First of all, any form of exercise is better than no exercise at all, and there are benefits to riding a bike every day. So, when is it a good idea to include indoor cycling into your daily routine?
When you are recovering from an injury or illness
After an injury, you may need to take a break from weight-bearing exercise to promote recovery. Cycling is one of the first recommendations that sports doctors and physical therapists recommend to their patients for recovering from an injury. Because cycling is a non-impact exercise, cycling helps people recovering from an injury get back to the gym safely. Since cycling is classified as a minimal impact exercise, it will help relieve pain while increasing cardiovascular fitness.
For cross-training
Walker adds that indoor cycling is also a great form of cross-training for runners who need to give their joints a break from pounding the pavement. Running is high-impact, while cycling is non-impact.
Interval training on a stationary bike can also improve cardiovascular endurance, which will help your performance in other fitness classes or sports. Cross-training is always a good idea so you don't overuse specific muscle groups.
For interval training
Interval training is a training method in which you exercise yourself for a period of time, then relax for a short period of time, and then push harder.
The benefits of interval training are well documented. The American College of Sports Medicine has shown that interval training can improve cardiovascular health, blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. Interval training also tends to be a more effective way to exercise, providing these benefits in a shorter period of time than traditional aerobic exercise.
Walker explains that indoor cycling is a natural interval workout. As the beat speeds up, so do your legs. When the beat slows down, you increase the tension on the bike, which makes it harder to pedal.
In cycle classes, intervals are instinctive because the music will dictate how fast or slow to push and motivate you to pedal fast in high-intensity blocks. In addition, Walker says, participants typically burn 400 to 600 calories in a 45-minute session, which can promote weight loss.
If you really like it
Music has made indoor cycling a favorite exercise for many people. Plus, it's a form of exercise that's suitable for people of all fitness levels. If you're new to exercise, following the instructor's instructions and the beat of the music can take some of the pressure off and give you an idea of what to do. If you feel self-conscious about working out in front of people, you can simply grab a spot in the back row. Regular exercisers only need to increase the resistance and push a little harder to get a high-intensity workout that can even make super fit people sweat.