An exercise bike, or stationary bike, is one of the best cardio-machines for decades either at home or in the gym. Stationary biking offers a simple and massively effective workout for exercisers by providing a low-impact, high-intensity cardiovascular workout while building both strength and endurance. To get the actual benefit from an exercise bike, it’s imperative to know How to use an exercise bike effectively.
How to choose the right stationary bike
There are different types of stationary bikes found in the market.
- Traditional upright commercial bikes
- Recumbent bikes
- Spin bikes
- Street bikes for indoor use
To use and get the actual benefit from an exercise bike, you need to make sure it’s the right kind according to your fitness level, joint health, and workout goals. Then, getting the most from your workout, there is no difference in basic movement, it is always a pedal stroke, but the execution and position are different.
How to Use an Exercise Bike Effectively
The key for a comfortable and effective exercise bike workout is set-up. Follow these tips to ensure comfort while pedaling an Exercise Bike while avoiding injury, discomfort, or an unexpected accident.
01. Adjusting the Saddle
To adjust the bike saddle angle roughly in line with your hip, stand next to your bike so that it can support your full body weight and allow you to move around on the seat when necessary. When your saddle is at too much downward tilt, it can make you slide forward while riding and put extra pressure on your hands, arms, and knees, which can lead to injury as well as too much upward tilt, can result in pressure points.
02. Adjust the Seat Height
Wear biking shoes to adjust the seat height and place your feet on the pedals. When your front leg is completely extended on your upright exercise bike in the pedal, there should be a small bend – about 5 to 10 degrees in your knee. You should be able to pedal comfortably without having to point or flex your foot to reach full extension. The recumbent bike has the feature of adjusting the seat front and back, which ensures that the legs are almost fully extended, with a small bend in the knee.
03. Adjusting the Seat Fore & Aft Position
On an upright bike, you can also adjust the seat the fore & aft position (forward and backward). Ensure that when your knees on the pedals, are closely aligned with your ankles during pedaling.
04. Adjusting Handlebar Height correctly
You also have to adjust your handlebar height if it is too high, too low, too close, or too far away. A proper reach ensures it is comfortable and allows you to comfortably use all the places on the handlebars that you can reach and can comfortably bend your elbows while riding. Handlebar adjustment is especially essential for not having neck, shoulder, back, and hand pain.
05. Adjust the Foot Straps
Use exercise bike foot straps or pedal straps for comfortable and efficient pedaling, which holds your feet in place on the pedals. While cycling tightens them with your feet for more efficient and smooth both pull and push of a pedal stroke.
06. Adjust the resistance
Once you’re set-up, you can choose to do interval training, which controls your workout intensity, speed, and resistance manually. You can adjust the strength, hence simulating hills and inclines, and engaging your hamstrings glutes more so you can work very hard and rapidly lose weight.
Bottom line
Research proves that those who exercise longer can burn calories at faster rates by using exercise bikes. If you have an exercise bike or thinking of buying one, learn How to use an exercise bike effectively. Lots of exercise bikes these days have pre-programmed options that make for beginners easy-to-follow stationary bike workout. If you do your exercise bike workouts for a half-hour every day regularly, you’ll notice a considerable amount of changes in your fitness level and also burn a lot of calories and lose weight.
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