Exercise Cycle Benefits

An exercise cycle is the best indoor workout you can do, irrespective of all ages. Apart from being healthy, riding a stationary bike puts less stress on your joints. However, it still proves to be an excellent workout.

Many often think about how effective is riding on a stationary bike going to be. If you also have the same question in your mind, you are at the right place.

In this article, we will explore the various health benefits of using an exercise cycle. We will learn about how this indoor workout helps you in achieving your fitness goals.

What Are the Benefits of Using an Exercise Cycle or Stationary Bike?

The health benefits that you can reap from riding a stationary cycle are aplenty. Here are the primary reasons that state how and why stationary biking is good for your overall health:

1. Increases cardiovascular fitness

The greatest advantage of cycling is that it boosts your heart health. When you do stationary biking on a regular basis, it improves the blood flow and oxygen throughout your body. Additionally, it strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles and finally enhances your cardio fitness. Cycling is an excellent aerobic workout that improves your heart health. Let us see the other numerous benefits from this workout:

• It helps in improving the functioning of the brain and enhances your memory.
• It facilitates low blood pressure in those doing regular stationary biking.
• Cycling guarantees better sleep to the users.
• It helps in improving blood sugar levels.
• It helps in building a stronger immune system.
• It enhances your mood.
• It minimizes your stress levels.
• It improves your strength and provides you more energy.

2. Can Help with Weight Loss

Do you want to lose weight? Using an exercise bike is the most effective way to burn those extra calories and reach your weight loss goals. The best part is that you can burn up to 600 calories in an hour on these exercise bikes. However, it is entirely dependent on the intensity of your workout and also your body weight. If you want to burn those calories, undoubtedly, indoor cycling is an excellent workout option.

We all know how to calculate weight loss. The number of calories you burn should be more than the number of calories you consume. If you start cycling, you may find it difficult after a couple of days. Although it may seem good in the initial days, gradually you may find it a little difficult or lose interest in the same owing to many reasons. However, try considering the indoor cycling workout. It can be the best plan that aids in your weight loss journey.

Here are some useful tips to help you with your cycling plan:

• Always start your cycling workout with a low-speed rate.
• You can later increase the speed to average and continue for about 3-5 minutes.
• Try repeating this process by taking turns between high and moderate intensity for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• End your workout by pedalling slowly for an average of about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Strengthens Your Bones And Joints Without Putting More Pressure On Them 

As mentioned earlier, stationary biking is a low-impact workout that does not put much stress on your bones, joints, and muscles. If you consider the high-impact exercises like jogging, running, etc., they put more pressure on your legs, ankles, knees, and hips. As a result, you may feel pains in the joints when performing.

As opposed to the above exercises, cycling tends to be kind to your joints and bones. You do not lift the pedals here, as you do with regular cycling. Hence, this workout is ideal for those already having joint issues or any other related injuries.

Although it provides a low impact on your joints, it still remains a proven and effective workout.

4. Strengthens Your Legs, Muscles, And Tones Your Lower Body

We all love to have a toned body. Don’t we! You can achieve one with this stationary bike, especially, by increasing the resistance of your bike. Since cycling involves pedalling, it helps in strengthening your legs and lower body muscles. It helps in toning your legs, thighs, and buttocks.

Let us see how riding a stationary bike strengthens the muscles of different parts of the body:

• Indoor cycling works on the muscles of the lower body like the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and even quadriceps.
• It also impacts the abdominal and back muscles and allows you to maintain the right position of your body.
• By using a stationary bike with handles, you can even strengthen the muscles of your arm. Although the impact is comparatively less than the lower part of the body, it works well on your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.

Regular exercising on your stationary bike will help you notice better results.

5. Improves Muscle And Joint Mobility And Lubrication.

During your initial days of cycling, you may feel much pressure on your muscles and your joints. However, if you continue this workout regime without paying heed to those excuses, you will observe a massive transformation.

This is a crucial step in any kind of workout. Usually, a couple of days after starting the exercises, we tend to develop muscle and joint pains. As a result, we feel compelled to give up. If you tune your mind and body to continue cycling exercise despite the heaviness of your muscles, it is going to impact your whole body.

Cycling regularly will improve your muscle health, and joint mobility. Besides, it will build a perfect balance between the muscles and joints for elder people, thereby impacting their overall health.

6. Ease On The Joints

As discussed earlier, other exercises like running, jogging, and other heavy impact workouts can be hard on your joints. But cycling involves low impact as it puts less stress on your joints.

An exercise bike allows ease on your joints, benefitting even those with pain or stiffness in their joints. It is an ideal exercise for older adults. Remember, it is never too late to be fit again. Also, it is never too late to start the cycling exercise.

7. Cycling Lowers Your Cholesterol Levels

The most common health issue we get to hear about these days is the increased cholesterol levels. The sedentary lifestyle made many younger adults fall prey to this. Having an adequate amount of cholesterol is good for the body. However, the problem arises when it is more than required. Consequently, it will increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the body.

The best way to keep cholesterol problems at bay is by working out on a stationary bike. It helps to lower cholesterol levels by promoting good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) in the blood.

Studies found that if you do indoor cycling in conjunction with a low-calorie diet, it will help in effectively reducing body weight and body fat. Not only that, but it also effectively lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body. That said, you can easily get rid of your cholesterol problems without the need for any rigorous workouts.

8. Regular Cycling Helps Improve Your Lung Function

Including cycling in your daily workout regime helps in improving your lung functioning. Regular cycling is an aerobic exercise that will allow you to breathe quickly. As a result, it increases the oxygen supply to the lungs and improves your body’s ability to utilize more oxygen. That means, there will be more blood flow to your muscles. Ultimately, it improves your respiratory functions and capacity.

9. Regular Cycling Slows Down The Aging Process

Stationary biking helps in reducing the signs of aging. Yes, you heard that right! Regular cycling ups your heart rate. As a result, it starts pumping more blood into your body. This better or improved circulation, in turn, strengthens your heart and gives you beautiful skin. Ultimately, routine cycling exercise will slow down your aging process and make your skin look young and fresh.

As we age, our muscles start deteriorating. After reaching a certain age, when you stop being active, it increases the chances of age-related diseases. However, physical activities like cycling can reverse the muscle decline in seniors and keeps their immune systems strong. It further slows down the aging process, as well.

10. Allows for Interval Training

Unlike other exercises, cycling is the only workout that allows for interval training. In this type of training, you can combine intense and less intense exercises. That means you can do short intervals of intense exercises alternatively with long intervals of low-intensity workouts. Doing this, aids in burning a greater number of calories in less time, and also improves your cardio fitness.

The best thing about indoor cycling is that you will have varied resistance levels (low, medium, and high) in it. Accordingly, you can choose and exercise at your comfortable intensities. This facilitates an interval training workout for the individuals.

11. Cycling Boosts Your Energy

Cycling helps in boosting your energy. I am not saying this, but the studies. You can improve your energy levels to 20 percent by regular cycling while decreasing your fatigue by 65 percent. Didn’t get the logic behind it? Well, this is how you can. When you regularly do stationary biking, cycling stimulates the release of dopamine. It is a neurotransmitter that has a direct link to energy.

12. Cycling Is Very Beneficial For Good Mental Health 

Exercising on a stationary bike helps in improving the well-being of the individual. Scientific research says that people who indulge in some of the other physical activities are less prone to mental health issues. And, riding a stationary bike is one of those activities.

When doing indoor cycling, this activity releases hormones like endorphins and serotonin. These are usually called the happy hormones that regulate your mood, anxiety, or stress. When you keep doing these workouts, they will continue to induce the feeling of happiness in the individuals.

Cycling is an anti-stress and an antidepressant sport that will make you feel good. It further boosts your confidence and makes you feel happier and good about yourself.

Did you know that cycling can help you quit smoking? Oh yes! When you practice regular stationary cycling, it stimulates the production of endorphins. This further helps in alleviating the urge to smoke and may eventually make smokers quit smoking.

13. Cycling Is Good For Patients With Degenerative Diseases 

The greatest advantage of having an exercise bike at home is that everybody can use it. From kids to younger adults to elder people, all can use this bike and it is safe for everyone. Moreover, there are very few chances of any accidents. This is the reason why riding a stationary bike is ideal and recommended for patients having Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

Regularly practicing indoor cycling minimizes the risk and also delays the symptoms of these degenerative diseases. Scientific studies found that performing the physical activity of any type is good for patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

The explanation is that doing physical activities helps in stimulating certain areas of the human brain and helps people remain active.

14. Minimizes The Possibility Of Type 2 Diabetes 

Cycling is an endurance workout that has added benefits for those suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. There are many proven scientific studies and researches that show the effectiveness of cycling.

We all are aware that when we do any exercise or sports, our muscles use more glucose. As a result, the sugar (glucose) levels in the blood decrease. Diabetes is nothing but increased glucose levels in the blood.

When you engage in a cycling workout, it lowers blood glucose levels.

Stationary biking works well with insulin, as well. The insulin hormone helps in regulating glucose levels in the blood and lowers blood sugar levels after meals.

When it comes to those having diabetes, this insulin remains inactive in its role. This leads to increased blood sugar levels. Regular exercises like cycling, workouts, or any other sports play a crucial role in regulating the sugar levels in the blood.

15. Cycling Boosts Your Immune System

Regular cycling on a stationary bike improves your immune system, thereby increasing your life expectancy. Making cycling or any other physical activity a regular practice helps in reducing the risk of diseases. It further prevents age-related diseases, building a stronger immune system. As a result, you can see an increase in your life expectancy.

16. Cycling Is Safer Than Road Cycling

Outdoor activities or road cycling is majorly dependent on several factors like weather conditions, road traffic, road networks, etc. Moreover, there are certain risks associated with it like poor roads, haphazard drivers, etc.

When it comes to indoor cycling, you do not have any of these. Just stay at home or gym doing the stationary biking. No complaints of rains, scorching run, unfavourable weather conditions, etc. Enjoy your workouts by listening to your favourite music or podcasts. Irrespective of the weather conditions outdoors, you can continue your exercises and stay fit.

17. Convenience

The significant advantage of doing stationary biking is the convenience. As mentioned earlier, you can carry out our workout regime at the convenience of your home.

You can place the stationary bike in your bedroom, office room, lounge, balcony, etc. You can get started with it any time after your work or after you finish your dinner or during a break at work.

Work out at your convenient time and place while catching up on your favourite TV shows or having a conversation with your family members. The best part, you can always keep watching your little ones while doing your regular workouts. No hassle, no worry about running to the gym or waiting for the weather to cooperate for a cycle ride.

All at your convenience, and as you want it to be – This is what a stationary bike has to offer.

Conclusion

With the sedentary lifestyle becoming a part of our daily life, most people are prone to getting health issues at a very young age. Cycling or riding a stationary bike is the most efficient way to reduce such health-related problems. It is a low-impact exercise that offers plenty of benefits. If you make it a part of your daily routine, you are sure to reap the results. Please do share your experiences with us about how indoor cycling benefitted your health. Let us know in the comments if it transformed your life in any way that you want our readers to know.

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Stay healthy and stay safe!!!