Exercise bikes are one of the most influential and well-known pieces of equipment for weight loss and fitness. There is a wide range of exercise bikes available in the market for fitness enthusiasts who are unable to hit the gym regularly. For a lot of people, an exercise bike to your house can be a great addition to your life. You can easily sweat your calories away and maintain your body and weight at the convenience of your home. However, exercise bikes also have some downsides, which mean one has to be absolutely sure that they are investing in something helpful before proceeding with the purchase. Read the below-mentioned details and see if the exercise bikes are worth it or if they are a hard pass.
Reasons Why Exercise Bikes are Worth It:
1. Burn Calories Conveniently:
One of the greatest advantages of having an exercise bike at home is the convenience that it brings. You don’t have to pay for the gym subscription every other month, nor do you have to leave your house in order to take care of your body. Instead, exercise bikes let you burn your calories fast and level up your weight loss game. Cherry on the top? You would be able to use it whenever you feel like it and enjoy it for as long as you want. According to Harvard Health Publishing, cycling on a moderate stationary cycle for 30 minutes can burn almost 252 calories for a person weighing 155 pounds.
2. Versatility:
Another great benefit of exercise bikes is that they are quite versatile in nature. Even though they are different from full-body workstations, they can still be extremely helpful throughout your weight loss journey. For instance, you can use exercise bikes for warm-ups. Before going all-in for an intense workout session, you can kick start with the warm-up to prepare your body for what’s coming next. In addition, exercise bikes can also be great for different types of aerobics and HIIT. For further improvement, you can also increase the resistance of your exercise bike.
3. Heart Health:
When it comes to exercise bikes, there are several benefits for your heart. As per a 2019 study, cycling was indicated to be great for aerobic capacity. In addition, exercise bikes can also help in improving the ability of your body to synthesize oxygen. What makes them so great is the fact that they don’t require a person to spend hours in order to achieve the desired outcome. Even if you work out for 10 minutes using your exercise cycle, it can have a significant impact on your heart health.
4. Better Body Posture:
The benefits of an exercise bike go beyond just conditioning and fitness. Cycling can help improve your body posture, too. Even though most models may not force an upright position, your body placement can still be improved nonetheless. During your cycling exercise on an exercise bike, you are required to keep your back straight through the period. In this way, you can keep your body in a proper position and improve your lower back strength. It can also be a great way of developing a proper posture among people with sedentary jobs.
Cons of Exercise Bikes:
There are a number of reasons why exercise bikes for certain people may not be the ideal approach towards their fitness or health goals. Find out what these cons are to fully understand the significance of an exercise bike at your home and analyze whether it’s worth the price or not.
· Heavy on Pocket:
Despite their countless benefits, exercise bikes can be quite expensive. However, given the features and their quality design, the price can be worth the investment. Now the question is, are these features valuable enough for you to invest in such expensive equipment? The answer may vary from person to person. For instance, if you want to cycle daily without indulging in a full-body workout, you may go ahead with the purchase. But for proper workouts, relying on exercise bikes alone may not be sufficient.
· Requires Space:
What’s more, exercise bikes may not be a value-added investment for people who have little to no room for a piece of large exercise equipment in their house. Not everyone lives in big houses with empty rooms; some people also live in apartments that have very limited storage. When one must set everything up and haul it around each time they want to get on the bike, they may not feel much motivation. Hence, you should reconsider your decision to buy an exercise bike if you don’t have a floor for it. Other than that, storing an indoor exercise bike outside is not an option either compared to a regular bike.
· Can be Boring:
Being consistent in your cycling workout without actually going anywhere or experiencing any change in your surroundings can be pretty boring and dull. Despite the ability of exercise bikes to adjust the resistance and cadence, one may feel stuck in a single place after a while. Without entertainment in any form, cycling for more than half an hour can become pretty difficult. Hence, if you want to continue your workout in the long term without feeling like giving up on it, you must find a way to entertain your thoughts and escape the boredom.
· No Outdoor Air:
What’s the benefit of using an exercise bike? You use it at home. And what’s the disadvantage of using it? You use it at home. That’s right; being able to work out at home can be a benefit for some and a drawback for others. Despite all the safety and convenience it offers, an exercise bike robs your opportunity to cycle outdoors, which has so many benefits. For instance, by riding a bike outside, you can get vitamin D. In addition, cycling outdoors can also boost your mood, especially in windy weather.
Conclusion:
Does the idea of burning calories without having to go out excite you? Well, then maybe an exercise bike is a suitable option. However, if you think you’ll enjoy cycling more outside or you are unsure of the amount of space you have in your home, then you may want to reconsider your decision. We hope that we were able to help you understand the pros and cons of exercise bikes. Whether they are worth the hype and price or not depends entirely on the convenience of users.
