What Are The Benefits of Riding a Stationary Bike?

With cycling outdoors being so popular at the moment, you may still wonder, what are the benefits of riding a stationary bike, when you can get outdoors and ride around the country side?

Most people that exercise on stationary bikes and even recumbent exercise bikes, feel the benefits of riding a stationary bike, otherwise why would they do it. Not only does it keep them healthy, but they can look great too. Riding both a normal bike and a stationary bike is great for your gluts, quads and heart health, and the best part is that anybody can do it regardless of fitness level or whether or not you can even balance on a bicycle.

The hardest thing about riding a stationary bike is to stick with it, as it can get boring. Pedaling away and getting no where is hard, and you can only look at the same scenery for so long.

Luckily nowadays you can get stationary bikes with built in computers that keep you entertained as you ride.  Try putting your bike in front of your TV and watch the news or your favorite show while getting a great workout at the same time.

Another good thing to do is to take some music along to cycle along to. You can find some good options for cycling here. Some people even take a book to read, but you need to be careful not to lose momentum if you choose this option, as sometimes you get so involved in your book that you forget to pedal.

First, you need to decide whether you are going to ride the stationary bike in a gym setting, or get your own for home use. It is maybe better to start off in a gym, and if you really think you will keep it up, then purchase your own for home use. I have seen lots of stationary bikes lying unused in people’s garages.

What Are The Benefits of Riding A Stationary Bike?

Physical activity and exercise can make a positive impact on your body and whole life like nothing else can. Any doctor or medical researcher will tell you that and it is backed up by science. If you are able to do some kind of increased activity, then it is worth doing simply because it will have a positive effect on your life and on your health.

The benefits of riding a stationary bike are not confined to the young, either. Researchers say that it is almost never too late to begin a sound fitness program.

These are the benefits of riding a stationary bike:

• Less stress on the bones and joints, and great for people suffering with injuries.
• Recumbent stationary bikes are great for people with back pain.
• Healthier skin. The increased blood circulation brought on by physical exercise nourishes your skin layers and removes harmful toxins from the skin.
• Heart health is improved as you get fitter.
• Great strengthening as well as cardiovascular exercise.
• Mild depression symptoms can be helped, as people generally feel better emotionally when they excercise regularly.
• Stress is reduced and a sense of well-being is brought about by the chemical processes in the brain being altered.
• In women, regular exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer by as much as 60%.
• Riding a stationary bike helps with weight reduction, providing you follow a balanced diet, as you are burning more calories. A good paced half hour ride can burn up to 260 calories.
• Anyone can do it, even if you can’t ride a bicycle.
• Most stationary bikes have different levels of difficulty, which makes it perfect for both beginners and advanced cyclists.
• You can ride in any weather conditions, and you have no chance of being knocked over by a car.
• You can move your stationary bike around the house to change up the scenery.

The only thing missing from a stationary bike workout and outdoor bike workout is upper body work, because the bike only works the lower body. You will need to incorporate other exercises into your routine, so it is best to do a stationary bicycle workout along side other strength training exercises for the upper body to keep yourself well balanced.

You would also need to spend longer on your stationary bike in order to get the same exercise value as you would say on a treadmill. You could also up the resistance to give yourself a more challenging workout.

Try to use a stationary bike as part of a more complex exercise plan as this is the best way to most benefit from your stationary bike.

While the stationary bike is considered to be a cardio machine as well as a strength building machine, it isn’t as beneficial as running. That is why incorporating other exercises into your routine will provide you with the most benefit.

However, there are always exceptions to this rule, in terms of the cardio benefits of using stationary bikes. What we are referring to is the type of stationary bike you use.

What Kind of Stationary Bike is best to Purchase?

Here is the bottom line; if you want to get the most benefit from your stationary bike, then you need to be prepared to spend some money on it. A standard stationary bike simply isn’t the best choice if you want to avoid other types of exercises.

However, there are other, more advanced stationary bikes on the market. The most benefit will come from stationary bikes that provide resistance while you are “riding” and that will vary while you are working out.

You can get high tech stationary bikes that provide you with the same type of resistance so that you can work more of your upper body while you are using your bike. The truth is that cycling provides excellent benefits, but when you ride a real bike you don’t go in a straight line with no turns, twists, inclines and so on. No, you have movement. That is the difference between a real bike and a stationary bike.

Find a stationary bike that provides you with those variances and you will end up with an excellent workout! I trust I have answered your question of what are the benefits of riding a stationary bike. Please feel free to comment should you have anything else to add to the conversation.

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