Riding a stationary bicycle is a safe, easy, convenient and effective way to lose weight and improve your fitness. Exercise experts such as Dr. Kenneth Cooper and authoritative medical sources such as the Merck Manual of Medical Information regard stationary bicycling as among the top three or four exercises for fitness and weight loss. Learning how long and how intensely to train on the stationary bicycle can maximize your chances of improving your physical condition.
Benefits
Stationary bicycling can provide you short- and long-term benefits. It was ranked as the best gym activity to lose weight by a July 2004 Harvard Heart Letter study of 20 activities. You will burn 932 calories in an hour if you bicycle vigorously and weigh 185 lbs. and 630 calories if you weigh 125 lbs. If you ride a stationary bike 30 minutes a day three days per week for several years, you will reduce your risk of death by 20 percent, according to Harvard Men's Health Watch's August 2009 issue.
Considerations
Stationary bicycling, walking and swimming are the three safest exercises, according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. "Bicycles are pedaled in a smooth circular motion that doesn't jolt the muscles," the Merck Manual says. In addition, you are at less risk of accidents because you don't encounter traffic and other outdoor road hazards, and you can train on a stationary bike while reading, studying or watching TV.
Preparation
You should warm up on a stationary bicycle before starting your vigorous stationary bike ride, according to Kenneth Cooper, who has written 18 exercise books. Warm-ups reduce your chances of injuries, muscle soreness, breathing problems and chest pains. Your warm-up routine should include riding your cycle at 17.5 to 20 mph for three minutes with no resistance.
Speed
Your stationary bike training should begin with thrice-weekly rides of six minutes at 15 mph with resistance if you're a 30- to 50-year-old man or woman, Cooper wrote. You should continue bicycling 15 mph with resistance for the next seven weeks, but your rides should last two minutes longer each week, and you should be biking five days weekly by the seventh week. You should increase your speed to 17.5 mph in Week 9, 20 mph in Week 11 and 25 mph in Week 14 while slightly increasing your cycle time.
Older Riders
Older people should consider using recumbent stationary bicycles because their contour chairs make them more comfortable and their toe clips reduce the odds of falls by holding both feet in place, according to the Merck Manual. Cooper recommends different bike training routines for riders older than 50. He recommends that they bicycle at slower speeds and shoot for an after-exercise pulse rate of 100 to 130 heartbeats per minute rather than 140 to 150 heartbeats per minute for younger riders.
Resistance
Cooper doesn't specify resistance levels in his recommendations because they are dependent on pulse rates. If your pulse is faster than the after-exercise targets, you should use a lower resistance the next time you cycle, he says. If your pulse is slower, you should increase the resistance. You should ride your bike leisurely during a three-minute cooldown before taking your pulse.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
- Harvard Men's Health Watch: Walking--Your Steps to Health
- "Merck Manual of Medical Information"; 1999
- "Start Strong, Finish Strong"; Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Tyler Cooper; 2008
- "Controlling Cholesterol"; Dr. Kenneth Cooper; 1989
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