Weight Loss With Exercise Bikes

Exercise bikes allow you the ability to lose weight without placing excessive strain on your joints. If you have previously injured your ankles or knees, then you will find this cardiovascular exercise not only effective but also comfortable. With different type of exercises available, such as aerobic training and high intensity interval training, you will be able to reach your fitness goals without having to use numerous exercise machines. Always speak with your doctor prior to starting an exercise routine, especially if you are recovering from a muscular or skeletal injury.

  1. Aerobic Bike Workout

    • The aerobic exercise bike routine will allow you to gently increase your heart rate and then maintain your target heart rate to burn excess calories and use stored body fat for energy. This exercise is ideal for beginners as it allows you to move at your own pace while still obtaining a weight-loss workout. To start, warm up the body for five minutes by gently peddling your feet without adding any resistance. After you have warmed up your body, slightly increase the intensity level and peddle your feet faster until you have raised your heart rate. Continue with the same momentum for at least 30 minutes. This exercise can be performed without adding any resistance to the peddles; however, the stronger you become the more you are able to enhance the intensity of this workout by increasing the resistance levels. At the end of the workout, spend 10 minutes warming down the body by slowing your pace and removing any resistance.

    High Intensity Interval Training

    • High intensity interval training or HIIT breaks down your workout, so you are able to burn a maximum amount of calories without having to spend in excess of 45 minutes on a single machine. The purpose of this exercise is to interject intensity intervals in-between rest periods, which involve no resistance and light peddling, to spike your heart rate. The intensity levels are based on a scale system, with one representing no intensity and 10 representing the highest amount of intensity you can deliver. Below is an example of an exercise bike HIIT routine:

      Warm up--5 to 10 minutes
      Phase #1--10 seconds; Intensity Level 3
      Phase #2--45 seconds; rest period
      Phase #3--15 seconds; Intensity Level 5
      Phase #4--45 seconds; rest
      Phase #5--20 seconds; Intensity Level 7
      Phase #6--45 seconds; rest
      Phase #7--20 seconds; Intensity Level 8
      Phase #8--30 seconds; rest
      Phase #9--15 seconds; Intensity Level 10
      Phase #10--45 seconds; rest

      Repeat this 10-phase intensity cycle three times before warming down the body for 5 to 10 minutes.