If you have fond memories of zipping around your neighborhood on a bike during childhood, you can recapture that lighthearted activity and channel it into health and wellness as an adult. Indoor exercise bikes, or stationary bikes, are a solid fitness solution for anyone searching for a convenient, low-impact home workout.

“[A stationary bike] is an excellent way to get in cardio at home, and riding a bike is low-impact exercise,” Stephanie Mansour, a certified personal trainer and the founder of fitness brand Step It Up Steph, says. “This means that it’s not putting a lot of wear and tear on your body like running, for example. When you run or walk, all of your weight is pounding into the pavement, but when you’re sitting on an exercise bike, there’s much less of an impact. This would be excellent for someone who has a lot of weight to lose, someone with joint issues, or someone looking to get back into exercise.”

There are two main categories of indoor exercise bikes. Upright bikes are designed to resemble a standard road bike. You sit above the bike frame on a saddle seat. The handles provide balance as you cycle, or you can stand up and pedal for a more intense workout.

Uprights work a wide variety of muscles, like your abs, glutes, lower back and shoulders. You’ll also burn more calories on an upright bike than you would on other types of indoor bikes. Some options even fold up for convenient storage. The Exerpeutic Folding Upright Bike only takes up four square feet of floor space and folds in half for easy storage when you’re not using it.

“Make sure the bike you purchase will fit into the space you have allocated for it,” Mansour says. “Use a measuring tape and measure how much space you have, and then check the specs of the bike.”

Recumbent bicycles are easier to use if you have poor balance or are new to working out. The low-slung design makes room for a larger saddle seat, and a backrest supports your spine. The Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike has a ventilated, contoured seat with lumbar support for a back-friendly ride. You’ll cycle on pedals in front of you instead of below you, too.

This design doesn’t work as many muscle groups as upright bicycles, and you may burn fewer calories than you would on an upright. They also tend to take up more space in your home and cost more money than upright designs. However, recumbent bikes give your hamstrings a solid workout, and they’re more user-friendly for people who are brand new to biking.

Choosing which bike is right for you depends on your fitness goals. You’ll want to check out upright bikes if you want a heart-pounding cardiovascular workout. If you’re recovering from certain injuries, have poor balance or want a more comfortable riding experience, a recumbent bike is right up your alley.

Mansour notes that an exercise bike is a versatile piece of workout equipment because you can control the level of intensity.

“You can ride the bike leisurely while watching TV, or crank it up and make it a really intense workout by changing your speed and resistance on the bike,” she says.