Is riding a stationary bike good exercise? Simple answer is “yes”-stationary bike workout is an efficient and effective way to burn calories and fat while also strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles. A stationary bike is less stressful on your joints than other cardio equipment, yet it still gives a terrific aerobic exercise.
In this article, I compiled a list of 7 amazing benefits of stationary bike workout, but I believe I could have included more. Continue reading to learn about the seven most significant stationary bike workout benefits.
Stationary Bike Workout Benefits
Here are some of the greatest benefits of stationary bike workouts.
Can Assist in Weight Loss
Are exercise bikes good for weight loss? yes, exercise bikes are ideal for weight loss. The exercise bike burns calories and aids in the creation of a caloric deficit, which is required for weight loss.
A stationary bike workout can burn more than 600 calories each hour, depending on the intensity of your workout and your body weight. As a result, indoor cycling is a fantastic calorie-burning training alternative. The amount of calories you burn is mostly depends on the intensity of your workout. The more effort you put into your stationary bike workout, the more calories you burn.
For example, according to Harvard Health Publishing, a 155-pound person cycling for 30 minutes on a stationary bike can burn roughly 252 calories at a moderate pace and 278 calories at a strenuous pace.
To lose 1 kg, you need to work out for an hour on your stationary bike three times a week. The secret to losing weight is to burn more calories than you ingest.
Keep in mind that these are only estimations, and that your calorie burn is determined by a variety of factors, including your biological sex, age, weight, body composition, and resting metabolic rate, among others, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Aids in the Burning of Body Fat
Working exercise at a high intensity burns calories and increases strength, which can lead to weight loss.
According to a 2010 study indoor biking, when combined with a low-calorie diet, was found to be helpful in reducing body weight and body fat. It also worked to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. For 12 weeks, the participants cycled for 45 minutes three times a week and ate 1,200 calories each day.
Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Stationary biking is a cardiovascular workout that raises your heart rate and forces your heart muscles to work harder to meet the increased oxygen demand. This, in turn, aids in the improvement of heart health.
“Cycling is an excellent cardiovascular activity that strengthens the heart, lungs, and muscles,” according to Erin Jalkanen, a Certified Personal Trainer at Ascend Fitness and Spa. “As a result, your blood pressure will be lower, your sleep will be better, and your stress levels will be lower.”
Strengthens Legs and Lower Body Muscles
A stationary bike workout is ideal for training your legs, thighs, and buttocks, as well as your arms, abdomen, and back muscles. When you increase the resistance on your exercise bike, your muscles work harder. Low resistance is useful for warming up and increasing endurance, but not for building muscle. There is no gain without pain.
- The glutes, hamstrings (just below the buttocks), quadriceps (on the front of the thighs), and calves are the lower body muscles (red in the diagram) that operate constantly on the exercise bike (at the back of the thighs).
- The abdominal and back muscles (shown in yellow in the diagram) assist you to maintain your body’s position and thus work.
- The biceps and triceps, which allow you to hold the handlebars, also operate, though to a smaller amount than the muscles in the bottom portion of the body (green in the diagram). When you tighten the handlebars, such as during an extreme effort, these muscles work harder.
- The muscles of your arms (biceps and triceps) and the muscles of your lower back work harder than the muscles of your thighs (quadriceps) and buttocks when you stand up and ride out of the saddle with a high pedaling resistance (standing while cycling).
Gives a Low-Impact Workout
A stationary bike workout is a low-impact exercise that uses smooth movements to strengthen bones and joints without putting them under too much stress. Because of this, it’s a fantastic alternative for those with joint problems or other injuries.
High-impact aerobic exercises like running or jogging, jumping can place a ton of stress on your joints like ankles, knees, hips, and other joints. A stationary bike is better for your joints because your feet don’t lift off the pedals, but it still gives a good exercise.
Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Endurance sports, such as stationary bike workout, have numerous benefits for diabetics.
Obesity and diabetes are intrinsically linked. Stationary bikes are excellent calorie burners and can aid weight loss. As a result, decreasing weight may assist in lowering the risk of diabetes.
When we workout or participate in sports, our muscles consume glucose, lowering our blood sugar level. The presence of too much sugar in the blood is, in fact, a hallmark of diabetes. A large number of scientific research have demonstrated that sport and physical activity can help diabetics lower their blood glucose levels.
Physical activity has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. When blood sugar levels rise after a meal, insulin is secreted by the body to bring them back down to normal levels. Insulin no longer functions properly in diabetics, leading in an increase in blood sugar.
Sports and regular activity make the body more responsive to insulin, which reduces the amount of insulin required to drop blood glucose levels. As a result, sports promotes more natural blood sugar management.
Convenient and Safer than Road Cycling
Cycling outside can be a terrific way to exercise, but it does have some risks, such as inattentive drivers, uneven or slick road surfaces, and poor visibility. Additionally, if the weather is hot and humid, or chilly and wet, it might be difficult to gather the drive to venture outdoors. It may even be unsafe to do so.
You don’t have to worry about traffic, road conditions, or the elements when you cycle indoors. Any time of year, you may work out safely at a comfortable temperature.
Stationary Bike Workout Plan
Here we will discuss stationary bike workout plan for beginners, for weight loss and for interval training.
Stationary Bike Workout Plan For Beginners
If you’re just getting started with your fitness, the idea is to take it slowly and gradually increase the amount of time and intensity.
Begin with a 25 to 35 minute workout and gradually increase the time in 1-minute increments as your fitness improves.
Here is an example of stationary bike workout plan for beginner’s:
- Start with 5-10 minutes of low-intensity pedaling.
- Switch to medium intensity for 5 minutes, followed by:
- high intensity for 1-2 minutes
- medium intensity for 5 minutes
- high intensity for 1-2 minutes
- medium intensity for 5 minutes
3. Finish by pedaling at a low intensity for 5 minutes.
Stationary Bike Workout Plan For Weight Loss
Stationary bike workout aids in the burning of calories and body fat. So, it can be a effective addition to a weight loss plan.
Here is an example of stationary bike workout plan for weight loss:
- Start off pedaling at a low intensity for 5-10 minutes.
- Switch to medium intensity for 3-5 minutes.
- Alternate between high intensity (1-3 minutes) and medium intensity (3-5 minutes) for the next 20 to 30 minutes.
- Cool down by pedaling at a low intensity for 5-10 minutes.
Stationary Bike Workout Plan For Interval Training
Interval training can help you increase your strength and stamina once you’ve improved your fitness.
Here’s an example of a stationary bike workout plan for interval training:
- Start with 10 minutes of low-intensity pedaling.
2. For the next 10 minutes, switch to medium intensity, then:
- 2 minutes of high intensity
- 2 minutes of low intensity
- 2 minutes of high intensity
- 2 minutes of low intensity
- 2 minutes of high intensity
3. Cool down by biking for 5-10 minutes at a low intensity.
You can gradually increase your intervals by one minute at a time.
Final Words: Stationary Bike Workout Plan and Benefits
Stationary bike workout have several health, fitness, and psychological benefits! In addition to its many cardiovascular benefits, the stationary bike can help you boost your muscle strength, lose weight, and burn body fat while being kind to your joints.
Track your efforts over time with an app or a notebook so you can monitor your improvement and stay inspired.
If you’re new to exercising, use medication, or have any medical concerns, consult your doctor before beginning any fitness program.
Stationary Bike Workout Plan and Benefits (FAQs)
Does cycling help running endurance?
Many people ask me as a long-time running coach “Does cycling help running endurance?”
If you’re a regular cross-trainer, you won’t be surprised to learn that cycling can improve your running endurance. Not only that, but it has the potential to help you avoid injuries and increase your performance.
Adding time on the bike to your running routine might help you gain strength and endurance. While it has been demonstrated that running with a high cadence is beneficial.
Does cycling burn fat on thighs?
Exercising on an exercise bike will not precisely reduce thigh fat; this is due to the fact that you cannot just lose fat in a specified area of the body. When you lose fat, it affects every part of your body. So there is no special activity that will help you lose thigh fat.
However, cardiovascular activities such as riding an exercise bike are beneficial for fat loss in general, so you should expect to see a reduction in your thigh fat — as well as your overall body fat — if you use an exercise bike regularly.
What are the mistakes in stationary bike riding?
Keeping so much tension on your shoulders
By keeping your hands light on the handle, you may relax the muscles in your shoulders and enjoy the cycling exercise.
Bending your knees
When cycling, avoid overbending your knees. To avoid any pain, always double-check that they are straight.
Bending your feet
Do not bend your feet. Avoid exerting too much pressure on your feet by keeping it flat as you cycle.
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