A stationary bike is one of the most popular indoors
exercise equipment. It is an excellent choice of fitness equipment who wants to
enjoy a cardiovascular workout. Exercising a stationary bike is very easy and
convenient; anybody can use it anytime-anywhere; poses less injury potential to
hips, ankles and knees than walking or running. To get the best results and
avoid an unexpected injury, you should set up....
Set-up
your bike
Seat
height: Adjust the height of your bike seat up to the level of
your hips. It is very important. When you sit and placing your feet on the
pedals, your knee should have a slight bend (about 5-10 degrees) and your foot
should be flat and parallel to the floor so that you can rotate your legs with
pedals fully and comfortably.
Adjust seat: You can also adjust the
seat forward or backward for a more comfortable position if your bike allow so
that your knees should be closely aligned with your ankles. If your knees align
forward close to your feet or toes, adjust the seat backward.
Handlebars
height: Adjust the height of your bike handlebars 3 to 5 inches
above from the level of seat so that you can comfortably reach your arms out
from the shoulder to grip them while keeping your elbows slightly bent. To
increase the forward angle of your torso, the lower handlebars are more
comfortable and proficient than the higher handlebars while you riding the
bike.
Adjust
foot straps: Adjust foot straps on the center of the
pedal and tighten the toe. The straps should hold your foot safely in place but
not too tight so that the blood can flow easily in your feet.
Start
exercise on bike
Before starting exercise, make sure the proper set-up of
your bike. Exercise of bike is more luxurious and comfortable than any others
workout equipment. You can exercise on
bike while you watching TV or listening to your favorite music.
When exercising on a bike, start pedaling slowly until
you get warmed up and then steadily increase your speed and resistance. Try to
keep all of your weight in your legs and you should pedal up and down in a
piston-like motion. Perform this for at least 10 minutes to reach your heart
rate threshold.
Familiarize yourself with the display, controls, all the
numbers and buttons of your bikes to monitor your heart rate. You should keep
your heart rate between 60 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for 20 to
30 minutes workout.
Make a daily workout schedule. Start workout with 10 to
15 minutes a day in the beginning then add five minutes each week as you build
endurance. Try to use a gear that allows you to pedal quickly (70 to 100
strokes per minute). Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes per day on most of the
days of the week to achieve the best results.
