Your home exercise bike needs some preparation before you get on and ride away from the instructions and warm up tips. There are certain adjustments and rules that should be adhered to when cycling in your home. Read the following clues to master your home exercise bike:
- Read the Instructions – Before setting up the cycle, make yourself familiar with the settings, programs and display information. Read about the various properties of the home exercise cycle that will benefit you. Learn how to set the bike up theoretically, muscles worked and how to increase or decrease speed and resistance. Keep a copy of the instructions and guarantee in a safe place for future reference.
- Adjust The Cycle – adjust the seat and handlebars according to your body’s specifications, keeping safety in mind. Knees should be almost fully extended, but not locked when adjusting the saddle height and the handlebar height should not place strain on your lower back. Take some time to experiment with different settings and remember the exact height and settings to save time in future. Make sure that the adjustments are secure and will not move as you cycle.
- Sit Comfortably and Start Slowly – make sure that your bum is pushed back on the saddle and that you are not perched on the front as it is bad for your posture and other areas…Warm up slowly to increase heart rate and get muscles accustomed to movement.
- Select exercise routine, speed and resistance conservatively – start on a flat surfaces and progress to hills. You can either choose a quick start setting or a pre-programmed workout. If you use a program you will be asked to enter your weight, age, time and difficulty level that you want to ride, but the advantage is that the cycle should automatically adjust resistance and gradient during the ride. Conversely, we you select a “quick start” setting, only the length of time must be entered and continue pedalling, while adjusting speed and difficulty of your ride manually. Resistance and speed are the variable that make your workout more challenging, but start slowly and add speed or resistance slowly once the muscles are accustomed to the previous settings.
- Proper Posture – Keep your head up and your back straight and your abdominal muscles drawn in or contracted as you exercise. Do not elevate your shoulders as your upper body must be stable and relaxed while riding. Do not move your body while cycling as your legs are getting the primary workout. Your legs should be in alignment and knees should not be flying outwards or inwards. A good judge is to check that hips, knees and ankles are in a line when you look down from the saddle. Squeeze the saddle with the inner thighs and you will not look like a cowboy.
Begin your first cycle at a slower pace and build up the intensity over the first few sessions. After your session, workout information is summarized and cool down by slowing the speed of pedalling until your legs come to a stop. Stretch after cycling and congratulate yourself on a great workout.
Tags: Bikes, exercise, exercise bikes
