Tone your muscles with Bike exercise machine
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If you are aiming to include the bike in your exercise regime but are planning to leisurely pedal while playing video games or watching TV, your investment on the bike is of no use. If you choose to pay more attention to the overhead TV than your heart rate, level of intensity and speed, then this cardio is going to be a waste for you. On the other hand, if you pedal briskly with a medium to high intensity, an exercise bike provides excellent cardio exercise. Intensity and frequency make a world of difference in increasing your cardio fitness.
Along with working on your muscles and toning your hips, thighs and abs; riding a bike also helps you to fight knee, hip or ankle joint problems, such as bursitis or arthritis. The biking also allows you to exercise your heart and lungs without putting additional stress on weak or injured joints. Older people also get benefits in terms of balancing the bike.
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Intensity and Frequency
Choose a bike with adjustable resistance levels to get the best cardio workout. Begin with a five-minute warm up and spend 150 minutes a week of moderate cycling or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, spaced out so you exercise almost daily. The American Council on Exercise advises that interval training is the best way to maximise a cardio workout. For instance, cycle for one or two minutes as fast as you possibly can, followed by a one-minute rest interval. Repeat the cycle of short, energetic bursts followed by recovery for 10 minutes. Work up to 20 or 30 minutes of intervals as your fitness level increases.
A cycling machine gives you cardiovascular and strength benefits while taking only a small toll on your body. Physical therapist Matthew Goodemote, on the Arthritis Today website, touts cycling machines for people with arthritis and osteoarthritis because there is much less potential for injury when compared to other types of exercise. Running pounds your joints, which can lead to knee and hip pain. All your weight is on the seat when using a cycling machine, so you are not stressing other weaker areas of the body. Biking has been seen as the ultimate exercise for those who want to lose the weight without affecting any other body part.
