Running, swimming, and walking are great forms of exercise. But if you want to change your workout routine, why not consider cycling? Be it cycling outdoors or indoors, both are great ways of getting your heart pumping while having minimal impact on your joints.
In case your busy work schedule does not allow you to take time out for the gym or outdoor cycling; you can opt for an indoor cycling app to boost your fitness and overall health. But what are the exact benefits of cycling?
First, you get a fantastic cardio workout to challenge your legs and core muscles without stressing your joints. Indoor cycling is also proven to improve fitness in people with osteoarthritis. If your joints cannot take the impact of walking or running, indoor cycling is a great way to decrease pain. Meanwhile, it helps in increasing the overall aerobic capacity.
How to reap the health benefits of indoor cycling?
To enjoy the health benefits of indoor cycling, you need to follow the given tips:
- Set small goals: You have to start small with small-time plans. You can begin with 10 minutes a day and increase your way up to 150 minutes each week.
- Cycle indoors: When the weather is not good outside, you can hop onto your stationary indoor bike and start spinning in the comfort of your home. According to studies, cycling indoors for around 45 minutes is beneficial for lowering body fat percentage in only 12 weeks.
- Incorporate biking into your routine: You can make indoor cycling part of your daily routine. You need to take out time for exercise in the morning or evening as per your schedule.
- Ease into it: Outdoor cycling can be intimidating for a few people. But indoor cycling is quite forgiving. You can indulge in it according to your work routine. It means whenever you find time, you can get into indoor cycling.
Cycling will become easier once you start making it part of your life. Meanwhile, it will help you to build your self-confidence.
Experiments with indoor cycling
Here are a few experiments to try with indoor cycling:
- Swap one or two planned walks or jogs with indoor cycling every week.
- Use online cycling to interact with other at-home cyclists to share your performance.
- Install any good indoor cycling application to make this activity more fun.
Final Thoughts
Cycling is a versatile form of physical exercise that you can scale at different fitness levels, goals, and lifestyles. You can consider online cycling or sign up for a group class. Or pedal outside on a bike. No matter how you cycle, know it’s great for your body and mind. So, incorporate it into your daily life to improve your overall fitness.
Also, don’t forget to mix it with other forms of exercise, such as walking, jogging, running, swimming, or gym sessions. This way, you will have a more versatile way of staying fit while improving your mental and emotional health. Another good thing is that you don’t need to be a professional to reap its benefits.
So, don’t wait any longer. Just get cycling!