How Do I Love Thee, Indoor Bike? Let Me Count the Benefits of Indoor Cycling
Did you catch my exciting NEWSFLASH—Beachbody Merges with MYX Fitness! post? I’m SUPER excited about this merger since I love to cycle and the benefits of indoor cycling are numerous!
Indoor bike trainers are more than a fad. They’ve been around a while and they’re here to stay—for good reason.
Let’s get right to it and talk about the benefits of indoor cycling.
Indoor Bike: Smart At-Home Fitness
If you’ve followed my blog posts here at the Fit Club Network, you know I love bicycling. There’s nothing like being outside on a bike.
That being said, indoor fitness bikes are fantastic and are often better than outdoor-only bikes.
Benefit #1 — Low Impact Exercise
Aerobics and cardio exercises are rough on the joints if you’re on a hard surface and don’t have the right mat.
Indoor bike to the rescue! An indoor bike is low impact on the knees and other joints.
Biking is one of the BEST exercises for those with bad knees, especially those who’ve had knee replacement surgery. It generates less force—only 1.3 times—your body weight. For comparison, walking generates forces about twice your bodyweight.
Benefit #2 — Not Weather Dependent
It’s winter, you’re stuck inside, and you want to get a good workout.
Indoor bike to the rescue—again!
As much as I love being outside on my bike, even here in San Diego, the weather isn’t always right for being outside. If you live in a place with rain, snow, and even ice, outdoor exercise isn’t even possible much of the year.
An indoor bike is lets you remain consistent with your exercise when the weather isn’t cooperating.
With an indoor bike trainer, you don’t have any weather worries at all.
Benefit #3 — No Obstacles
If you’ve biked outside at all, you know that obstacles are a problem. No matter how great your city, they all have potholes and areas that just aren’t bike-friendly.
Even when the conditions are good, you have to stop for stop signs and red lights.
You also have to worry about cars and traffic, especially with so many phone-distracted drivers these days. It’s actually pretty scary when you think about it.
There are no obstacle worries whatsoever with an indoor smart bike trainer.
Benefit #4 — Great Precision
This is something you may not think much about, but if you’ve got specific fitness goals, you can track them better on an indoor fitness bike.
I’m talking about heart rate-based training, power output, cadence, and technique.
There are some great monitors that help with all of this and you can use them outside, but it’s easier (and no doubt safer) dealing with your monitors when you’re on an indoor bike.
It’s tough looking at a heart rate monitor when you’re watching out for traffic and potholes!
You’ll also have more precision with your pedals and a more efficient pedal stroke if you’re using an indoor bike.
With the MYX fitness bike, you’ll take a calibration ride to set your heart rate zones. You’ll recalibrate every six weeks, which helps you keep tabs on your progress.
This is massively motivating and helps you reach your fitness goals much faster.
Benefit #5 — Mental Health Perks
Cycling is great FUN and that means you’re more likely to do it, preferably several times a week at least—and regular exercise reduces anxiety and improves your mood and anxiety.
How? By releasing endorphins and other “feel-good” chemicals into your bloodstream.
It’s true that any exercise improves your mood, but anyone can cycle, which makes it easier getting started if you’re out of shape or a beginner.
Cycling is a fantastic way to take your mind off your worries.
Benefit #6 — Time Efficiency
Another thing I love about indoor fitness cycling is how time-efficient it is.
It’s so convenient having a bike in the house or garage—it eliminates that need to get in your car and go to the gym.
You also don’t have to plan out a bike route or worry about putting your bike in the car and driving to a safe biking spot.
I love that you can squeeze in a workout even when you’re short on time!
Covid’s got your gym on lockdown? No worries!
Benefit #7 — It’s Interesting
Today you have MORE options than ever before when it comes to indoor riding.
You won’t be staring at a wall as you ride, especially if you’re on a MYX bike.
You’ll have plenty of scenic options, like a ride through Patagonia or Northern Italy! Or, you can catch up on the news while you’re biking with Newsy.
You’ll also have a coach motivating you and reminding you to maintain good form throughout the class. The coaches let you know what zone your heart rate should be in and whether to add resistance or slow it down.
Here’s a video I filmed on Indoor Cycling and MYF Fitness:
The Many Benefits of Indoor Cycling
I guess by now you can see I’m excited about this! There are so many benefits of indoor cycling and the MYX fitness bike is going to be integrated into the Beachbody subscription platform!
I really can NOT wait! Let’s get BIKING!
Do you have questions about indoor fitness cycling? I’m here to help! Don’t hesitate to reach out for a chat. Just click the button below and you’ll reach me through Facebook Messenger.
