For children, the American Heart Association recommends 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and adults should exercise at a moderately-intense level for 30 minutes five days a week, or at an aerobic intensity for 20 minutes three times a week. Regular use of an exercise bike helps you train at different levels to achieve different health benefits.
Improved Heart Health
You can use a stationary bike to start an exercise program, continue a regular plan of aerobic conditioning or conduct more advanced interval training. Each level of work benefits your cardiovascular system. Starting out with regular, moderately-intense work on a bike helps you build stamina. Exercising at a higher intensity for 15 minutes or longer creates an aerobic workout, which helps maintain heart health. Sprint training, done in high-intensity bouts of 30 to 90 seconds with longer rest periods, helps train your body's cardiovascular recovery system for improved sports performance. You can only maintain these benefits with regular exercise, which a stationary bike helps you do.
Weight Loss
In order to lose a pound a week, you'll need to burn 500 calories more than you take in each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While diet can help you decrease your calorie intake, you'll probably need to add exercise to any weight-loss plan. An exercise bike allows you to burn calories efficiently by letting you work at a level of intensity that matches your physical condition. If you are new to exercise, you can increase your calorie burning as you improve your stamina.
Fewer Training Injuries
A stationary bike provides a non-impact workout, meaning that both feet stay on the ground during exercise. Low-impact or high-impact exercise put stress on joints, bones and muscle, which can cause repetitive stress injuries. Recumbent exercise bikes allow you to recline in a seated position while you exercise, decreasing the stress on your bike. Because you are in a controlled environment on a stationary bike and not reliant on your balance to keep the bike steady to avoid obstacles or traffic, you greatly reduce the risk of falls or crashes.
Reduced Health Risks
Regular exercise helps reduce the risks of diseases and conditions such as stroke, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Improvements in cardiovascular fitness, decreases in weight and improving levels of low- and high-density lipids in the blood all help combat health risks.
Member Comments