How Exercise Bikes Can Keep You In Shape

Exercise bikes are a major highlight in almost every gym around the neighbourhood. The more intuitive exercisers have them in their homes. More commonly known as "stationary cycles", exercise bikes have the same features as a bicycle, but in a stationary position. They are often armed with an ergometer that calculates the amount of work done during exercises.



As much as exercise bikes may seem common, many don't know how these fitness equipment help keep their bodies in shape. Cycling generally is a healthy practice, whether stationary or translational. Depending on your personal needs and taste in getting an exercise bike, there is a wide range of options to select from. In this article, you will learn how exercise bikes help you stay fit. Let's take a look:

1. It Is Convenient

Convenience is one of the rarely talked about subjects when it comes to exercising. But with exercise bikes, there is a silver lining of convenience. Even with improvised exercise plans such as running up the stairs at home or skipping a rope in your garage, none of them can beat the convenience an exercise bike provides.



Whether at home or at the gym, exercise bikes help dedicated exercisers look forward to another session. The idea is that since it's right within reach, you can easily anticipate the next session.

It also guarantees that no workout session is missed for less committed exercisers. If time or the weather used to be an excuse, you can now afford to stay in shape indoors with an exercise bike. It is as easy as watching a movie and exercising.

2. Offers Both Aerobic And Anaerobic Fitness

You can say it out loud: All in one! That is exactly what you get by using an exercise bike. Just like other aerobic exercises like running, jogging, and cycling, exercise bikes also serve to hasten the heart rate.

On the other hand, a workout session on an exercise bike can also contribute to anaerobic fitness. The constant pedaling of the bicycle ensures that the cyclist's legs are working. A cycling session helps tone the calves, quadriceps, and buttocks.

3. You Can Combine Other Exercises With Biking

In typical fashion, cycling only impacts the lower parts of the body anaerobically. For better results, you can combine some other forms of anaerobic training with exercise biking. Some types of exercise bikes have built-in functions like a combined rower machine. In other cases, you can make use of weights for dumbbell exercises while cycling. This guarantees a more balanced workout for both the upper body and lower body.

4. It Is A Low-Impact Workout

A session on an exercise bike provides a low-impact workout. This is a kind of exercise that involves less stress, less direct force, and reduces the risk of bodily injuries. A good amount of stress can be associated with many other aerobic exercises such as running, jogging, and skipping, but a session on the exercise bike can eliminate such. Characterized by smooth movements that strengthen the bones and joints, working out on exercise bikes ensures that the pressure on your legs and joints are greatly reduced.

5. Allows For Interval Training

The concept of interval training is as simple as going hard and going easy. The idea is to alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity workouts. An advantage of interval training is that it helps you reap the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic training, such as improved bone strength and lower blood pressure all at once.



From low-intensity to medium- and high-intensity workouts, exercise bikes offer it all in a workout session. With an exercise bike, you can jumpstart your workout by starting with the lightest level of resistance, which refers to the programmable mechanical force exerted on your legs during a workout. Then, you can gradually increase the bike resistance until you can feel the tension on your legs. The gradual process helps you get the maximum benefits of the exercise.

6. Helps Keep Spinal Structures Healthy

People with low back pain and other spinal cord dysfunctions often have difficulty finding the right kind of exercise. But with exercise bikes, they can undergo sessions that help condition the muscles and keep spinal structures healthy. According to a study, passive cycling can be an alternative way to rehabilitate a person's body after they have suffered a spinal injury as this can help improve the performance of their lower limbs.

Conclusion

An exercise bike is definitely a must for those who exercise at home or at the gym. The results of a first workout session should definitely convince you to continue using the exercise bike. If you have been using the exercise bike infrequently before, the benefits stated above should convince you to make it a routine.