Exercise Cycle – Health Benefits of Cycling Everyday

An exercise cycle is one of the best ways to make your lower body stronger. When you are too lazy to go to the gym, but want a good workout for your body, exercise cycle is a good option. Every gym is sure to have an exercise cycle. It is a stationary cycle and has a saddle, peddles, handbars, a monitor to record your heart rate and the work done, and many other features.

Amazing Benefits of Exercise Cycle:

Better health:

In addition to helping you lose weight, cycling is also good for your overall health. A cyclist suffers 15% less illness and lives 2 years more than non-bikers. It is also good for the health of your cardiovascular system.

Climate friendly:

The climate is never the same. Sometimes it is too hot while on other times it is too cold. It can also rain heavily during the rainy seasons. Then it is very difficult to go out for a workout. It looks as if there is no way to exercise your body. But indoor cycles help you do your cardio workouts no matter what the climate is. You will be able to work out every day without any problem.

Easy and convenient:

Cycling can be done by the beginners, intermediate as well the advanced people. So, it is meant for all levels of exercisers. It also provides you the option for changing your resistance, slip and pace. You can adjust them according to your convenience. Stationary bikes are very convenient as it allows you to multitask while using it. You can brush, watch TV, read or engage in many other such activities when you cycle. So, very busy people benefit a pt from it.

Great cardio option:

It is said that performing the same motion repeatedly can make your body immune to that activity. So, you need variety. If you are running every day for cardio workout, you may not be burning as many calories as you used to in the beginning. So, you can include cycling as a change. It is a great cardio option. It will give you all the benefits of cardiovascular exercise as any other cardio workouts. This way you will be able to train and strengthen your heart and your respiratory system, without overburdening it.

Improved joint mobility:

Cycling can improve the mobility of your joints.  It is very effective for the knee, ankle and hip joints. When you paddle, all these joints are rotated. This way their range of motion is improved and they become stronger.

Killer lower body:

The lower body of a cyclist is well toned and shapely, much to the envy of others. With repeated cycling, a good exercise is provided to your quads, calves and glutes. Cycling provides a good workout for all the muscles of your lower body, like the inner and outer thighs, hamstrings, calves, shins and the glutes.

Low-risk exercise:

Cycle exercise is a low-risk and low-impact exercise. With other cardio exercises like running, skipping and so on, there is the risk of injuring you knees as these activities shock and jerk the knee and ankle joints. But with cycling, very less impact is created on your knees and other joints. Studies show that cycling strengthens your joints instead of harming them.

Mood lifter:

Many say that stationary bike is a mood lifter. It helps in improving your mood and boosts your energy levels. It is also a good stress buster. This way you can say that it improves your physical health as well as your mental health.

Strength training:

Cycling is mostly targeted on your lower body. This cycle has options for increasing and decreasing your resistance. This way, your lower body gets very effective strength training. When the cycling motion is done repeatedly for a period of time, it helps in burning the fat as well as exerts your muscles. The constant expansion and contraction of the muscles provides isotonic exercise. It makes the muscles of your lower body stronger and also trains the core.

Weight loss:

Exercise cycle is very beneficial for people who want to lose weight. This is because it burns a lot of calories as it is a good cardio exercise and also a good strength training option. According to womenshealthmag.com, a woman who weights 135 pound can lose as much as 500 calories by cycling for an hour. Cycling regularly for 20 minutes a day can help you maintain your weight.

Good Cycling Workout Tips:

Handlebars:

According to the opinion of the professionals, the cycle you buy should have a handlebar. It should be at a height higher than your seat. It should also be at a forearm’s distance from your body. Using handlebars help in engaging your upper body.

Have variations:

Bring variety on your workout. If you are pedalling at the same pace for 1 hour, then change the pace, so that more calories are burnt. Cycling has options like hill, descent, resistance variation, flat road and so on.

Music:

Music can enhance your workout. We have a tendency to move with the beats. So, select songs according to their beats and bring variation in your workout. So, when the beats are fast, you will peddle fast, and when it is slow, you will peddle slower.

Position:

Get a professional to fix your seat. If you adjust it yourself, make sure that the seat should be positioned in such a way that your legs are bent only slightly when you cycle. This way, less pressure is put on your knee joints and you will also have a better control.

Positioning your body:

Do not lean too much forward when you cycle. Lean only a little and keep your core tight as you cycle.

Resistance:

Resistance is as much important as the speed in your cycling workout. While speed provides you cardio benefits, resistance is essential for strength training. You will work your muscles well only if you use enough resistance. So, use resistance even if it may slow down your pace.

Saddle:

The saddle you choose should be comfortable and should not hurt your butt while you workout.