An indoor exercise bike provides convenience. If you live in a small home, it may sit in your bedroom. However, exercise outside offers scenic views, variety in addition to fat burning. Some urban areas in Europe include publicly-funded outdoor gyms, and some parks in the United States include workout stations that allow you to enjoy nature while working out.
Benefits of Outdoor Exercise
Moving your cycling workout outdoors could motivate you to exercise more, according to a study published in the February 2011 issue of "Environmental Science and Technology." Michael Depledge and colleagues at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry studied 833 adults to compare the benefits of indoor and outdoor exercise. Persons who exercised outdoors reported feeling revitalized and enjoying increased energy levels more often than people who confined their workouts to the home or gym. Outdoor exercisers also reported lower levels of depression, anger and tension and expressed greater interest in repeating the activity.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Exercise
Working out indoors offers some practical advantages because you needn't worry about the weather. You may also prefer a gym to outdoor exercise because of the monitors on the exercise bikes and other equipment that measure your heart rate and the number of calories you've burned. Mirrors in the gym allow you to monitor your form. If you live in a temperate climate, you could move your exercise bike outside when the weather permits. If you set up your own outdoor gym, make weather-savvy choices in equipment, such as materials resistant to rust and equipment without electrical components.
Types of Bikes
Mountain bikes, designed with wide handlebars and pavement-gripping tires for greater control on hilly terrain, are generally sturdier than road bikes. Road bikes are built more for speed than endurance. Mountain bikes provide greater front suspension, but you can find this in some hybrid bikes as well. If you suffer from back problems or a medical condition that makes balancing difficult, you might want to opt for a recumbent bike. Recumbent bikes offer a back rest that lets you recline while riding and a wider seat than most regular upright bikes.
Benefits
The benefits of cycling includes losing weight, toning your muscles and building stamina. If you cycle outdoors, you can enjoy nature or city life while performing exercise kinder on your joints than running or jogging. You can become a competitive cyclist, use your bike for transportation to school or work or test your adventurous side with off-road biking. You might make outdoor cycling part of your vacation. If you travel by air and don't want to pay to store your bicycle on the plane, you can rent a bicycle at your destination.
References
- "Independent"; Outdoor Exercise: Let's Go; Rebecca Armonstrong; Feb. 26, 2008
- Exercise Bike and Fitness Bikes: Outdoor Exercise Bikes: Guide to Best Outdoor Exercise Bikes
- Trek Bikes: Mountain Hardtail
- American Fitness: Benefits of Recumbent Exercise Bikes
- Bicycle Man: SUN Recumbent Bikes
- Bicycle Man: RANS Recumbent Bikes
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