Riding Stationary Cycle
Low Impact Lower-Body Workout
A stationary bicycle is a type of indoor
exercise bike. It requires little or no skill, provides a low-impact,
medium/high intensity cardio workout and strengthens a number of muscle
groups, especially in the thighs and lower-body. Due to their calorie-burning
benefits, stationary cycle workouts are very useful for any weight loss
exercise program. There is no impact from the upper body weight, so you
can strengthen your butt and thigh muscles without putting stress on your
knee or ankle joints.
Types of Stationary Bike
Traditional upright bikes that you see in
most gyms are not really designed for overweight people because the seats
aren’t wide enough. They can be uncomfortable and bad for the lower
back. Recumbent bikes, which have a bucket shaped seat that supports the
back, or semi-recumbent bikes, which are half way between upright and
laid back are better alternatives. Or, you might try dual-action bikes.
Typically a recumbent machine, a dual action bike has moveable handlebars
so you can work your upper body for better cardiovascular and calorie-burning
benefits.
How Many Calories Does Stationary Bike Burn?
30 minutes on a gym bike burns 130-330 calories.
[This is based on a 150-pound woman. If you weigh more, you’ll burn
extra calories; if you weigh less, you’ll burn fewer calories.]
How Does Stationary Cycling Help Weight
Loss?
Cycling is a form of cardio-aerobic training.
Which means you exercise and make your heart work pump increased amounts
of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. This helps you to burn fat. Furthermore,
by increasing resistance levels, or using a dual-action bike, you can
turn your stationary bicycling routine into a relatively high-intensity
cardiovascular workout and burn more calories for even greater weight
loss.
How Often Should I Cycle For Optimum Weight
Loss?
Beginner
Use different intensities. 5 minutes low-intensity cycling, 30 seconds
higher-intensity. Do this 4 times.
Medium
Ride 10 minutes at high intensity, then 2 minutes at low-intensity. Then
do 8 minutes at a higher level of intensity than the first 10 minutes,
then 2 minutes at low-intensity. Each increasingly harder interval should
be 2 minutes shorter than the one before, but keep on increasing the intensity.
This should take 40 minutes. Finish with some slow pedaling to cool down.
Advanced
To test maximum capacity, plan on riding for a certain period of time
– say 40 minutes - and use progressively higher resistance throughout
the ride. Increase the resistance every 3 or 4 minutes. When you are halfway
through the session, decrease the resistance at regular intervals over
the same amount of time.
Advice About Stationary Bicycling
You should sit up straight on the bike, even
when pedaling at full speed. If you need to hunch over to reach the handlebars,
then the bike isn’t the right size for you. Adjust the seat to the
correct position. If your bike has an electronic-display program, you
can stick to the pre-designed program. But alternatively you can design
your own program by focusing on resistance (intensity), heart rate, speed,
duration or cadence (the rhythm at which you pedal).
Stationary Cycling
Develop Muscles
- Raise Metabolism
Burn Body Fat
- Lose Weight
- How to Get Flat
Stomach - Lose
Fat.
Back to Advice
About Exercise and Fitness Programs
Calorie Intake
For information about the calorie content
of popular food and drinks, please visit: Calories
in Food
Back to Top
|
