Exercise Bike  - Frequently Asked Questions

1.How to choose an exercise bike?

Putting your body into motion to stay fit can be fun and exciting on a rightly chosen exercise Bike. First, you need to understand the classifications of exercise bikes to pick the best. Upright Bike, Recumbent Bike and Air Bike are the three popular types of Indoor exercise bikes available in the market. Upright bike offers you a conventional riding experience on a standard bike seat, handle bars and display. For anyone looking for an indoor bike for cardio workouts, upright bike would be a good pick. However, Upright Bikes do not provide back support.

If you have back pain or spine related issues, you should go for a recumbent Bike. These bikes seat you in a comfortable recline position with pedals towards the front. It’s perfectly designed to give you an effective workout without injuring your back.

If you are looking for a bit more intense workout than what a conventional upright bike can offer, air bike can be your best choice. Air bike with a large air wheel, push and pull handle bar and large paddles can offer you a perfect full body workout. Adjustable seats, heart rate monitoring, built-in workout programs etc are a few other features that you should consider while choosing an exercise bike.

2. Are exercise bikes good for weight loss?

Yes, depending upon the intensity and consistency of your workout, exercise bikes can burn a considerable amount of calories resulting in weight loss. Air bikes rank high, when it comes to achieving your weight loss goals. It has been a part of CrossFit training for a very long time. Other categories like upright bikes and recumbent bikes as well are perfect indoor bikes that can help you stay in shape. Look for indoor bikes that features Heart rate monitoring and calorie burning counts to measure the effectiveness of your workout. Burning more calories, than your intake is the perfect formula for weight loss.

Being consistent to workout is a key factor for weight loss and therefore, look for features that can help you escape from workout boredoms. Many models of indoor bikes come with Interactive workout apps that offers different programs like virtual world tour, recorded and live class from fitness coaches, workout sessions with global fitness community etc. to let you enjoy your workouts and easily achieve your fitness goals.

3.How long should you use an exercise bike? 

The workout duration depends upon the intensity of your workout. You should keep a target of 45 mins in a day for 4 days in a week. According to medical experts, 150 mins of paddling in a week can keep your heart healthy. Set short milestones and increase the time and intensity as you start maturing. Exercise Bikes offer good workout for your legs, hips, knees, ankles and belly region but you should not push yourself hard to get results quickly. When you start, ride for 5-10 mins and take rest. Practice paddling fast as the days pass on and gradually increase the time.

4.How to use an exercise bike effectively?

Your knees and ankles play the most important roles in cycling and therefore, you should start with a warm up session for those areas. You should always start with short and light paddling sessions, specially if you are a beginner. Start pedalling for 5-10 mins and take rest in regular intervals. You should watch your body’s response before intensifying your cycling sessions. Gradually increase the time and intensity for better results. Once you are comfortable paddling for 15 to 20 mins, you can start switching between medium to high intensity modes. Start with 5-10 mins slow pedalling, then switch to 3-5 mins medium intensity mode. Then, go for 2-3 mins high intensity workout. Alternate between medium & high intensity modes and carry on with your cycling workout for 30-40 mins. Cool down at a low intensity mode by paddling slowly for 3-5 mins. Relax at the end and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment