Follow a few tips to make your first indoor cycling experience positive. Don’t wear running shorts or thick sweat pants. Instead, splurge for some padded bike shorts like outside cyclists wear to reduce the possibility of discomfort and chaffing. Bring a full water bottle to your cycling workout whether it is at home or the gym. Adjust your seat properly, listen when your body tells you it’s tired and reduce your speed and the bike's resistance level when you need to.
Proper Seat Adjustment
Adjust your seat to the proper height to optimize your workout and reduce the chance of injury. If the seat is too low you can’t get full leg extension which makes you tired faster. Placing the seat too high causes strain to reach the pedals and can result in injury. Set the seat so your upstroke does not go above your waist and during the downstroke your knee is about 85 percent straight.
Indoor Cycling Class Too Intense for Beginners
Some beginners feel pressure to keep up with others in the class who perform at a higher fitness level. This makes the workout too intense for an indoor cycling novice without proper modifications, according to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise and conducted at California State University, Northridge. In the study, each of seven participants cycled for 30 minutes using a standardized indoor cycling workout which produced a heart rate between 75 and 96 percent of the maximum heart rate predicted by age. The American Heart Association recommends staying within 50 to 85 percent.
Good Instructor
Beginners should look for a good indoor cycling instructor for indoor group cycle classes. An effective instructor offers an adequate amount of pre-class instruction about how to use the equipment properly. She should also provide directions on how to monitor the intensity of your workout to avoid taking your target heart rate too high and provide modifications for both beginner and advanced participants.
Integrate Cycling with Entertainment
A beginner can get started with indoor cycling at home by integrating this new fitness activity into her current daily routine. Rather than looking for extra time in your schedule to cycle, plant your stationary bike in front of the television and exercise while you watch your favorite shows. Beginners may not be able to cycle through a 30-minute television show at first and need to build stamina over time. At first you can cycle until you're tired and add a few minutes to your exercise time each week until you can exercise for the prescribed duration. Or try interval training and cycle leisurley during your show and fast during commercials.
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