Indoor cycling is Low Impact
If you do high-impact workouts, your knees can use a rest once in a while, and if you happen to have knee problems that make it painful to do jump around, an indoor cycling workout is a perfect alternative. No matter what type of exercise you do, adding indoor cycling to the mix offers benefits since you can get a high-intensity workout that’s low-impact. Plus, if you have knee problems, indoor cycling strengthens your quadriceps muscles. This has benefits for people with certain types of knee problems including those with osteoarthritis of the knees.
A recent study showed that people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knees that did indoor cycling workouts experienced less pain and discomfort when walking. If you have “bad knees,” indoor cycling is a way to get a good cardiovascular workout.
You’ll Build Endurance While Burning Lots of Calories
indoor cycling burns significant calories – between 500 and 900 calories per 60-minute session. You can get a workout that burns as many calories as running on a treadmill without impacting your joints. Plus, you can adjust the resistance to mimic cycling or running up a hill. It’s a good alternative if you’re recovering from an injury and need a workout that’s low impact but high-intensity. By doing sprint intervals and intervals with high resistance, you’ll get the benefits of high-impact exercise without the impact. This boosts both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. You’ll develop greater endurance and more resistance to fatigue.
It Tones Your Lower Body and Core
You’re using larger muscle groups when you cycle. This burns major calories while building muscle endurance in the lower body. When you increase the resistance, you also develop greater lower body strength. If you’re looking for toned, shapely gams, regular indoor cycling workouts will get you there. You’ll also get some core-strengthening benefits when you indoor cycle as core muscles are activated as you pedal against resistance. It’s a way to work your core and lower body while building anaerobic and aerobic endurance at the same time.
It’s Motivating
Time flies during an indoor cycling workout because you’re constantly changing the resistance and the speed. Do a steady-state workout on an exercise bike and time seems to crawl. Indoor cycling workouts are over before you know it and you feel sweaty but exhilarated. Mission accomplished! You don’t need to join an indoor cycling class to get the benefits. Once you have a bike, you can use an indoor cycling DVD, like my Cycle Max or Ride DVDs, for non-stop workout motivation you can use at home. indoor cycling workouts are among the most motivational because there’s an upbeat mood and you’re constantly being challenged.
It’s a Good Plateau Buster
No matter what other types of workouts you do, indoor cycling will challenge your body in an entirely different way. That’s a good thing if you’ve stopped seeing changes with your regular routine. With indoor cycling, it’s less likely you’ll reach a plateau since you work out at intensities that are constantly changing and you can always increase the resistance to make it more challenging.
The Bottom Line?
What’s not to love about indoor cycling? It’s a core and lower body workout, builds endurance and is easy on your joints. If you’re looking for a new challenge, give indoor cycling a whirl – and find out why so many people love it.
References:
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012 Dec;42(12):985-95. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2012.3813. Epub 2012 Aug 2.
This is a very timely article, Cathe! It has helped me get off the fence and start to actually look SERIOUSLY into getting a spin bike! Thanks!
I added a spin bike to my home gym over a year ago and I am SO glad that I did!
Great article! I just took my first Spin class yesterday, and I loved it!!! I’ll definitely take another one! On my wish list of fitness accessories is a spin bike. One day!!!
I would really to begin looking for a spin-bike, but I don’t know where to begin. I also don’t know what to look for as I’ve not bought a piece of home exercise equipment with moving parts before. Please consider doing a lengthy article (or reprinting one that you’ve done already that I must have missed) on guidance for selection of a good spin-bike.
I love spinning n I spin twice weekly
Thanks so much for this motivating article, Cathe! I’ve been going through physical therapy for a couple of months (for what initially appeared to be an I-T band injury, but now seems to be more a matter of a couple of pinched nerves in my back), so I’ve been modifying all of my daily cardio and strength workouts to accommodate the moves I’m supposed to avoid for now. Spinning is definitely something I *could* do, without aggravating trouble spots… plus, the idea of something totally new to me is always fun! 🙂
Ah yes you all must try spin! I first tried spin classes at a gym I belonged to a few years back but with a move in a location that no longer is close to a gym I have been working in my spare bedroom which is now my home gym. I have just purchased a spinning bike at Costco ($400 approx.) which came with 4 DVD’s (in my opinion 3rd ones the best) But the true reason I purchased my Spinner is because Cathe has spin DVD’s which I have recently ordered and watching the mail daily. CAN’T WAIT for CATHE’s SPIN DVD’s
I was so excited when Cathe came out with spinning DVD’s. I have been spinning for about 12 years. I have owned my own bike for the past 10 years. There are many different bikes and DVD’s available. I own a bike made by Stairmaster and designed by Greg Lemond. Best purchase I ever made. Just have to replace the belt and brake pad every so often. In the long run I have saved a ton of money on gym memberships.
I have a treadmill at home, but don’t have spin bike yet.
I tried spinning once and liked it! Except my butt hurt for a week. I even used a padded seat cover. I haven’t gone back because of this, but after this article I think I’m ready to give it another try.
For those that are on the fence about trying out a spin class need to read this article! Spinning is such a great cardio workout that is fun and you get fast results. Thanks for posting this article I absolutely love spinning!
I am elderly ( 79 ) & very unfit due to osteoarthritis also old & not healed vertebate fractues need to exercise, just can’t stand for long or get up from the floor, so would cycle exercise be any good for me ??