Outdoor cycling is an ideal low-impact exercise. But taking out the bike is not always convenient. Fortunately, with indoor cycling, you can get similar health benefits. Also, exercise bikes put less stress on the joints and provide an excellent aerobic workout compared to other cardio equipment.
If you’re hopping in the saddle for the first time, you can look at different tutorials to help you get started. But before that, you may want to learn the benefits of stationary bike workouts so you can achieve your fitness goals without leaving the comfort of your home.
The details are listed below:
1. Gentle on the joints
A cycling machine offers a gentle, low-impact cardio workout that is good for sensitive joints. Often, cycling is used in rehab for joint-related issues as it eliminates the impact of other forms of exercise like running.
Since cycling is a closed chain exercise, it is connected to a fixed object, creating less stress on the body. Therefore, indoor cycling can be a great option if you want an intense workout without stressing your joints.
2. Strengthen lower body muscles
It’s crucial to check for muscle imbalances and stiffness that occur due to ageing. Exercise bikes ensure that your joints have their entire range of motion, which helps build muscle strength and makes the workout more effective.
The bodily movements during cycling lubricate the joints, which help the bones. Further, when you add resistance, you build lower-body muscles and gain strength. Also, indoor bikes simulate outdoor terrain, so you can effectively target your glutes, calves, hamstrings and quads.
3. Burn calories
Consistent biking workouts can help you achieve your weight loss targets. It is best if you could give at least 30 minutes a day to cycling. Also, remember caloric expenditure depends on exercise intensity. So, if your workout is more intense, you can burn more calories.
Another calorie-burning benefit of using a cycling machine is adjusting the resistance level. Therefore, you can increase the intensity of workouts without needing to pedal faster.
4. Build endurance
Like other forms of cardio, indoor cycling benefits heart health by building muscle endurance. The time you spend cycling at various resistance levels trains your lower body muscle to be efficient and keep up your heart rate.
As you build endurance over time, you can increase the resistance and time you spend cycling to challenge your muscles.
5. Allows interval training
Interval training allows you to alternate intense workouts in shorter sessions with less intense exercise in longer sessions. This training helps in burning more calories and elevates cardio fitness.
As exercise bikes allow working out on varied resistance levels, you can go for a high, medium or low intensity that could be ideal for your interval training.
6. Boosts mood
Any form of exercise or physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, and indoor cycling is no exception. Also, you don’t have to ride for very long to get the mood boost, as only 15 minutes of cycling can make a lot of difference. So, if you’re suffering from depression, stationary bikes can decrease cortisol levels and lift your spirits.
7. Better safety
While outdoor cycling is great, you must worry about inattentive drivers, poor visibility or slick or uneven road surfaces.
Weather conditions can also be a concern as going outdoors is not preferred if it’s cold and wet or hot and humid. However, with indoor cycling, you have no such worries. You can work out any time of the day according to your convenience.
Indoor cycling can be the ideal workout for someone uncomfortable exercising around other people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of a team atmosphere. Now, you can get apps that help you remain connected, reach fitness goals at your pace and stay motivated.
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