10 Benefits of Exercising on a Stationary Bike

Out of all the home exercise equipment available for losing weight the stationary bike seems to be the most popular, they are light, easy-to-use and many modern exercise bikes can be folded away easily.

The stationary bike is a great way to exercise conveniently and comfortably, especially in the comfort of own home. They are easy to use and a fairly good fat burning exercise. The exercise only tends to involve the leg and buttock muscles over a short range of motion so we cannot burn tons of calories. In order to make the exercise bike more effective for losing weight it may be best to exercise on the stationary bike for longer periods to obtain the best fat burning benefits.

Benefits

1. easy to use
2. convenient
3. home use
4. ideal for people not used to exercising or very overweight people
5. ideal if bad weather doesn't allow outside activities
6. watch TV during a workout
7. low injury risk to knees and ankles
8. easy to develop a rhythmic pace for better fat burning
9. helps develop a little leg strength
10. air/fan assisted bikes help cool down skin while working out

Choosing the best stationary bike

With so many stationary bikes available on the market it can be a challenging task finding the best bike for burning off fat. Some stationary bikes on the market come with various level settings allowing you to train that little harder to develop improve fitness level. Many modern exercise bikes also have digital displays that show your current heart rate, estimation of calories burnt and the distance travelled. Although remember the number of calories burnt during any exercise really depends on how a person exercises (the pace) as well as their genetic make up or body type.

Many stationary bikes can be folded away for easy storage however the more features usually means an increase in price. There are different types of stationary bikes available and some have different features which can help burn more calories, for example exercise bikes with arm movement attachments allow you to work the arms to help tone them and burn extra calories.

Negative sides

• only works leg mainly
• not a great overall calorie burner
• may become boring after a few workouts
• aerobic type of exercise so less chance of boosting overall metabolism rate
• can be expensive if on a budget
• some are noisy
• not the best fitness builder
• walking would be just as good without expense
• too short range of motion

Decide what you want to get out of your workouts before deciding to purchase any exercise bike. Remember that using a stationary exercise bike alone wont be the only way to lose weight, it may be best to use various forms of exercise to maintain motivation levels and keep results coming.