With the rising demand for staying active, it’s no secret that home fitness is becoming an increasingly popular concept among the modern individual. Whether it’s staying fit while at home or preparing for an upcoming race, hiring exercise bike equipment offers users a convenient alternative to making a large purchase.
Now, the question of how long you should hire an exercise bike has to be made on a case-by-case basis.
In this post, you will learn the best hire durations for a variety of reasons for using an indoor bicycle.
Why Hiring an Exercise Bike Makes Sense
It’s no secret that purchasing an indoor exercise bike can be rather costly. This is why opting to hire exercise bike equipment means that you get all the benefits of a home workout without breaking the bank.
Additionally, the option to have it delivered, assembled and maintained for you adds to the convenience of this mode of transportation, and it’s why many turn to short-term hiring for their fitness needs.
Short Term Hire: 1-4 Weeks
The first option for how long you should hire an exercise bike is a brief, short-term hire.
This is the perfect option for those who want to try out indoor cycling before making the larger commitment of purchasing their own equipment.
Additionally, hiring an exercise bike for a short amount of time is ideal in the following circumstances:
- Recovering from an injury
- Maintaining fitness levels during poor weather conditions
- Training for an event or during a holiday
- Trying out a variety of different bikes
For newcomers to the sport of indoor cycling, a period of a few weeks is often enough time to get accustomed to the sport and get familiar with how exercise bike equipment can benefit them.
Medium Term Hire: 1-3 Months
For many indoor cycling enthusiasts, the most common hire duration for how long you should hire an exercise bike is between one and three months.
This period of time is long enough to allow a user to get accustomed to a regular fitness regime while simultaneously reaping the rewards of an improved general health.
The option to hire exercise bike equipment for a few months is often ideal for those who want to:
- Improve their cardiovascular fitness
- Gain endurance
- Lose weight
- Get into the habit of a regular indoor workout
As fitness experts will tell you, the first few weeks of a fitness regime are often the most crucial, as that is when the majority of your health improvements will begin to show. Which is why the medium-term hire of an exercise bike makes a lot of sense for those who want to commit to a healthier lifestyle but aren’t sure if it’s something they want to continue doing long term.
Long Term Hire: 3+ Months
The third and final option to consider as a response to the query of how long you should hire an exercise bike is long-term hire.
This particular category encompasses any hire period of three months or higher and is great for those who know they want to continue using an indoor exercise bike but don’t want to make the large commitment of a permanent purchase.
Long-term hire is popular with:
- People recovering from prolonged injuries
- The elderly who want to maintain their mobility
- People who work from home and want a home gym
- Couples or families that want to share a hire bike
- People contemplating a large purchase of a home exercise bike
If you know you will be using an indoor cycling bike more than a few times per week, long-term hire is an affordable option that takes the responsibility and potential costs of maintaining equipment off you.
Consider Your Fitness Requirements When Hiring an Exercise Bike
As a rule of thumb, it’s important to base how long you hire an exercise bike depending on what your fitness requirements are.
Weight Loss
For people whose primary reason for hiring an exercise bike is to lose weight, a general estimate for how long you should hire an exercise bike is anywhere between 2-3 months.
The reason behind hiring an indoor bike for this particular duration is to allow you to get into the habit of regular fitness regimes while simultaneously maintaining convenient access to a regular workout.
For users who are keen to start seeing results from their fitness efforts, it’s important to make sure that you are giving yourself enough time to do so.
Rehabilitation
If you’re hiring an exercise bike for rehabilitation purposes, it’s best to consult with a medical professional to figure out how long you should hire an exercise bike.
The duration of your rehabilitation program should be the determining factor of how long you hire an exercise bike for, with most programs generally lasting anywhere between a few weeks and a few months.
General Health and Fitness
If you’re hiring an exercise bike to maintain a basic level of health and fitness, one to three months is the recommended hire period.
As mentioned above, this period of time is generally long enough to allow you to get used to a regular fitness regime while allowing you to get used to the idea of maintaining your own health.
Consider Your Budget
Unfortunately, it’s no secret that how long you hire an exercise bike often ends up being dictated by your budget.
While the weekly cost of a hire bike can add up over time, many find that it is a much more reasonable option than purchasing a permanent piece of equipment outright.
Additionally, many rental companies have special deals in place for those considering a long-term hire.
Before committing to a specific hire date, it’s a good idea to keep the following in mind:
- How much does it cost to hire an exercise bike weekly?
- Do they offer any discounts for long-term hire?
- What are the delivery and maintenance costs?
- Can I upgrade the equipment?
Once you know your budget, it will be much easier to understand for how long you should hire an exercise bike.
When You Should Consider Extending a Hire Agreement
There will come a point when you realise that your initial hire period wasn’t long enough. Fortunately, many companies have an easy process in place for extending a hire agreement. You should strongly consider asking to extend your hire agreement if:
- You’re using the bike several times per week
- You’ve started seeing results and want to achieve better fitness levels
- You’re still recovering or maintaining your fitness
- You’re unsure whether you want to purchase your own bike
- Your rehabilitation period has been extended
By following some of these pointers, you’ll be able to greatly extend your hire period, which in turn means you can get more out of your rental equipment.
When Buying May Be the Better Option
Despite many opting to hire exercise bike equipment, there are some circumstances in which it makes much more sense to buy your own equipment.
It makes sense to purchase your own exercise bike if:
- You’ve already hired an exercise bike for a few months
- You have enough space for your own equipment
- You want to get into fitness or a sport that requires regular use of an exercise bike
- You want equipment with high-end features
- You’re starting to feel the weekly costs of a hire bike add up
However, it’s important to remember that even the most serious of indoor cyclists will often still opt to hire equipment due to the flexibility it offers.
How to Get More Out of Your Hire Agreement
When it comes to exercising, regular use of an indoor exercise bike is the name of the game. The more you use it, the more reward you will get out of your hire period.
To get the most out of your hire agreement, you should:
- Make sure to schedule a few workouts per week
- Try not to over-tighten the equipment
- Gradually increase the difficulty of your workouts
- Track your progress
- Stick to a healthy diet
By following the above-mentioned tips, you will be able to greatly improve your chances of getting the most reward out of your hire period.
Final Thoughts
There is no definitive answer to how long you should hire an exercise bike, as it varies depending on what fitness requirements you have.
Some people will only hire an indoor exercise bike for a short amount of time, while others end up extending their hire periods due to their circumstances.
Ultimately, what determines the length of hire is a combination of the following factors:
- Health & fitness requirements
- Budget rehabilitation
- Maintenance costs
- Commitment to an indoor workout regimen
By keeping the above information in mind, you will be able to get the most reward out of any hire period. Remember, while it’s important to make a hire commitment, it’s even more important to stick to it.