Whether you just added one of best exercise bikes at home or if you’re starting a new workout routine, get ready to reap the rewards. Exercise bikes are popular home gym equipment – they don’t need constant replacement, and even if you opt for models like the peloton bike or the Peloton Plus Bike, the monthly membership is cheaper than most gym memberships. Plus, you can even pedal while watching TV. But what are the benefits of regular cycling, and are exercise bikes good for weight loss?
For those looking to lose weight, you should aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity at least five days a week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity three days a week. If you’re looking to build muscle, you should stick to about three days of HIIT per week, but focus on shorter, even more intense sessions.
Cycling will help work specific muscles and can benefit many parts of your body and your health system. But, there are also things to watch out for. We spoke with physiotherapist Anthony Marito about Choose PT 1st (opens in a new tab)to find out exactly what 30 minutes on an exercise bike does to your body.
What muscles do you work on an exercise bike?
“When it comes to exercise cycling, the main muscle groups you work include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes,” says Maritato.
The quadriceps are the four main muscles located at the front of the upper leg. This group includes the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedia, and vastus medialis.
The hamstrings are the muscles located behind the upper leg and include the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris muscles.
The glutes are the core muscle group of the hip. This is often called the buttock and includes the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
When you pedal with the right form, you can also work your abs. More, a recent study (opens in a new tab) found that “stationary cycling exercise relieves pain and improves athletic function in people with knee osteoarthritis,” so it might even be a safer choice than other forms of cardio for those with osteoarthritis. knee pain.
Is an exercise bike good for losing weight?
Maritato explains that weight loss can be achieved in many ways, from reducing calorie intake to increasing calorie expenditure and many variations in between.
A common recipe for weight loss is to burn 250 more calories per day while consuming 250 fewer calories per day to create a 500 calorie deficit per day. After seven days, that equates to 3,500 calories, which equates to about 1 lb of fat loss per week.
Riding a stationary bike is a wonderful way to lose weight for several reasons:
- It is a non-impact form of cardiovascular exercise that can be done indoors.
- It is easy to adjust exercise intensity and exercise duration for each exercise session
- It’s reasonably affordable
- Exercise bikes come in a variety of models and sizes allowing exercise with different body types to easily adjust the exercise bike to fit your body.
Here is more about how to lose weight with an exercise bike.
What can 30 minutes on an exercise bike do to your body?
There are a number of different benefits to regularly jumping on a stationary bike, including:
Reduce chronic low back pain: Continuous low-intensity exercise, such as riding an exercise bike, can reduce chronic low back pain. Studies (opens in a new tab)It has been found that riding an exercise bike for 30 minutes can improve the cardiovascular system, desensitize limb structures, increase circulation and reduce stiffness.
Improved mood and brain functionAlthough we don’t fully understand the exact mechanism of how regular exercise improves mood and cognition, there is a growing body of evidence to support this hypothesis. Several studies suggest (opens in a new tab) this exercise can have a beneficial effect on hormonal regulation. Other studies look at how exercise can help a person feel healthier, stronger, and more empowered.
Improve sleep: In a 2012 study (opens in a new tab)Sleep data from a total of 305 participants was analyzed, and research has suggested that participation in a physical training program has moderately positive effects on sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults.
Who should avoid riding an exercise bike?
The most common injuries sustained while using an exercise bike are either overuse injuries such as tendonitis or bursitis, or mechanical injuries related to improper fit of the bike to the rider.
Tendinitis and bursitis are acute inflammatory conditions in which the tendon or bursa becomes inflamed. This can happen when you increase intensity or duration too quickly, or when an athlete neglects recovery time between workouts.
It is often difficult to know how much is too much, but A rule of thumb is to look for signs of acute inflammation and overtraining (opens in a new tab). These signs may include pain on palpation, decreased range of motion, increased stiffness, and decreased performance.
Common causes of injury on an exercise bike are:
- Low back pain attributed to seat being too close to pedals and lumbar spine experiencing too much lumbar flexion
- Knee pain attributed to sitting too low and excessive bending of the knee
- Neck and shoulder pain attributed to too much strain on the upper body
- Wrist pain attributed to ill-fitting handlebars
If you’re adding an exercise bike to your home, it’s a good idea to invest in a pair of best indoor cycling shoes. It is also important to emphasize that the best exercise is the one that is right for you and your body. If you don’t like to ride a bike, there are other forms of cardio that might work better for you. Take a look at our treadmill vs exercise bike face here.
Looking for more inspiration? Read what happened when a TG staff member left do not train for a month on a Peloton.
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