What muscles does an exercise bike work?
Exercise bikes have it all: they're great for keeping you fit, they take up little space, and anyone can use them!
As indoor cycling is a zero-impact activity, it's a great choice for people who can't do other sports for health reasons.
No matter your age or physical fitness, anyone can give it a go.
And remember that just because it's zero-impact, that doesn't make it a cop-out.
Mix up the intensity and duration of your workouts to really get the most out of your exercise bike.
But exactly which muscles does it work?
1. A healthy body, heart and lungs
The exercise bike is a cardio gym machine that trains your endurance and looks after your heart. So how does it work?
The more cardio activity you do, the more accustomed your heart will get to exercise. This results in a lower resting heart rate.
With your heart beating less often, it is subjected to less stress. After two or three months of training, your workouts will feel easier and you'll be in great shape.
Basically, using sport to build heart muscle can increase your lifespan!
In addition, you'll also improve your blood pressure in the long term. This will improve your blood flow. Say goodbye to heavy legs and pasty-looking hands and feet.
These two benefits are reason enough to use an exercise bike, even without the many other advantages!
You can also use an exercise bike to train your breathing. A weekly workout will increase your lung capacity.
If you find yourself getting out of breath easily, an exercise bike may well cure this problem. No more feeling like you've run a marathon when you get to the top of the stairs!
3. Firm thighs
You won't be surprised to learn that your thighs bear the brunt of the effort when you pedal.
Your quadriceps (front of your thighs) and hamstrings (back of your thighs) are some of the most heavily used muscles on an exercise bike. Their role is to bend and extend your upper leg.
Over the course of your workouts, your skin will become smoother and you'll gain power. Isn't that what we all dream of?
So forget those miracle creams and trendy workouts promising you the world.
All you need is an exercise bike! You'll see guaranteed results while having fun.
4. A rounder bum
Good news! Your bum also gets a workout from using an exercise bike.
But what's the best way of engaging the muscles in your glutes? By simply standing up on your exercise bike while pedaling! You'll work harder and your muscles will be more tensed, which will give this part of the body an even deeper workout.
P.S. There's no need to stay standing the whole time. Just do a few minutes regularly during each workout and you'll really notice the difference.
The burn you feel a couple of days after the training is proof of how hard you worked.
5. Toned calves
Don't worry: training your calves doesn't mean they're going to bulk up.
It takes years of highly intensive training before you end up with calves like a pro cyclist.
Having a healthy triceps surae (the pair of muscles in your calf) is beneficial for flexing and extending your foot.
Building calf muscle is also vital if you want to pedal faster and for longer.
6.Strong abs
It's not something that springs to mind straight away, but your abs also get a good workout on an exercise bike.
Its role is essential: holding your back up straight. Poor posture can lead to back pain or even injury.
So, remember to squeeze your abs as you pedal. And let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy seeing their abs getting more toned with each workout?
The secret to getting the best results is to increase the resistance. So don't shy away from upping the difficulty that little bit more with each session.
7. Firmer, stronger arms
You may be surprised to hear that your arms also come into the equation when you train on an exercise bike.
They're not used as much as your leg muscles, but they still work to hold the handlebars, so their contribution shouldn't be overlooked.
They also get a bigger workout when you stand up. This is therefore a great position to choose if you want to increase the difficulty of your workout.
Obviously, the healthier your lifestyle and diet, the greater and longer lasting the results will be. So remember to take care of your health even after getting off your bike!
While we generally think of it as focusing on the calves and thighs, the exercise bike actually trains various other parts of your body too.
Now that you know which muscles get worked by your exercise bike - and the benefits of this - all that remains is to adapt your workouts to suit your fitness and goals.
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