the ankles and tendons can all flare up or recur if a stationary bike isn't used properly.
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