Indoor Cycling – Benefits, Equipment and Workout Regimen
– Indoor Cycling –
Have you ever wondered if an indoor cycling lesson or a walk by the stationary bikes at the gym gives you the same exercise as riding a bike outside? In this comparison of the benefits and drawbacks of outdoor versus indoor riding, you’ll find out.
What is Indoor Cycling?
Indoor cycling, also known as spinning, is an organized sport that involves using a special stationary exercise bicycle with a weighted flywheel in a classroom setting to focus on endurance, strength, intervals, high intensity, and recovery.
Indoor cycling has a number of advantages: it’s easy, time-efficient, weather-independent, and you won’t wind up with a dirty bike. You can also do targeted workouts to improve your stamina, speed, cardiovascular fitness, and other aspects of your fitness.
Indoor Cycling: A Beginner’s Guide
While we all agree that cycling outside is fantastic, getting outside isn’t always possible. When it’s difficult to get out, indoor training allows you to turn the pedals and maintain your fitness.
If you’re new to indoor cycling, you’ll be confronted with a bewildering array of high-priced equipment and accessories. However, getting an indoor training setup without breaking the bank is entirely possible.
Our indoor cycling guide will walk you through everything you’ll need to know to get started.
1. Locate a suitable training facility.
Some people go all out, converting their garage into a ‘pain cave’ where they can cycle for hours on end. You don’t need to go nearly that far if you’re just getting started.
Any place will suffice, but if you want to keep it set up to make getting on for a fast session more effective, it should be out of the way of everyday activities.
Given the weight of the equipment and the likelihood of sweating profusely, a wipe-clean surface is better over a carpeted space. If you just have a carpeted space, protect it by laying down a mat first.
If you’re going to use rollers instead of a turbo trainer (more on each below), you might want to set up near a surface you can hold on to or in a door frame unless you’re already comfortable with them.
Another factor to think about is noise. Indoor trainers, especially the cheaper models, can be quite noisy, and you’ll be standing up and powering through your workout.
If you live in a shared house, you may want to keep your workout away from quieter areas or find a room that is relatively soundproofed.
2. Purchase the appropriate indoor exercise equipment
Indoor cycling is a hot, thirsty sport that will leave you sweating profusely. Make sure you have a bottle (or two!) of water handy so you can stay hydrated while exercising.
After you’ve sorted out your water bottle, a fan is the next most important accessory. You’ll generate an unsustainable amount of excess heat while working hard indoors, even on a cold day, because there’s no wind to keep you cool like the great outdoors.
A fan aids your body’s natural cooling mechanisms and is, in our opinion, an absolutely necessary piece of equipment for indoor cycling.
Otherwise, you may purchase mats to place under your trainer, which has many advantages: they keep the setup steady and prevent it from rolling about on a slick surface, and they protect the floor from getting wet. It will also assist to decrease vibrations and noise, which is particularly beneficial if you have hardwood flooring.
If you don’t have a trainer mat, you can use an old towel to cover the bike and trainer.
If you want to do an online exercise or utilize a virtual cycling program, you’ll need a screen or laptop in front of you, which may necessitate the usage of a table or mount.
3. Establish a Cycling Workout Routine Indoors
While you may hop on and spin away while listening to music, watching your favorite cycling video, or watching TV, following a scheduled training program will give you a far more effective and targeted exercise.
We’ve got 60-minute turbo trainer exercises and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) programs covered.
While there are many advantages to riding inside, it may often feel like a nuisance, especially if you’re in the middle of a rigorous training session. Fortunately, there are a few things you can attempt to make it a little more… enjoyable.
Virtual cycling applications like Zwift have already been described, but this is where they really shine. An interactive training software may offer you the motivation and structure you require to succeed.
Select the Trainer/Equipment You Prefer
Indoor trainers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Rollers, a turbo trainer, a smart trainer, or a static cycle are the most common options.
Turbo Booster
Turbo trainers are the most widespread, and they range in price, functionality, and sophistication from basic budget options to high-end smart trainers (more on that below).
All turbo trainers need the use of a bicycle. The bike is attached to the trainer with a skewer through the rear axle, and the rear wheel rests against a cylinder that rotates when you start pedaling.
Unless you have a power meter on your bike, the most economical and accessible way to train with data on a conventional turbo trainer is to use your heart rate zones.
Smart Trainer
Direct-drive smart trainers are available from the mid-range onward. Because the trainer has a cassette attached to it, you remove your rear wheel and hook the chain onto it with a skewer through the rear dropouts/thru-axle and the trainer itself.
The benefit is that you don’t have to worry about your rear tyre wearing out because you can just pop your wheel back in when you want to ride your bike outside.
When pedaling, smart trainers are frequently quieter and provide a more realistic ride experience.
Smart trainers may also alter the resistance automatically to replicate variations in gradient or to offer you a more intense, immersive workout. In an interval training session, this is perfect for focusing on certain power zones.
A smart trainer is definitely worth the expense if you’re serious about indoor training. Purchase these, as well as other high-quality indoor riding equipment here to get the most bang for your buck.
Rollers
The bike is supported by two parabolic free-spinning cylinders known as rollers. The cylinders revolve as you pedal to replicate the earth moving beneath your wheels.
They provide a more natural-feeling ride since there is nothing holding the bike upright but the motion from pedaling.
This has both a benefit and a drawback: it’s wonderful for building core strength and balance, but it may be difficult to get started, which is why you should attempt it near something you can hold on to the first few times.
Rollers are also small and simple to store, which is beneficial if you have limited room at home.
Indoor Cycling Bike/Stationary Bike
If you want to go all out with your setup. You may get a high-tech smart bike that is specifically intended for indoor cycling.
These aren’t your typical gym or spin-class bikes; they’ll generally allow you to track your power output, measure your pedal stroke, cadence, and heart rate, adjust resistance automatically, and more.
Why do you want to undertake indoor cycling?
It should come as no surprise that any type of rigorous cardio is beneficial to your health. Is indoor riding, on the other hand, better for you than cruising along your local bike path? Yes, for the reasons listed below:
- A group of researchers in Seoul, South Korea, evaluated 24 female middle-school kids who participated in a 16-week cycling program. This meant that 12 people rode inside and 12 people cycled outside.
While the researchers admitted that there was no difference in weight reduction between spinning and cycling, they discovered that spinning had a larger impact on physical fitness, body fat percentage, and BMI (BMI).
- According to Harvard Medical School, stationary riding is one of the top calorie-burners out there, but the major elements that determine calories burnt are a person’s body weight and the intensity of the cycle, not whether they are indoors or outside. Indoor cycling burns more calories since it is more intensive.
- Let’s face it: riding a stationary bike is a lot more handier than running. Simply hop on your bike or show up to class and begin going. For many people, going to the gym is the most inconvenient aspect. Cycling outside may be a logistical nightmare.
Dress accordingly, pack a tire change (and know how to replace a tire), be prepared for inclement weather, deal with stoplights, stop signs, and traffic, and so on.
- Last but not least, and most critically, safety. Indoor riding decreases the risk of an accident while cycling outside by 90%.
Advantages of Indoor Cycling
It just takes two to four hours every week to make a significant difference in your health. Advantages of Indoor Cycling include:
- Low impact – compared to most other kinds of exercise, it generates less strain and damage.
- A terrific muscular workout– while you pedal, you activate all of your major muscle groups.
- Simple – cycling, unlike some other sports, does not need a high level of physical ability. Most individuals can ride a bike, and once they learn, they never forget.
- Increases stamina, strength, and aerobic fitness– cycling improves stamina, strength, and aerobic fitness.
- As intense as you want– cycling may be done at a modest level at first if you’re healing from an injury or illness, but it can be gradually increased to a tough physical workout.
- A pleasant method to stay in shape– the thrill of coasting down hills and outside meaning you’re more likely to continue cycling on a regular basis than you are with other physical activities that confine you indoors or demand certain times or locations.
- Time-efficient – as a mode of transport, cycling replaces sedentary (sitting) time spent driving motor vehicles or using trams, trains, or buses with healthy exercise.
Health Benefits of Regular Cycling
Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels, and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, which will improve your overall fitness level.
The Health Benefits Of Regular Cycling Include:
- increased cardiovascular fitness.
- increased muscle strength and flexibility.
- improved joint mobility.
- decreased stress levels.
- improved posture and coordination.
- strengthened bones.
- decreased body fat levels.
- prevention or management of disease like covid-19.
- reduced anxiety and depression.
At the end of the day, both indoor and outdoor cycling are equally awesome and offer a lot of similar benefits. But are they the same in terms of circumstance, workout, and payoff? In a nutshell, no.
To put it plainly, riding 20 miles on a stationary bike is not the same as riding 20 miles on the road.
The most popular cycling trainers and equipment include:
Regardless, figure out which one works best for you and your lifestyle. The answer may well be both. Indoor cycling is often a gateway drug to outdoor cycling, so although it may seem daunting at first, keep an open mind to moving your legs outside.
You can get quality indoor cycling trainers, bikes, and other fitness equipment from valuehubservices at relatively good prices.
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