Best Rated Home Exercise Bikes Saves Money On Gym Memberships!
1) How Long Should I Ride To Lose Weight?
2) How Much Can I Lose Cycling 1 Hour A Day?
3) Exercise Bike Benefits.
4) Exercise Bike Features.
5) Avoid Exercise Bike Knee Injuries.
Introduction
Best rated home exercise bikes takes exercising in the home to the next level. It saves you the time and money of expensive gym memberships. Exercising on a regular basis is becoming more and more popular today. With your own home exercise bike, you can save on those yearly gym memberships and exercise whenever you want. The cost of most exercise bikes now cost less than a year’s gym membership. So, you can do all your exercising in the comfort of your own home.
You can set your own pace by setting up a routine and workout sessions that you can do in the comfort of your own home. You set the day, time and amount of distance you want to travel when you are exercising on your bike.
Most models will monitor your heart rate, distance traveled, speed, and the number of calories burned during each workout session. These bikes have adjustable padded seat positions and handle bars to make your ride more comfortable. Some models have some form of resistance levels on the flywheel to make your workout even more challenging. They even have places for your iPhone or iPad and hold your water bottle. All bikes do have a weight limit for the maximum they can carry.
Each family member can use the exercise bike at their own pace and workout schedule.
It’s highly recommended that before you begin using your exercise bike that you develop a schedule and goals to attain. This includes establishing the day or days of the week to exercise, amount of time on the bike, number of miles to travel, and the number of calories you want to burn during your workout.
After the workout is finished, some models are equipped with rolling ends to move the bike to a storage closet or fit under the bed because they fold in half.
How Long Should I Ride To Lose Weight?
Most individuals want an answer to this question. To lose weight according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) says you’ll need to cycle at a moderately intense level for at least 30 minutes at a time. Which means your workout session should last 30 minutes to be effective. If you want to burn even more calories, you should cycle for a longer period. ACE suggests that incorporating two activities into one cross-training session to boost weight loss.
For the best results, you should exercise 5 days a week for 30 minutes for each workout session.
To lose one pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. Of course, eating less calories each day will also help you lose weight. Before you begin to diet and exercise, you need to talk with your doctor to ensure this will not cause you any health issues. Or, if you have some underlying health conditions which prevents you from exercising or eating less calories.
How Much Can I Lose Cycling 1 Hour A Day?
If you should set out your routine workout to cycle 1 hour each day, you can expect to lose some weight. For example, a 180 pound individual cycling for an hour at a moderate intensity burns about 650 calories (650 x 6 = 3,900). If you should ride six days a week for a whole year, you would burn about 202,800 (3,900 x 52 = 202,800) calories. A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. So, you would burn about 58 pounds of body fat (202,800 ÷ 3,500 = 57.94). You can adjust this by insterting your calories being burned daily. This will give you how may calories you will burn in one year.
With the proper diet, you can maintain your existing weight or lose weight to a level which is good for your body. You need to determine your daily caloric intake. Once you know that, you can determine to maintain or lose weight using the exercise bike.
Exercise Bike Benefits
Now, let’s look at some of the benefits of exercise bikes.
- Weight Loss. Exercise bike riding is a great way to shed some excess calories. A 30 minute workout can burn between 200-300 calories (depending upon the individual’s weight).
- By pedaling on the bike it helps tone up the legs. It means your quads, glutes, and calves are working hard to propel the flywheel.
- Muscle Strengthening. Stationary bikes work tirelessly to strengthen the major muscle groups that support the back, leg, thigh, and hamstring muscles. There are 2 different strokes that are used on an exercise bike: the push and the pull. Pushing down on the pedals is a great way to strengthen the quads, while pulling up is a great way to strengthen the hamstrings.
- Ease On The Joints. An exercise bike is an exceptional way to get your heart rate up without putting excess stress on those precious joints. In fact, a bike puts even less stress on the back, hips, knees and ankles than walking. Proper form on the bike means your knee should bend just slightly on the down pedal stroke.
- Exercise whenever you like. You can exercise in the bedroom, den, patio, office or basement. You can work out before breakfast or during a break at work and especially if you work at home.
- A cardio exercise works to lower high blood pressure, regular blood sugar, and help prevent heart attacks. It also works to increase the good cholesterol and lower the bad in the body.
- Energy-Boosting. Riding an exercise bike improves the energy levels by 20% and decreases fatigue by 65%. This is according to a study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
There you have it. Some great benefits of having your own home exercise bike.
Exercise Bike Features
Not all exercise bikes are the same. Some cost more than their competitors. You need to do some homework prior to purchasing one. We highly suggest you look for the following bike features:
- LCD Monitor that tracks your time, speed, distance and calories burned
- A place to put your iPhone or iPad while exercising
- The flywheel has resistance levels for a challenging workout
- Adjustable seat
- Adjustable handle bars
- Easy to move for storage
- A water bottle holder
For some individuals, not all of the above are necessary for your workout sessions. However, it is nice to have all of them which will help you attain your goals. Also, some exercise bikes have maximum weight limits. Note that on the bike you purchase and be sure it meets your needs.
Avoid Exercise Bike Knee Injuries
While cycling has many benefits it also can cause some injuries to the back or knees. So, how can you avoid experiencing knee or back injuries? Read on.
- Make sure the seat is adjusted properly. Be sure the seat is at the correct height for you and isn’t too low or high, or too far forward or back. All of these issues can lead to back problems and knee injuries. For proper fit, to find the ideal height by sitting on the seat, place the heel of your foot on one pedal while the pedal is at the lowest point of the pedal circle. At this point, your knee should be straight. When pedaling, it should be done with the ball of your foot, so once you move from the heel to the ball of your foot, your knee should be slightly bent at a 25-30 degree bend.
- Don’t lean too far back or forward. If you lean too far back it can lead to back problems over time. Leaning too far forward (over the bike handlebars) can also lead to problems as it means you’re shifting your weight forward, which puts a strain on your shoulders and neck. Maintain a good posture. If you notice your hands becoming numb, this indicates you are putting too much weight on your hands and should shift yourself.
- Do not use handle bars that are too low? Higher handlebars puts less tension on your shoulders, back and neck. It can also help you readjust your position as you cycle and move in and out of your bikes seat.
- Be aware of cyclist knee. The cyclist knee is known as Patellofemoral pain syndrome which is an overuse condition caused by repetitive friction between the thigh bone and the knee cap. This condition is also caused by decreased hip mobility, causing the knee to work harder the longer you work out that leads to knee pain. If you experience knee pain something is not right. To avoid this, try adjusting the seat to a decrease the amount of knee flexion and do most of your riding in an easier gear (lower resistance level). You can work on developing good hip mobility through stretch and exercise techniques. If you develop cyclist’s knee and your symptoms persist, physiotherapy for strengthening your muscles could be useful.
- Numb to hot foot syndrome. Hot foot syndrome (known as metatarsalgia) or foot numbness is another common problem with cycling. Too much pressure between the foot and the pedal, or wearing shoes that are too tight, can cause this health problem. You may notice your feet will swell within 20 minutes. If this is the case, start with the shoes a bit looser and tighten them later in the workout. Another way is to take your foot off the pedal and shake it will allow the symptoms to resolve. If this is recurring, change shoes to a larger size or the pedal you are using.
- If you experience issues don’t put off treatment. If you are in constant pain and the symptoms don’t resolve themselves, don’t put off treatment. You can contact your doctor for help and develop a treatment specifically for you. Or, he can recommend a physiotherapist near you.
PROS
- Saves money from paying high yearly gym memberships
- Exercise whenever you want
- Establish your own personal goals and workout sessions
- Great for your health
- Helps you lose or control weight
- Exercise in the comfort of your own home
- Tracks miles traveled, calories burned, and pulse rate
CONS
- Must establish a routine and set goals
- For best results, must exercise for 30 minutes
- Some assembly is required
- Maximum weight limitations
Conclusion
Having your own exercise bike is probably the best piece of equipment you can have. You can exercise whenever you want without anyone talking back to you. You can feel comfortable is creating your own personal goals and cycle routine.
We presented some helpful information on the benefits of home exercise bikes.
Take the time to do your homework before making the purchase of an exercise bike. Look for the specific features you want the bike to have.
Remember, some assembly will be required before riding the bike.
Happy exercising!
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