In a 2010 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that as many 72 million adult Americans could be considered overweight. One of the best ways to help prevent becoming part of this statistic, or to lose weight to no longer be a part of this statistic, is to exercise on a regular basis. When running on a treadmill or using a stationary bike gets boring, one thing you may be tempted to try is a group indoor cycle class. However, before trying the class it's important to understand the possible injuries that can occur if not done correctly.
Definition
Indoor group cycling is an intensive aerobic exercise that provides similar action to riding a stationary bicycle in the gym but instead is done on specially designed bikes. Classes can be found in centers across the United States as well as in many other countries, and consist of 30- to 50-minute sessions of indoor biking under the direction of an instructor, and typically to the beat of music. The aerobic intensity varies in the class depending on how fast you pedal and the overall resistance setting on the bike.
Benefits of Indoor Cycling
Indoor cycling provides an excellent cardiovascular workout as well as a strength training workout. Cardiovascular benefits occur as your heart rate increases during the exercise, while strength training benefits come from the resistance against the muscles as you change your resistance levels on the bike. Because indoor cycling is a cardiovascular workout, it also burns a significant amount of calories -- depending on your current weight, age, fitness levels, weight intensity level and gender -- which can contribute to overall weight loss.
Knee Injuries
In general, indoor biking can be better for preventing knee injuries due to the fact that during the majority of most sessions you are seated, which helps take tension off of the knee joint. Indoor bikes built for group classes also use a circular motion that removes the typical impact with the ground that would be seen while running on a treadmill. However, there are still ways to injure the knee while taking an indoor biking class. For example, overworking the knee joint by having too high of a resistance set on the bike, or going above and beyond your body's fitness level during times when you are standing on the bike or pedaling fast, can still contribute to injuries, such as to the anterior cruciate ligament or to the tendons attaching the surrounding muscles of the knee, such as the quadricep tendon.
Treatment
When dealing with a cycling-related knee injury, or any other type of knee injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that you treat the injury using the R.I.C.E method, or rest, ice, compression and elevation. This includes resting the knee by taking your weight off of the injured leg or using crutches to alleviate weight from the leg; icing the injury to help reduce swelling; compression with a bandage wrap; and lying down while elevating the leg above the level of your heart.
Prevention
In order to prevent knee injury while taking an indoor cycling class, properly warm up and stretch before increasing the intensity level of the workout on the bike. Loosen the tendons and ligaments, as well as the muscles around the knee, through stretching before getting on the bike. Start slow on the bike before getting too intense into the workout to give the knee and surrounding support time to warm up. Also, know your limits. Most instructors will tell you to go at your own pace. Although you may be tempted to keep up with your surrounding neighbors, keep a pace that gives you a workout while still keeping you safe from injury.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Obesity - Halting the Epidemic by Making Health Easier: At a Glance 2010
- IDEA Health and Fitness Association: Are You Ready For Indoor Cycling?
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Common Knee Injuries
- Arthroscopy.com: Knee Joint - Anatomy and Function
