People who have low back pain are advised to use exercise machines that have little impact on the body. If you fall into this category or simply do not want to endure the impact of running, a stationary, or exercise, bike is a good option. When it comes to toning your legs in addition to keeping your joints healthy, the bike might be just what you need. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Muscles Worked
Exercise bikes come in upright and recumbent styles. The main difference is that you are in a reclined position with a recumbent bike, with your leg out in front of your body. To operate either bike, you need to push the cranks around in a circular fashion for the duration of your workout, as you would cycling on the road. This causes hip flexion and extension, knee flexion and extension, plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. Simply put, you bend at the knees, hips and ankles throughout your workout. This causes you to work your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, adductors, abductors and anterior tibialis. With this being the case, an exercise bike does in fact tone the legs.
Fat Burning
Aside from the fact that the bike works your muscles, it is also a cardiovascular machine. When you do cardio, your heart rate elevates and you burn calories. This in turn reduces fat in your legs and throughout the rest of your body. Burning fat in your legs will make your muscles look more toned.
Resistance Adjustment
When you ride an exercise bike with minimal resistance, your legs get worked, but only to a certain degree. All forms of bikes come equipped with a resistance adjustment. By turning this up, you increase the workload on your legs and produce faster results. If you use an upright-style bike, you can make the resistance so intense that you have to stand up to pedal. This is a simulation of pedaling up a hill on a conventional road bike. Even a small amount of added muscle will boost your resting metabolic rate and promote leaner legs. A single pound of added muscle for example, can burn 30 or more calories a day, the University of Michigan Health System notes.
Interval Training
Interval training is an exercise method that involves alternating bouts of high and low intensity. By doing this through a whole workout, you burn a greater number of calories than steady-pace training. This will help you tone your legs faster. You have the option of simply pedaling at a slower and faster pace, or alternating between light and heavy resistance. Indoor cycling classes involve continuous interval training for 60 to 90 minutes.
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