Bike Trainer
Walking into a gym can be an intimidating experience. The building is filled with all sorts of contraptions that don’t seem to really make sense. There are weights, wires, wheels and moving parts every which way you look. One piece of equipment in a gym is incredibly easy to use, totally recognizable and not at all intimidating; that piece of equipment is a bike trainer.
Benefits of a Bike Trainer
If you are overweight, out of shape, fighting arthritis or any other joint problem, a bike trainer could be your new best workout buddy. In addition to being unintimidating, a bike trainer is easier on your body and joints than other forms of aerobic activity. The reason for this is that a bike trainer is a low impact form of exercise. The bike trainer offers you a great way to increase your heart rate while avoiding the traditional impact of walking and running exercises that require you to put all your weight on your feet as they slam down to the ground during the workout.
Without a bike trainer, many people would forgo working out altogether. The pain they feel in their joints as a result of any other type of aerobic workout makes exercise counterintuitive. A bike trainer can renew their ability to become healthy and lose weight which can mean the difference between life and death for some people.
Health Impacts of a Bike Trainer
The aerobic benefits of a workout done on a bike trainer are astounding. Aerobic exercise can improve your circulation, reduce your risk of cardiovascular event, strengthen your heart, increase the oxygen that gets to your internal organs, reduce your weight and your type 2 diabetes risk factors, and reduce your bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Everyone should get some aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week, and even better is exercise 7 day a week. The health benefits noted here give you some indication of just how important this exercise is. It can not only lengthen your life but will also help you live a happier life with more mobility.
Toning Benefits of a Bike Trainer
While the health benefits of exercise on a bike trainer are certainly a draw, the weight loss and toning benefits are even more so. You can completely change how your body looks in clothes and out of them with just a few simple bike trainer workouts each week. Because bike trainers allow you to adjust the level of resistance you face (as you would when riding a real bicycle outside up a hill) they can be great for toning your legs. You can build and define your muscles on a bike trainer without looking like a heavy weight body builder.
Before You Begin
Before you begin any new exercise routine, including one on a relatively low key exercise machine like the bike trainer, you should meet with your primary care physician and get his or her okay. Any new workout routine can stress your heart and it may be that you are not in the right health to put that kind of strain on your cardiovascular system. Your physician can help you develop a workout routine that gradually eases you into working out and helps you avoid injury.
If you decide to use a bike trainer at home, make sure you designate the appropriate amount of space to your workout. You need to have a clear area that allows you to sit comfortable on the bike trainer and not twist your body up so that you encounter muscle strain. Be sure to wear breathable clothing and the appropriate shoes as you work out. Keep a towel handy to wipe down the machine. Also, have a bottle of water around so that you do not become dehydrated.
