Exercise bikes are very popular exercise machines, and there is a good reason for this. These machines can provide you with loads of benefits.

Unlike other exercise machines, stationary bikes put less pressure on your joints but can still provide an amazing cardiovascular workout experience.

Here’s a brief overview of the benefits of using an exercise bike for your fitness routine.

Table of Contents

1. Allow for Convenience and Accessibility

The good thing about having an exercise bike is that you can use it anytime. You do not need to leave your house to have a good workout session. You can simply hop on your exercise bike and pedal whenever you want to.

Exercise bikes are perfect for people who do not have time to do outdoor exercises or go to the gym. You can get a great workout right in the comfort of your home without worrying about bad weather, traffic or other safety concerns.

2. Offer Low-impact Cardiovascular Exercise

Indoor cycling is a low-impact workout compared to other cardiovascular workouts such as running, jumping jacks or knee highs. It does not place stress or pressure on your joints.

Some benefits you can gain from low-impact cardiovascular exercise include improved flexibility and strength, reduced stress, and lower blood pressure (Tse, Andy C Y et al., Sports Medicine Open 2015).

3. Help Lower Body Strengthening

The pedalling action of riding a stationary bike helps strengthen muscles in your calves, hamstrings, and quads. A strong lower body can prevent injury and enhance posture. On top of that, it can make your daily activities, such as walking, running, or even getting up on a chair, much easier.

4. Encourage Weight Loss and Calorie Burn

Riding a stationary bike encourages calorie burn and is helpful for weight loss and maintaining weight loss. Depending on your workout intensity and other factors such as weight, age and gender, you can burn around 600 calories in 60 minutes with a stationary bike.

Maintaining a healthy weight is very important to help decrease the risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. Incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your fitness routine will make a big difference in your physical health and overall well-being.

5. Provide Joint Pain Relief

Joint pain is very frustrating, especially if you are a fitness enthusiast. If you are suffering from bad knees or other injuries, riding a stationary bike is a great option to stay on your fitness rack without hurting your joints. Stationary bikes are used in knee rehabilitation and physical therapy to help strengthen ligaments and muscles and to help improve the range of motion of your joints.

6. Offer a Variety of Workouts

There are different workout plans that you can do on an exercise bike to help address various health issues and fitness levels. The right stationary bike workout greatly depends on the individual’s fitness level, age and overall health.

That is why seeking advice from a healthcare professional before starting a new workout routine is important to ensure you will not hurt yourself during training.

Below are some examples of workout plans that you can add to your workout routine. You can modify these workouts according to your specific needs and preferences.

Beginner Workouts

Here’s an easy workout plan that you may consider if you are just a beginner.

  • Do an easy warm-up for five minutes. Make sure that you warm up at a low resistance level.
  • Slightly increase the resistance but make sure you are still comfortable. Pedal at a brisk pace for about a minute. Then return to a relaxed pace for three minutes. Repeat this three to five times.
  • Cool down for about five to ten minutes at a low resistance level.

There is no need to rush things when starting a new workout routine. The key to getting results is consistent effort. A 20-minute workout session is already an achievement.

Weight Loss

Here is an example of a 20-minute routine that can help you burn calories and lose weight in no time. This interval workout focuses on sprinting, which is excellent for burning calories.

  • Start with a five-minute warm-up at a quick pace.
  • Add resistance and sprint at a tough pace for thirty seconds, then a moderate pace for thirty seconds and at a relaxed pace for one minute. Repeat this interval sequence three times.
  • Using the same resistance, sprint as quickly as possible for forty seconds before sprinting at a relaxed pace for twenty seconds. Repeat this cycle four times.
  • End the session by cooling down at a reduced resistance for five minutes.

Sprinting is one way to burn calories quickly. This interval routine is a good workout to boost your energy during the day.

HIIT Workouts

You may be familiar with HIIT workouts by now. HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, has been popular for quite some time now because of its effects on workout capacity, fewer time requirements and its tremendous effect on losing weight. HIIT workouts focus on high bursts of energy in a short period of time. A study suggests that HIIT exercises can enhance blood pressure and metabolism. Below is an example of a HIIT stationary workout plan (Grace F et. al., 2018, Experimental Gerontology, vol. 109, pages 75-81).

  • Warm up at a moderate pace for five minutes.
  • Cycle at a low resistance level but high intensity for thirty seconds. Repeat this five times.
  • Pedal at moderate intensity for five minutes. Repeat five times.
  • End the exercise with a five-minute cooldown.

It is vital in HIIT exercises to keep your heart rate up for quick bursts of high intensity. Pay close attention to what your body is feeling, and make sure you take a rest if necessary.

Bottom Line of Exercise Bikes Benefits

Riding a stationary bike can provide you with loads of benefits, including convenience and accessibility, a stronger lower body, joint pain relief, weight loss and a variety of workouts.

Incorporating stationary bikes into your fitness routine can help you meet your fitness goals in the safety and convenience of your home, no matter the weather conditions.

Indoor cycling may be repetitive, which is why it is essential that you do some workout variations.

1. Is it okay to use an exercise bike every day?

Stationary bikes are okay to use daily as part of your physical fitness routine and are ideal for people with joint issues. However, it is very important that you have the right type of stationary bike if you want to use it every day.

2. Which is better, recumbent bikes or upright bikes?

Comparing recumbent bikes and upright bikes, a recumbent bike is generally recommended for older adults and people with mobility issues because this type of bike puts less strain on the joints. However, an upright bike is perfect for people who want to improve overall fitness and who want a more challenging cardio workout.

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