The exercise bicycle is a standard item of exercise equipment in every fitness center and in many homes. The exercise bike can give you a good workout, using almost all muscles and burning almost as many calories as jogging. But it depends on the user. The intensity of the workout and its length will determine how effective it is. Casual pedaling for 20 minutes is one thing; doing an hour's intense indoor cycling is something else.
Easy on the Back
Exercise bicycles are good for people with knee or back problems, because they do not strain those joints but work the thigh and calf muscles. They also work lower back and arm muscles when doing sprint intervals. Some exercise bikes offer movable handlebars that can be worked while pedaling, to increase upper-body training. The more you move, the better the workout.
Two Types of Bike
There are two styles of exercise bike: upright and recumbent. Upright is more like a conventional bicycle; recumbent has a bucket seat with pedals in front of the rider. Either style can produce an effective workout with sufficient intensity. The recumbent is easier on backs, but may induce a somewhat slower pace without concentration by the rider.
Vary Resistance
Most exercise bikes have variable resistance, to make pedaling harder and simulate riding up hills. Pedaling with more resistance obviously will increase the intensity of the workout. Some newer bikes, especially in fitness centers, offer television screens that can display simulated road conditions, so a rider can experience the challenge of going up a hill or sprinting past another rider. This can make a workout more challenging and less boring.
Indoor Cycling
Indoor cycle bikes are the ultimate exercise bicycle workout. These classes are usually done in groups, with a trainer. They alternate slow and fast, intense and coasting, sitting and standing to produce maximum effort for all muscles. Typically a trainer will issue commands like "stand" or "sprint" with no one activity lasting more than a few minutes, and alternating between easy and very hard. An hour of indoor cycling is almost equal to an hour of running at an 8-minute-per-mile pace. A determined exerciser can cycle at home on his own.
Intensity and Length
The effectiveness of an exercise-bicycle workout varies with its intensity and length. Short, intense workouts with fast pedaling boost the heart rate and provide more aerobic benefit. Longer, less-intense workouts increase stamina and work other muscles more. Health experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, and exercise bicycling fulfills this recommendation.
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