Add this to your favoritesPracticing Bicycle Exercise Routines to Increase physical fitness and Prolong Life
Riding bicycles as a means of physical exercise and to improve physical fitness has become more and more popular. Unlike other physical exercise routines, riding bicycles can be done inside or outside and both have relatively similar benefits.
Bicycling: inside vs. Outside
If you prefer to ride your bicycle outdoors, make sure that you do have the necessary skills and stamina to manage bicycling for at least thirty minutes long. Don’t be embarrassed of using balance wheels for the first few times. But if you do find that too humiliating, you should try practicing in your front yard first.
For outside bicycling physical exercise, choose a place where you don’t have to make much twists and turns; remember that the goal is to exercise your body and not to qualify for Olympic bicycling events!
The main disadvantage however from physical exercise outside is the risk of encountering accidents when riding the bicycle in busy streets or crowded places. Outside bicycling may also require elderly people to exert too much effort and cause their injuries to worsen rather than help rehabilitate them.
Indoor bicycle exercises are better because they’re safer, more convenient and more affordable. When bicycling outdoors, you may get to meet friends and see new sights; that’s the good thing. What’s bad about it is that all those things can lead you to spend more money. With indoor bicycle exercises, it’s only about you and your fitness goals.
How to Choose an Exercise Bicycle
If you do end up preferring indoor bicycle physical exercise over outside bicycling, the first thing you have to do is buy an indoor exercise bike. There are two types of stationary bicycles: recumbent and upright.
Recumbent bikes are more comfortable because users are seated in a semi-reclining position. Upright bicycles require the user to sit the way he would in an ordinary mountain bicycle.
Price – To shorten the time you’ll spend on shopping and comparing rates, set a budget limit for yourself then list all the bicycling products that do fit your budget.
Comfort and Adjustability – Do not base your buying decision on the price alone; not all lower-end models are of inferior quality and at the same time, not all higher-end models are entirely comfortable. If possible, choose an exercise bicycles with adjustable handles and padded seating. Remember to test it out before paying for the product.
Heart Rate Monitor – Any doctor you consult will without doubt advise you that the best way to decide your physical condition is to monitor your heartbeat. It’s important therefore for you to choose an exercise bicycle that has at least some semblance of heart monitoring device such as pulse grip points on its handlebars. Having a heart monitor would let you know if you’ve attained your exercise goals – which is to increase or improve your heart rate – or not. Higher and more expensive models go an extra mile for its users; it automatically adjusts workout intensity level based on the results from its heart rate monitor. More than anything else, it motivates you to exercise more because the monitor is able to show whether you’re improving or not.
Resistance – Lower end models generally use tension belt for resistance although higher end models use magnetised resistance; it’s better to select the latter because it’s able to provide a more consistent workout for the user.
There are other factors other than the ones mentioned above that you should also consider when buying an exercise bicycle. But what’s important is ending up with a product you can afford and will last long. Bicycling is great fun inside or outside – but how long the fun will last is completely up to you!