An immersible ergocycle – a bike designed to be used in a pool – can be the solution to pain-free exercising for people with arthritis or who are overweight. A study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congressshowed that workout on the bike while in the water provided the same aerobic benefits as biking on land, running, or walking, but with less wear and tear.
A release from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada quotes Dr. Martin Juneau, director of prevention at the Montreal Heart Institute, as saying, "If you can't train on land, you can train in the water and have the same benefits in terms of improving aerobic fitness."
His study colleague Dr. Mathieu Gayda, a clinical exercise physiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute, adds: "Exercise during water immersion may be even more efficient from a cardiorespiratory standpoint."
Not only that, but Dr. Juneau also says that you pump more blood for each beat, so don't need as many heartbeats, "because the pressure of the water on your legs and lower body makes the blood return more effectively to the heart. That's interesting data that hasn't been studied thoroughly before."
