Indoor cycling bikes, also known as stationary bikes, allow you to get the benefits of cycling without having to go outside. With an indoor bike, you can workout anytime that fits your schedule, whether that’s early in the morning before work or late at night after the kids have gone to bed. Here are 6 key benefits of using an indoor cycling bike:
1. Cardiovascular Health
Indoor cycling is an aerobic exercise that elevates your heart rate into the target zone needed to improve cardiovascular fitness as well as heart health. When you ride an indoor cycling bike, you are continuously pedaling which requires your heart to pump more blood as well as oxygen throughout your body. This increased workload causes your heart rate to rise.
Maintaining an elevated heart rate for a period of time, such as during a 20-30 minute indoor cycling session, places a training stimulus on your heart muscle. Over time, this strengthens your heart so it can more efficiently pump blood with each contraction. A stronger heart doesn’t have to work as hard at rest to meet your body’s needs.
The aerobic training from indoor cycling also helps lower blood pressure levels over time. As your heart becomes more efficient, it doesn’t have to pump as vigorously to circulate blood. Lower blood pressure strains the heart less with each beat. This reduces risks for heart attacks, along with heart disease as well as stroke.
2. Full Body Workout
While the primary muscles used during indoor cycling are the leg muscles, it also engages other muscle groups throughout the body to provide a full body workout. As you pedal the bike, your gluteal muscles (buttocks), quadriceps (thighs) as well as hamstrings (back of thighs) are working hard to power the pedal stroke. These are considered the major leg muscles as well as get an intense workout from cycling.
However, your upper body along with core are also active during cycling. For stability as well as balance as you pedal, your abdominal muscles have to engage to keep your torso upright. Your obliques on the sides of your abdomen also work to prevent side to side swaying. During arm cycling movements that are part of many indoor cycling classes, your shoulder muscles including deltoids, biceps as well as triceps all get exercised as you raise as well as lower the weights or simulated hills. Your back muscles like the latissimus dorsi as well as trapezius also work isometrically to support your arms.
3. Weight Management
Indoor cycling is an excellent exercise for weight management because it is able to burn a significant amount of calories in just one session. When you engage in cycling, whether as part of a class or doing your own solo rides, your body works hard to power the pedals. This requires energy, which it gets by burning calories that come from fat stores as well as food you’ve recently eaten.
The more intense the cycling workout, the more calories your body will burn to fuel the activity. Interval training classes that include hill climbs, sprints as well as high resistance pedaling allow you to burn the most calories. A 155-pound person weighing approximately 70kg can expect to burn around 600 calories during a one hour indoor cycling class. This calorie burn rate will vary depending on factors like your weight, fitness level along with how challenging the class is.
4. Convenience
One major advantage of indoor cycling is the convenience it provides compared to outdoor cycling. With an indoor bike, cyclists are not limited by external factors like weather conditions or having to travel to a suitable outdoor cycling route.
Bad weather is one of the biggest deterrents for outdoor cycling. Rain, snow, extreme heat or cold can put people off riding outside. However, indoor cycling allows riders to get their workout in no matter what the weather is like. They don’t have to worry about getting wet or overheating since the bike is stationary inside the home.
Travel time is another inconvenience avoided with indoor cycling. Outdoor cyclists have to take time to drive or commute to a safe cycling route or trail, wearing the appropriate gear. An indoor bike takes up little space as well as can be easily set up in the garage or a spare room at home. Riders can simply hop on anytime without the commute, saving both time as well as effort.
5. Low Impact
Cycling is considered a low-impact exercise because the motion of pedaling on an indoor bike puts very little stress on your joints compared to high-impact activities. When you cycle, your weight is supported by the bike seat as well as handlebars. This means that with each pedal stroke, your joints do not have to absorb the full force of your body weight landing on the floor the way they do with running or other high-impact sports.
The pedaling motion of cycling is smooth as well as circular rather than the repetitive pounding movements of activities like running. When you pedal, your joints are moving through their natural range of motion rather than being jarred. This makes cycling gentle on knees, hips, ankles, along with the spine. The low-impact nature reduces wear as well as tear on cartilage as well as prevents damage.
6. Motivation from Classes
Indoor cycling classes led by instructors are very effective at keeping riders motivated during their workout. Being in a group setting among other cyclists pushes people to work harder than they would on their own. There is an inherent social pressure to keep up with the class as well as not fall behind.
Instructors play a key role in motivating cyclists in several ways. First, they are energetic as well as enthusiastic which is contagious to the whole class. Their upbeat attitudes as well as encouragement inspire riders to keep pushing. Instructors also plan out the class structure with intervals, along with sprints as well as hills to challenge participants along with prevent workouts from becoming monotonous. They will cue riders to increase resistance or speed during certain portions.
Conclusion
Indoor Cycling App provide a convenient low-impact cardio as well as strength training workout. The many health benefits like improved cardiovascular health, weight management as well as a full body workout make indoor cycling a great exercise option. Whether you do solo rides or take virtual along with live classes, indoor cycling fits well into most schedules for regular exercise.
