See How Easily You Can Get Fit With an Exercise Bike
Exercise is important and having an exercise routine is key to becoming fit, but there are some people that would prefer not to go outside and run ten miles per day. Jumping on a bike and hitting the road is often more appealing, but either due to weather or because of time restrictions, this is not always a practical option. This is where exercise bikes can come in extremely handy!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Remember, before entering into any kind of exercise routine, it's important to have a health check-up so you can find out if there are any underlying conditions affecting your heart health. If you get the all-clear, it's time to jump on an exercise bike and start putting the work in! But with so many options, what exercise bike is best for you?
Maybe your back gives you grief, so you might want to look at recumbent bikes with good back support. Or maybe you want to emulate the feeling of riding on the road, in that case, an upright or spin bike would be better suited. And if you're after a full-body workout, fan bikes are definitely the way to go! Check out our full breakdown on what exercise bike is best for you for more in-depth information about the different types of exercise bikes.
Finally, something to consider is how to combat boredom, especially for some of the longer cardio sessions. One of the best things about exercise bikes is you can get fit in the comfort of your own home. Take full advantage of this by either setting up a book stand or maybe face the bike towards the TV and catch up on your favourite shows while you ride. There's also a growing range of smart bikes, with features designed to keep you motivated and/or engaged in a variety of ways. So if you're a person who struggles to push yourself, it's worth considering one of these products that offer online fitness classes! Staying engaged early on is important in establishing your fitness routine, and once your fitness is part of your daily schedule, you're well on your way to living your best fit and healthy lifestyle.
ON YOUR BIKE
The most popular exercise to perform on an exercise bike is a standard aerobic workout. Designed to increase your fitness level while helping you to burn fat, these straightforward workouts are perfect for people who want to keep things as simple as possible. If you maintain a 65% heart rate, 30 minutes of pedalling a day is often all you need to increase your fitness and burn fat, in addition to a 10 minute warm down. If that's a little intense for whatever reason, lower your heart rate and extend the workout time to 45-60 minutes and similar results can be achieved.
If you've built up your fitness and want something a little more 'spin'-tense (sorry, not sorry) you can give interval training a go! Akin to what you might see in a spin class, interval training burns more calories in less time by alternating between high-intensity bursts and low-intensity recovery pedalling. A good starting point is a 10-minute workout alternating between high and low intensity every two minutes beginning with high:
- 10 minute warm-up
- High-intensity for 2 minutes
- Low-intensity for 2 minutes
- High-intensity for 2 minutes
- Low-intensity for 2 minutes
- High-intensity for 2 minutes
- 5-10 minute cool-down
As your fitness improves, extend the interval times by 30-60 seconds at a time to make sure you're continually pushing yourself. As previously mentioned, there are fitness apps and smart bikes that offer variations on your standard interval training or even full-on spin classes you can follow at home.
Exercise bikes are also a great addition to circuit training workouts. Combined with some functional training equipment, dumbbells or some simple body-weight exercises, you can get a serious full-body workout at home!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT
Today, more than ever, exercise bikes are a great, easy way to get your cardio in. You can pedal away on a long ride while watching your favourite TV show or go hard and fast with a virtual fitness coach pushing you the whole time. If you are looking for a workout that is easy on your joints but will still give you great results, an exercise bike is a perfect choice. Plus, they are affordable and take up very little space in your home.