Exercise bikes - How to get the most from your investment.
Buying an upright exercise bike is a great investment in your future health but it is also a big investment financially. There is nothing worse than buying a bike and sitting it in the corner and using it as a coat stand, and watching it gather dust.
Firstly an exercise bike is a great tool for you to gain a good cardio workout. I prefer a magnetic exercise bike, we have one at home, as the resistance is smoother than other forms of bike. Basically there are magnetics around the flywheel which try to slow you down.
To get a real benefit you need to use the bike regularly. Try to set a time when you hop on a have a pedal. If you are trying to lose weight or just get fit the best way to do so is to set yourself a goal. Goals only work when you believe in them, it is no good saying I will lose 500 pounds by next thursday, it is just not believable, so you won’t even try to achieve it. But if you said I will lose 7 pounds by the end of next month, well you can believe that, once you achieve that you can set the next goal. Achieve the small goals and you are on you way to the big goals.
So try setting a target of say being able to cover a certain distance in 20 mins. This is where a cycle computer comes in handy. If right now that distance takes 25 mins then doing it in 20mins is not such a high target, you want to give yourself say a month to achieve it.
This is good way to prevent yourself getting bored, it is such a great motivator when you manage to cover the distance in 20mins.
It is a good idea to vary you exercise bike workout, as this can help improve your fitness level quicker.