Are you fitness conscious or want to lose weight?
Keeping an eye on your fitness goals can be challenging, especially when you are busy the whole day. If you want to be fit as a fiddle, there is an excellent machine for you. Thanks to the exercise bike, you can get in a great workout with multiple physical and health benefits.
Cycling is a fun and climate-friendly way to run errands, which has multiple benefits -you burn calories, and you feel refreshed. It’s the simplest exercise that can be scaled to suit different fitness levels, styles of living, and goals.
But not everyone has access to a safe outdoor area where they can cycle with ease.
A stationary exercise bike is the best solution in this case. You can tone your legs and thighs and burn calories without leaving your home!
There are various benefits to using this machine. We’ve researched the top 6 scientific benefits of exercise bikes, that you probably have no idea bout. Curious to know about them? Say with us to learn more!
Different Types Of Stationary Bikes
There are three types of stationary bikes: upright, dual-action, and recumbent. Each one has different benefits.
Upright Bike
Upright bikes are the most common type of stationary bike.
The upright bike provides a great cardio workout whilst building up your leg and core muscles. You can use this bike to exercise sitting or standing, according to your preference.
Upright bikes are similar to a regular bicycle, with the pedals under your body. However, the flaw of this bike is that the upright position can exert pressure on your hands and wrists.
These bikes usually have small seats that are comfortable and relaxing when you’re doing longer workouts. Upright exercise bikes are pretty reliable and can be placed at home. They give you a smooth gym experience which will encourage you in your fitness journey.
Recumbent Bike
In a stationary recumbent bike, you sit in a reclined position on a large seat that is situated back from the pedals.
A recumbent bike offers an effective cardiovascular and lower-body resistance workout, great for old and young alike.
This bike has a closed-pack design that doesn’t take up too much space and exerts less pressure on your upper body, joints, and lower back. It even provides extensive support to your body, so your workout is less frustrating!
Therefore, it’s especially recommended for people with limited mobility. It’s also great for those who have joint issues, back pain and injuries.
Dual-action Bike
A dual-action bike is somewhat like an upright bike. It comprises of handlebars that move to and fro, to strengthen your upper body muscles. This way, you’re working your legs and upper body at the same time.
The Benefits of Exercise Bikes
Are you ready to find out about some powerful benefits of stationary bikes? Below are some most incredible benefits of exercising bikes that will convince you to include them in your exercise routine!
1. Reduce body fat
A big perk of exercising on a stationary bike is that it helps you burn excess calories. Weight Loss mainly depends upon your workout routine and your body weight. However, you can quickly burn more than 500 calories an hour exercising with a stationary bike.
The number of calories you burn depends on the intensity of your workout. The longer and harder you pedal, the more you will burn. Keep in mind that increasing your heart rate maximizes calorie consumption so pedal with enough intensity to raise your heart rate.
2. Improve Cardio Fitness
Biking is a top way to enhance your cardio fitness. It is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that burns calories and targets your lower body.
Research by the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that cardiovascular exercise, such as cycling to work, helps prevent clinical cardiovascular risk factors among middle‐aged men and women.
Cardiovascular workouts such as cycling strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles. Cycling also enhances the flow of oxygen throughout your body and benefits your health in multiple ways, such as:
- Lower blood pressure
- Better sleep
- Enhanced blood sugar levels
- Reduce stress level
- Boost immune system
- More energy
- Better mood
3. Low Impact Exercise
Biking is a low-impact workout that uses smooth movements to strengthen bones and joints without exerting much pressure on them. This is an excellent workout when you are healing back from an injury or have difficulty in impact-bearing sports. Since your feet don’t lift off the pedals, it’s pretty easy on your joints, yet offers a challenging and effective workout.
In high-impact exercises such as jumping, running, or jogging, your ankles, hips, knees, and other joints go through a lot of stress. Using a stationary bike places little to no stress on your joints. Moreover, it causes fewer injuries than any other form of exercise and doesn’t require high energy levels.
4. Easier than Cycling on the Road
Although exercising outdoors on your bike is a great way to do exercise, it is not safe as there are hazards due to poor visibility, and slick road surfaces. And if the temperature is hot outside, it can be tough to go outdoors, which may discourage you from working out. You can easily save yourself from sunburn and windburn. Moreover, indoor cycling is more comfortable as you can watch television or listen to any podcast.
Indoor biking is relatively safe, and you don’t have to worry about road conditions, traffic, or other elements.
5. Social Biking Exercise
Do you feel bored exercising on your stationary bike? The days are gone when biking was considered a solo activity. Now there’s no need to spend your time staring at the bike’s electric screen and getting bored. Now, you can link up to the bigger world and even meet up with your nearby friends through mobile apps. It will give you the charm of exercising with your friends and cousins in the gym.
Join the classes through any app or fitness trainer. Via apps, you can do virtual workouts while remaining connected with your friends!
6. Enhance Mental Health
Multiple studies show a positive connection between using exercise bikes and improved mental health. It provides a good release for people suffering from depression and anxiety.
Behaviour and research therapy, a research conducted in 2004, tells us that using exercise bikes has decreased anxiety levels in people. In 2008, a systematic review on depression and anxiety proved that it has anti-depressive effects.
And according to psychology, using an exercise bike for 15 minutes helps improve your cognitive performance.
7. Improves Balance And Posture
Biking enhances your balance, posture, and coordination. When you have to sit in a specific position while exercising, it builds your balance. This also helps improve your posture.
When you rode a bicycle when you were younger, maintaining your balance was the key to the act. If you don’t regularly do workouts which maintain your balance as you grow older, it may start to decline with age.
8. Release Of Endorphin Which Makes You Feel Good
While exercising on a bike, your body secretes hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, which excite you and make you feel good. These hormones are known as happy hormones, and they regulate our mood swings, relax our minds and make us feel good.
Research has shown that those who regularly exercise on a bike are at a lower risk of stress.
Who shouldn’t use an exercise bike?
Sometimes biking enhances injuries, so if you are suffering from any sort of injury, then it’s best to wait until you recover fully.
Using an exercise bike may be beneficial to some patients, however. For example, cancer patients are advised to do cycling when they recover fully, with their care teams.
Wrapping up
Biking is a satisfying way to keep yourself healthy. Using an exercise bike is a simple exercise that any person can easily do, whether young or old. Some people don’t like to opt for outdoor exercise, so this is a great option for them. It’s a great way to elevate your heart rate and burn calories.
We’ve talked about the benefits of using an exercise bike in this article. If you found it beneficial, spread the word: A lot of people don’t engage in any physical activity at all and the first step to any change is awareness!
Just a tip: While using your exercise bike, use an app or diary to track your progress so you can see improvements over time and stay motivated. And remember: The main thing is to keep a balance of everything in your life. It doesn’t matter how much you exercise in a day; it’s how consistent you are that matters!