Indoor Cycling: The
Ultimate Full-Body Workout
If we’re being 100
percent honest, when most people think of indoor cycling they probably picture
their legs moving at machine-gun speed, pedaling a stationary bike to nowhere.
But what if I told you indoor cycling is not just for your legs? The truth is
this, and hold on to your hats: indoor cycling is actually one of the best
whole-body workouts out there--right from the comfort of home. Not too shabby,
eh?
Indoor cycling isn’t
all about those pedals—it 1. It’s All
About the Legs… but Not Just the Legs
Okay, let’s start with
the obvious: cycling targets your legs. But I’m not just talking about your
quads. When you cycle, you’re also working your hamstrings, glutes, and calves
of course, not to mention that if the ride is broken down into intervals or whatever,
then different muscles might take over.
High resistance: When
you increase the resistance on your bike, especially if you’re wearing about 20
pounds of extra equipment designed to make it harder to pedal in addition
turning up that resistance knob, then you’re working harder for those quads and
hamstrings. It’s like a little mini workout when you ride uphill using this
method.
Sprints: If you are on
a sprint ride (that is, imagine running very fast with both your feet), you're
using your calves and the blood is just really flowing through those
capillaries!
However, here's the
neat thing–cycling isn’t just about legs. Build up the muscles you didn't know
you were using even as you emphasize lower body strength. It's a killer
whole-body workout.
2. Core Engagement:
More Than You Think
When you're cycling,
especially with some tension, your core is constantly engaged. Think about it:
your body is more or less upright, and your abdominal muscles and lower back
are contracting to maintain good posture throughout the ride, as well as supporting
the weight of your torso.
When you’re on your
feet and pedaling, your core has to work more to stay balanced.Even while
seated cycling, your abdominal muscles help hold you back in place. Especially
if you start really pouring on the effort, you need those abs to help.Lately,
I've become more tuned into the fact that cycling depends on upper body
strength as well when I stand for intervals and increase resistance. Are
cyclists getting mini core workouts in disguise?Yes, it's a whole body workout
in disguise, your legs and upper body doing more than they ever would on their
own. You put the load.
3. Shape Your Upper
Body--Really!
Now, please believe
me--if you think cycling is strictly about your legs, your arms don't count
either. Hold on a minute here: getting tired and pushing hard indeed, dare I
say have been working your arms all along. Ahow:
Handlebars: When
you're gripping the handlebars, particularly if you're standing and striving
hard, your biceps and triceps are also helping to keep control of the bike. The
harder you push yourself, the more the arms are naturally thrown into action.
Body Positioning: When
you lean forward or stand up during a climb (even it is being simulated on a
stationary bike), this means more work for your upper body. You need to engage
the shoulders, back, and arms in order not merely stay upright but also get
over stuck places while climbing.
You've got all three
sections involved in one workout, three: legs, core, and arms as they labor
busily together to help you power through the ride.
4. Cardiac
Conditioning: Get Your Heart Pumping
Cycling is more than a
good cardiovascular workout. It gets your heart rate up, increases endurance
and helps burn off those extra calories. Plus, it’s a low-impact exercise;
running or other high-impact workouts are harder on your joints.
If you're doing
interval training or taking a HIIT session, you're really pushing your
cardiovascular system. You alternate between short, difficult sprints and slow
recovery periods –which means raising your metabolism, burning fat, and
improving your heartfitness.
Actually the best
argument can be made for lung strength. Yes, your lung capacity can improve if
you make cycling a habit. It won't happen overnight, but after a few weeks
you'll find that your training loads are more intense and also that you have
the stamina to keep going for longer than before. Plus you'll be less out of
breath after a bout of sprints.
Whole-Body Toning via
Resistance
Now let us talk about
resistance power. Just as the addition of resistance to your workout doesn't
only make your legs stronger, but engages all parts of you too.
When you add
resistance, you are simulating going up a hill--which means more work for your
muscles in general. This is when your quads and hamstrings work hardest, but
your core and upper body also come into play. They have to help you maintain
the posture needed to pedal up this virtual incline. The more resistance you
add, the stronger and more toned your leg muscles will become.
On 'low resistance'
settings, you are exercising more for cardiovascular fitness, endurance and fat
burning.
The more resistance
you crank in, the more you are developing power and muscle tone.
One of the nice things
about an exercise bike is that its resistance settings let you aim at different
fitness goals. And by adjusting the resistance during your ride, you will
actually work an overall set of muscle groups. It will make you a much tougher
cyclist too!
Adding Intervals for a
Whole-Body Experience
Without doubt, the
ultimate experience at cycling is to make yourself add intervals to your bike
time. Intervals are minutes of high speed followed by moments of rest. Not only
can this literally double the calories burned in an hour's trip; it also keeps
your whole body engaged at one time or another.
Here's how you can
start using intervals in your cycling routine:
Warm up: Five minutes
cycling easy at low resistance.
Interval 1: Thirty
seconds all-out--high resistance, high speed (either standing or seated).
Recovery: One to two
minutes low resistance, slow pedaling.
Repeat for 10-15 sets.
When you cycle at
intervals, you are working your legs, abs, and to a different extent your upper
body as well. At the same time though it's a fantastic way to shape up your
muscles and give the old heart/lung system quite an exertion workout. Plus,
you'll get fast results too!
7. Mental Health
Benefits: Lift Your Spirits
But cycling’s major
handicap isn’t just on the body. Lifting my leg over the crossbar and I feel as
if the whole of me has been breathed on, both physically and in terms of my
mood. Cycling is able to reduce stress, boost mood, and helps raise one’s level
of self-confidence. Although the endorphins it makes release (the brain’s
"happy" chemicals ) may not show up straight away in your body
language or voice yet still if you ride your bike occasionally you’ll find that
work on your thinking is being done conscientiously and powerfully.
8. Convenience: Any
Time, Any Place
One of the main
attractions of cycling indoors is that you can do it at any time turned—without
any regard for weather conditions or any bother about whether there will be any
cars out there on the road. There's a time and season in every town, but you don't
have to have a gym membership. Nor does it take you a whole lot of time to
prepare for riding outdoors.
Simply get on your
bike at home, adjust the resistance, and go at your own speed. You can do it
regularly in the comfortable surroundings of your living room, with a good
playlist or TV show to keep company. And don’t forget the convenience: If time
is tight, you can cycle for 20 minutes; conversely, if you have more time to
spare, then just keep going and gun it on longer sessions.
Final thoughts
Indoor cycling is a
great way to get all the benefits of a complete-body workout without actually
doing any strenuous physical exercise. It will tie your legs, core and arms,
improve your cardiovascular system and hone your muscles?without damage to the joints.
The best news? You can do it anytime and at your leisure in the convenience of
your own home.
So whether you?re
riding to build muscle, lose fat or just clear your head, know your exercise
bike is a precious tool to aid you in reaching your goals. All it takes is a
little determination, a good helping of variety and some consistency. Get on
the bike, and start pedaling to a new, slimmer you. 🚴♀️💪