5 Key Benefits Of Using An Exercise Bike

As you can appreciate, there are a ton of different benefits of using an exercise bike. The number of different exercises you can do are practically endless and all from the comfort from your home or down at the gym if you wish.

An exercise bike isn’t just a static fitness machine, it’s actually much more than that. An exercise bike gives you a feeling of being free, provides happiness and joy and allows you to distress when you want to release that energy. 

The fact that it provides so many peripheral advantages means that using an exercise bike is more than just exercise. For most, it’s a complete way of life woven into the very fabric of their life.

This article will go through what we believe to be the 5 key benefits of using an exercise bike.

Aids Weight Loss

Did you know that exercise bikes are one of the most popular cardio machines both at the gym and at home? 

As I mentioned previously, they provide so many health benefits. Much more than you would have originally thought. One of the being aiding with weight loss.

It must be noted that to use an exercise bike effectively for weight loss, you also need to be on some form of calorie-controlled diet (see your Dr or physician before you do this). 

When used in combination with the right diet an exercise bike can be a powerful tool if weight loss is your goal.

With most of the machines sold today, you also have the ability to calculate just how many calories you are burning during and after your workout. This is great because it allows you to keep track and makes it easier to hit targets and smash goals.

Boosts Heart Health

We all want to be and remain healthy, don’t we? One of the best and easiest ways to do this is to maintain a healthy heart. 

Of course, what we eat is really important. However, a balanced exercise program would definitely help prevent heart disease and hopefully allow us to live that bit longer.

The best way to boost heart health is by prevention. Eat healthy food and exercise. It seems quite straight forward but the vast majority of people don’t always follow this logic.

An exercise bike is perfect for most cardio workouts since it allows you to increase your heart rate safely and also the muscles around your heart. 

As your body needs more oxygen it will pump your heart and muscles a lot harder so that it can increase blood flow to all of those important organs. In turn, this will boost your heart health dramatically.

Improves Your Strength

Did you know that cycling improves your stamina which in turn improves your strength? 

To be fair, going for a leisurely bike ride or taking it easy on your exercise bike really doesn’t do that much I’m afraid. So if you were hoping to simply jump on your bike and take it easy, unfortunately, this won’t do much for you.

The idea is to increase the intensity of your workout to the point that you are really working both your muscles and your heart. In fact, with most modern exercise bikes you purchase today, you have the ability to adjust the resistance either of the wheel or the mechanism. 

By doing this you can increase the resistance as you become fitter and stronger. This means you can exercise at your own rate without pushing yourself too far that you may cause an injury.

Improves Joint Mobility

Since cycling is considered low impact exercise it is perfect for improving the range of motion of your joints. Like swimming, cycling is the exercise of choice for those looking to recover from an injury. 

The fact that it exercises multiple muscle groups offers your body a metabolic boost and helps build muscle with very low impact.

The benefit of using a static bike is the fact that it requires zero skill other than getting on and cycling away. It’s a fantastic mix of muscle burning coupled with caloric expenditure. 

We briefly spoke about reducing stress earlier. Not only can cycling reduce the stresses in your mind, but it also reduces the stress in all of your muscles and joints too. This not only improves your posture, but it also promotes overall joint health.

Boosts Your Brain Function

There have been several studies that have confirmed that stationary cycling (using an exercise bike) helps improve overall cognitive function, your memory and attention span (1), (2), (3). Cycling helps you release all of the good hormones associated with exercise, especially with increased intensity. 

So, How Do You Choose The Best Exercise Bike For You

1. If you get the chance, try out the seat/saddle of several exercise bikes so you can find one that has a comfortable seat that allows you to adjust the height.

2. Take note of the weight of your bike (especially if you in a flat that doesn’t have a lot of space). Most people need to continuously move their exercise bikes around to gain exercise etc, so keep this in mind when you purchase your bike.

3. If you suffer from backache, then ensure your bike comes with a backrest. Just because a bike is more expensive doesn't always make it the most appropriate for you. Always buy for subjective reasons instead of price.

4. If the handlebars are adjustable that’s a bonus. It means you can adjust them depending on your personal preference. You can also adjust them depending on the type of exercise you are doing.

5. If you can adjust the resistance of your bike, this would be great. It means that as you start getting fitter and stronger you won’t need to purchase a new bike to keep up with your fitness levels.

Hopefully, this article will help if you are trying to choose which piece of exercise equipment you are about to buy. 

Thankfully, exercise bikes are quite competitively priced now and you really don’t need to break the bank to get hold of a decent one.