Practicing indoor cycling on an exercise bike allows you to perform a super effective cardio workout, useful for burning a high number of calories and toning the muscles of the lower body and core.
Additionally, cycling can also help improve blood pressure and heart health.
However, in order for these benefits to be truly such, it is essential to exercise the exercise bike correctly and not to run into what can be errors in execution. Here are the most common, fortunately quite simple to correct.
with excessive force causes unnecessary tension in the forearms, neck and shoulders, which can cause discomfort during and after running, and with the passage of time even minor injuries or injuries.
How to correct it
Place your hands gently on the sides of the handlebar, with your thumbs up to keep your arm in the most natural position possible. This posture creates support for the upper body, encourages opening the chest and better engaging the lats and upper body muscles.
For added comfort, be sure to check the seat positioning.
to which adjusting the exercise bike must be commensurate with your abilities. Overdoing it can lead to neck injuries or strain caused by poor upper body posture as when you are under strain you sometimes tend to lift your shoulders up to your ears.Also, fighting against excessive resistance over a long period of time can lead to very rapid energy depletion and failure to complete the workout.
How to correct it
Adjust the intensity of resistance so that it leads to an effort that is not perceived as beyond one's abilities.
, buttocks, shins and calves. Focusing solely on pushing down can also lead to excessive mobility of the pelvis and lower back, which can lead to injury in some cases.
How to correct it
Work on the phase following the push on the pedal, trying to distribute the force in all directions. This sets some of the smaller muscles in the back of the thigh into motion.
of the bike and the configuration of the handlebars are not correct, training is not only uncomfortable, but puts you at risk for all kinds of injuries, especially to the knees, neck, lower back and shoulders.
How to correct it
Remember not to start training without checking that each parameter is suitable for your body configuration, especially if you train in the gym or the same equipment is also used by other people.
When adjusting the saddle height, stand next to the bike and lift your knee up to hip height. Then adjust the bike saddle so that it reaches the crease of your thigh. Even though it may seem too high it is not because while pedaling, the knee should bend only slightly, in order to avoid putting excessive stress and tension on the joint.
As for the handlebar, however, there is no single rule but it depends on everyone's preference and the type of training to be carried out.
If you want to make a particularly intense session, it is better to position the handlebar rather low, while pregnant women or people who use the tool to carry out post-injury rehabilitation can raise its height.
To maintain an upright position, place the seat at a distance of one forearm from the handlebar.
especially on the handlebars, rather than on the saddle. This puts too much strain on the upper body and can cause pain.
Leaning too far back and getting your shoulders out of alignment creates the same problem. In both cases the activation of the abdominal muscles is decreased and the core is not put in a position to work effectively.
How to correct it
Maintain the center of gravity on the bike throughout the duration of the exercise, in order to keep the weight in the central part of the body (core) and work stably with all the muscles involved in the workout.
A trick to understanding if you are maintaining correct posture is to look downwards from time to time while exercising. In an optimal situation, you should always be able to see your feet.
Also, your arms should be long and extended when out of the saddle.
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