Abstract
An underwater bicycle ergometer was developed for the exercise of obese persons, persons in need of physio-therapy, individuals with low physical fitness or persons who need post-operative rehabilitation. A wheel with four fans on a load was constructed (called the ergometer). The intensity of the movement of the fans depends on the rotation speed. Three experiments were done, one using only the upper limbs, one only the lower limbs, and one experiment with all four limbs. It was seen that, when the exercise was done, under all the three conditions both the oxygen uptake and the heart rate showed a linear increase together with an increase of the rotation speed of the ergometer. The highest value was shown when exercise was done with all the four limbs, next is the exercise with the lower limbs and last was the exercise done with the upper limbs. Furthermore, the RPE (Rating for Perceived Exertion) showed a tendency to be lower when doing the exercise with four limbs compared to when doing the exercise with only the upper limbs or only the lower limbs. By doing the exercise with all the four limbs the cardio-respiratory system is used in its most efficient way. Since it is possible when using the present equipment to choose a free way of exercise, it is expected that excessive strain on the body can be avoided.
