Indoor cycling is a fitness sensation that cycled its way into American gyms in the early 1990s. This aerobic workout, which consists of riding a stationary exercise bike set to music, provides a cardio workout in which participants can burn up to 500 calories in an average 45-minute class. Indoor cycling is an excellent workout with many different components.
Exercise Benefits
Indoor cycling works out your lower body and raises your heart rate. It tones your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, hips and abdominal muscles as well as the inner and outer thighs. It also promotes weight loss, increases energy levels and bone density and provides a strong heart and lungs, and it’s gentle on the joints.
Bikes
A good indoor cycling bike offers a smooth ride and is made of strong steel to withstand tough workouts. These cycles are similar to a road bike and have adjustable seats and handlebars, allowing you to adjust the bike to your comfort level, a weighted flywheel, which is a weighted wheel propelled by the pedals that also simulates riding a road bike, and a self-controlled resistance system that mimics climbing hills.
Exercises
An indoor cycling class typically involves five exercises: Seated Flat, Standing Flat, Seated Climb, Standing Climb and Jumps. In the Seated Flat exercise, you’re seated with a light resistance. In the Standing Flat, you’re standing out of the seat and running. The Seated Climb simulates climbing a hill in the seat. In the Standing Climb, you’re climbing a hill while you're out of the seat. In Jumps, you’re repeatedly transitioning from a seated position to a standing one.
Technique
To avoid injury in an indoor cycling class, pedal in a circular motion, take deep breaths from the abdomen throughout the workout and inhale and then exhale through the mouth. Contract your abs, avoid hunching, avoid bouncing and keep your shoulders and upper body relaxed.
Advantages
Indoor cycling is designed to mimic riding on a road bike. It allows avid cyclists to train year-round without having to worry about inclement or severe weather. Indoor cycling has been proven to ease symptoms of depression, provide relief from stress and anxiety and allow for an improved ability to visualize and focus on a goal, according to fitmoves.com.
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