Training With A Stationary Bike

• August 30th, 2024 Cycling, Fitness

Cycling indoors without going anywhere can be surprisingly good fun. Training with a stationary bike brings many benefits that help you reach your fitness goals in a safe and controlled environment. Let’s get into the advantages of training with a stationary bike and why you should incorporate it into your workout routine.

8 Benefits Of Training With A Stationary Bike

1. It Improves Your Endurance

Training with a stationary bike is one of the best ways to boost cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Putting in the time on a stationary bike gives you more stamina with a reduced injury risk. 

No matter who you are or what your level of fitness is, we all want to be able to exercise for longer before getting tired. Even if you’re starting out in your fitness journey, it’s a good idea to incorporate training with a stationary bike into your workouts.

Riding a stationary bike requires consistent movement and muscle engagement, which increases your endurance. Endurance is essential in all aspects of life, whether trying to keep up with your kids, experiencing a hard day at work, or wanting to make the most of your time.

2. Training With A Stationary Bike Is Great For Cardio

A stationary bike is one of the best cardio machines in any gym. Whether it is a recumbent bike, a regular exercise bike, a spinning bike or a Watt bike, a good pedalling session will improve your cardiovascular health.

Good cardiovascular health positively impacts blood flow, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Regular cardio workouts allow your body to quickly pull the oxygen from your blood to help you exercise. In addition to this, a healthy heart means you can handle stress well and recover from exercise much more quickly.

Let’s not forget to mention that cardio helps prevent heart disease. Studies reveal that people who ride bikes have lower rates of heart disease.

3. Training With A Stationary Bike Is Low-Impact Exercise

The consistent pavement pounding of running is an excellent example of high-impact exercise. On the other hand, the nature of pedalling a stationary bike provides low-impact exercise which is kinder on your joints. Older individuals and those with osteoarthritis should prioritise low-impact exercise for reduced stiffness, pain, and swelling in their joints.

4. Improves Lower Body Strength

Riding a stationary bike regularly gives your legs a great workout. You’ll soon start to see improvements in the strength of your hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, and glutes.

The increase in strength comes from the constant pushing (and pulling if you’re clipped in) with your legs. On top of this, your core engages, which also causes it to strengthen over time. When you have strong lower body muscles, everyday activities become easier, and your performance improves.

5. Training With A Stationary Bike Is Safe And Comfortable

Depending on where you ride, riding a bike outside can be pretty dangerous. You have to contend with traffic, obstacles, and other hazards, but this isn’t the case when training with a stationary bike.

Another advantage of riding indoors is that you don’t have to worry about weather conditions. Riding in wet weather, cold, or extreme heat can be unpleasant. Riding a stationary bike in a controlled environment is much more comfortable.

6. Training With A Stationary Bike Is An Excellent Way To Burn Calories

When it comes to losing weight, you need to combine exercise with a good diet. One of the best ways to burn calories in the gym is on a stationary bike. The harder you pedal, the more calories you burn, as your body uses more energy, which burns fat.

A great example of this is spinning. During an hour-long session, you can burn up to 800 calories. This is because spinning classes often use a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) format. HIIT intersperses intense pedalling with lower-intensity recovery periods, which is one of the best ways to burn calories in a short space of time.

You don’t have to go to a spinning class for a HIIT workout, as it’s easy to replicate in the gym. Here’s how it works:

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Get your muscles ready with a light pedal at a moderate pace. Loosen up and prep for the intensity ahead.

Sprint Intervals (20 seconds)

Go all out, max effort, for 20 seconds. Feel the burn!

Active Recovery (40 seconds)

Catch your breath, but keep moving. Pedal at a relaxed pace to recover your energy.

Repeat Sprint Intervals and Active Recovery (8 rounds)

Alternate between 20-second sprints and 40-second recovery periods. Push hard, then take it easy.

Cool Down (5 minutes)

Gradually slow your pace, letting your heart rate return to normal, and don’t forget to stretch.

Key Points:

• Intensity: Go hard during sprints; push your limits!
• Recovery: Take those 40 seconds to catch your breath and prep for the next sprint.
• Consistency: Aim for 3-4 sessions per week for best results.

If you’re unsure if you’re doing this correctly, contact us for expert help.

7. Stationary Bikes Improve Mental Health

Pedalling a stationary bike is a great way to reduce stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel good. Combined with your favourite playlist, a film, or a podcast, training with a stationary bike is a great stress buster. You can also take it up a notch by adding social interaction into the mix and attending a spinning class.

8. Suitable For All Fitness Levels

One of the great things about training with a stationary bike is that you can do it no matter your fitness level. Depending on your goals and fitness, you can ride at a suitable intensity. This means stationary bikes are also great for injury rehabilitation.

Final Thoughts On Training With A Stationary Bike

As you can see, training with a stationary bike is great exercise for most people. You can tailor your workouts to suit your fitness level and goals without having to brave the wind and rain. Also, as the conditions are consistent, you can keep tabs on your progress easily.

Contact us if you want to learn more about training with a stationary bike or becoming a fitter. Our health and fitness experts are on hand to give you the very best advice for taking your fitness to the next level.