How Can a Home Exercise Bike Change Your Fitness Level?

By Staff Report
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Updated: February 16, 2019

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Indoor cycling is incredibly popular among fitness lovers, in large fitness centres and small home gym settings. No matter where you live, you will find a cycling studio nearby. The popularity of indoor cycling makes it difficult to believe that it did not exist before 1993. After its inception, it soon became a dedicated training tool for serious cyclists and competitors. However, now it appeals to a much larger mass. It appeals to the ordinary person and celebrities alike.

What do you need to know about your home exercise bike?

Most spin cycle classes now have choreographies and killer playlists. That does not keep the indoor fitness experts from adopting the stationary cycles to their home gyms. Since it mimics outdoor cycling quite closely, it is a coveted form of cardio exercise. You may have heard people refer to them as “spin bikes,” although it is a trademarked brand name. Initially, it catered to fitness groups in gyms and boutique fitness studios, but right now it is equally popular among the solo riders. With the rise in the popularity of Home Exercise Bike rentals, many fitness enthusiasts now equip their garage or basement gyms with the latest indoor cycle model.

Here are the top six facts you must know about indoor cycling –

They can mimic the complete outdoor cycling experience

Modern indoor exercise bikes can mimic traditional bicycles. They come with adjustable seats, handlebars, and heights. They can accommodate varying body weights and body shapes. You can adjust your riding posture by adjusting the movable parts of the cycle.

The latest stationary bikes strive to give the power of mobility to the rider only. There are multiple resistance settings and workout programs that can help the rider find the resistance or workout intensity they desire. The rider can control the speed of the pedal via a manually adjustable knob. Always remember to find the right pair of cycling shoes to enjoy the complete benefit of indoor cycling.

Indoor cycling can save you money

When you go for outdoor cycling, you need to think about safety equipment. Think helmets, safety gloves, elbow pads, and knee pads. Indoor cycling demands nothing of that sort. Since the cycles are stationary, hurting yourself is quite unlikely.

Indoor cycling in fitness studios can be quite expensive. Some people spend close to $100 per week to attend spin classes with celebrity trainers. However, once you have the pre-programmed stationary cycles at home, you can follow similar routines without shelling out hundreds of dollars per week. Most of these expensive studios offer free trial classes. Take advantage of these classes and see if you like stationary bikes before hiring one.

The proper form is everything

Did you know? There are always right and wrong ways to ride a bike. If you are doubtful about your riding posture, you should attend spin classes or hire a specialist fitness trainer for help. The wrong stance can result in knee pain and back stiffness. In fact, leading too much can reduce resistance and reduce the rate of burning calories.

Even breathing the right way is very important for enjoying a productive workout session. Unless you have previous experience with stationary bikes or you can follow the YouTube instructional videos accurately, you might want to invest in a personal trainer, who can perfect your breathing and posture.

You may experience saddle soreness

It might come as a surprise to you, but even indoor cycling or stationary bikes can give you saddle soreness. The modern stationary bikes come with narrower seats for effective posture and resistance. It can provide you with saddle burn after a long and intense workout. The more you sweat, the more are the chances of getting a sore groin.

However, that is no reason to give up cycling altogether. You need to pull through to enjoy weight loss and physical fitness. It is usually uncomfortable in the initial days, but as you become a pro, the soreness will become infrequent. It might take a few sessions for you to become resilient to the burning. Some experts recommend using powder and non-chafing tights to ease the discomfort. But it is always smart to keep an ice-pack handy after the workout!

Experienced Indoor cycling instructors may be hard to find

Not all stationary cycling instructors are experts, and you need to be ready to interview and try out quite a few till you find your indoor cycling soulmate. One way to find the right instructor is to take personal recommendations from your fitness-loving friends, family members and colleagues.

Today, you can even check out a person’s Instagram and Facebook profiles to vet their expertise and experience. Check if the instructor has previous professional experience with teaching solo riders or groups. Find out what drives their interests and why they might be useful for training you.

Regular cycling has health benefits

Stationary cycling not only tones your glutes and quads, but it also helps to improve your health. Here are some of the top proven benefits of at-home biking –

It improves memory function and cognition.
It can boost the productivity of a person.
It facilitates weight loss.
It is excellent for people with cardiovascular diseases.
It boosts endorphin levels and improves mood.
It can mitigate chronic diseases including Type 2 Diabetes, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
It boosts metabolism and facilitates proper sound sleep.

However, these effects only become prominent, when a person is ready to commit a fixed amount of time daily for exercising on his or her stationary bike.

Now, having a stationary bike at home is no challenge at all. You can hire one readily from any of the leading fitness rental companies. There are scores of different models you can check out including those that come with LED screens and pre-programmed workouts. Check out the ones that can store the progress of the user for over an extended period, if you want to track your fitness. Stationary bikes are the go-to fitness equipment for cardio workouts.