An exercise bike, also called a stationary bicycle, represents a way to improve your overall fitness with aerobic exercise. The bikes enhance your heart strength and burn calories, which can lead to weight loss and a lower obesity risk. While health experts like MayoClinic.com generally recommend bike riding or other aerobic workouts on most days of the week, your doctor's insight is necessary before starting any exercise plan.
Improved Health
Riding an exercise bike is aerobic, which means the continuous pedaling deepens your breathing and boosts your heartbeat. Biking and other aerobic exercise methods like tennis or swimming are ideal for improving your cardiac health, since you'll be less likely to suffer heart disease, high blood pressure and clogged arteries. Exercise bikes also help manage your weight, since you'll burn a lot of calories quickly. Adding an exercise bike to your weekly schedule gives you a better chance to avoid depression, diabetes and cancer.
Frequent Rides
Consistency is the key to gaining the health benefits of rides on your exercise bike, although daily pedaling may not be necessary. The Department of Health and Human Services suggests aerobic workouts for a total of 150 minutes weekly at a moderate pace or only 75 minutes weekly at a vigorous speed. While you'll achieve the same benefits from shorter sessions on most days of the week as you will by riding your exercise bike longer on fewer days, any workout should be at least 10 continuous minutes.
Daily Workouts & Your Health Condition
Schedule a meeting to speak with your doctor before planning any daily exercise regimen, especially if riding an exercise bike was suggested based on a health limitation. Doctors often endorse bike riding to patients who carry excessive amounts of fat as well as to those who suffer osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The stationary pedaling alleviates pressure on the weight-bearing joints in your lower body and allows exercise without the severe discomfort that can come from jogging or other activities. Your doctor may determine that the severity of your condition requires starting your exercise with three daily rides of five minutes until your endurance allows a longer workout.
Balanced Fitness
While pedaling an exercise bike is a proven aerobic method for better health, the Cleveland Clinic reports that a balanced exercise program should also include strength training, as well as regular stretching. Strength training twice weekly with weights adds tone and strength, along with increased energy. Stretching before and after regular exercise benefits your body by improving flexibility, minimizing soreness and lowering your risk for injury.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Well-Balance Exercise Program
- Cleveland Clinic: What Is The Best Type of Aerobic Exercise?
- MayoClinic.com; Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons To Get Physical; February 2011
- Arthritis Today.org: Benefits of Stationary Cycling
- President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Exercise and Weight Control
- MayoClinic.com; Aerobic Exercise: What's The Best Frequency For Workouts?; October 2010
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