There’s an air bike is at my gym and I’m curious about it, so today seems like a good day to post about the top health benefits of air bike exercise, as well as an air bike workout. This top 10 list will put to rest any doubts you might have about “Is air cycling good exercise?”
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Work it!
Doing some physical exercise daily can help boost your immune system and manage your health. When it comes to the cardio part of your workout, indoor exercise bikes are becoming popular; they’re easy to do and usable in any weather, anytime and anywhere. There are different kinds, including assault air bikes that work both the arms and legs for full-body movement.
Some of these machines have customizable fitness goals, heart rate monitors, and much more. Other types of indoor bikes are spin and upright.
Cycling inside is a great way for people of a range of ages to lose weight or maintain the best health. Not to mention reducing stress and avoiding a bicycle accident out on the road.
Riding an exercise bike can be an effective way to burn fat and calories; a 2010 study found that indoor cycling with a low-calorie diet is very effective in reducing body fat. Those who participated in the study cycled for 45 minutes thrice a week and consumed 1,200 calories daily over a 12-week period.
Moreover, a stationary bike puts minimal force on your joints, which is great for anyone with joint issues. And you’ll still get a great aerobic workout.
But what does air cycling do that’s unique?
An air bike is a calorie-burning option that uses legs and arms, unlike a spin bike. Pump your arms and cycle with the legs for a full-body workout.
Furthermore, there’s a fan within the machine; that’s why it’s also called a fan bike. This fan is installed to generate wind resistance, so the harder you pedal it gets harder.
At the same time, your back, arms, abs, and obliques all get in shape as you push against the resistance. Pull the bike handles to generate more speed.
You could use an air bike at home or the gym for stamina-building workouts, using short bursts of pushing actions. Just strap your feet in the air bike’s paddle and start riding like hell.
Grip the handles strongly as you need to push them out and pull them in with much force. The harder you can go, the more resistance you will create, and the bigger the burn you will get by end of the session.
Here’s an air bike workout
As promised, here’s an example.
Total Time you’ll need: 25 minutes
What to use: An air bike (duh!). If it’s your first time using it at the gym, ask a trainer to show you how to use it properly and make use of all the features.
What to expect: Start every exercise with a warm-up – but avoid these 4 things pre-workout.
The workout: Complete 12 rounds of alternating 40 sec on the air bike and 40 sec of bodyweight exercise. Allow about 20 seconds for the time to alternate between each round.
What you’ll notice here is that the fan bike is a great part of a HIIT workout. By varying the movements and alternating between high-intensity and low-intensity periods, you’ll have an amazing calorie-burning fitness session.
Cool-down: Make sure you do a cool-down at the end too. Pedaling for 5 minutes at an intensity level of 5 will help reduce the chances of muscle cramping or tightness, as well as cool off your body temperature and prevent fainting.
Top benefits of air bike exercise:
Want to know more about the health benefits of exercising on fan bikes? Here you go!
1. Helps increase brain power
Recent research found that just a 5% improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness from cycling can amount to 15% improved mental fitness when tested. Air biking does so in a low-impact way that is less likely to damage your joints than other cardio methods, such as running. Just make sure you sit properly.
So your grey matter sparkles? Of course, the answer would be YES. Then get up and start pedaling, as it helps in building new brain cells in your hippocampus. It’s a part of your brain that is responsible for memory, which starts declining from the age of 30.
When it comes to “What does air cycling do?” you’ll see that it has mental benefits in addition to the physical ones!
Also, doing bike exercise can boost blood flow to your body as your heart rate increases, which. As a result, a maximum amount of oxygen goes to the brain to help in firing and regenerates receptors.
2. Perfect equalizer
Riding a stationary bike is straightforward but do make sure that you use proper form. I remember when I used to take spin classes, the instructor would stress the importance of keeping a straight back.
While it seems intuitive to ride a bike that goes nowhere, you have to be careful not to hunch your back and to adjust the height of the seat as well as the bars to best fit your body.
Also, keep your knees in line with your feet; if you’re like me then your knees naturally come in a bit. Once you are cognizant of it, do your best to maintain good form.
A great choice for working out from home on an air bike is the Endurance FB300B Dual Action Fan Bike from Fitness Factory. It suits both beginner and more advanced riders with high-intensity workouts, as well as being fully adjustable.
Plus, the transport wheels make it easy to transport when you want to take it to another room or move to a new house. Here are other reasons to love it:
- Adjust the seat horizontally or vertically for the best position
- 27″ steel resistance fan
- 12-gauge steel movement arms
- LCD display shows quick program buttons, RPM, time, calories, watts, and more
- Get the most out of your cardio equipment
Fitness Factory conveniently delivers it to your home, typically within 2 weeks.
3. Boost cardio health
While the research on cycling and heart health isn’t a huge amount, there’s still evidence that could get you on the air bike sooner rather than later. For example, a 2016 study found that those who regularly cycled had approximately 15% fewer heart attacks than those who didn’t get on a bike. Even just 30 minutes per week of pedaling was enough to reduce the rate of heart disease.
Of course, it’s important not to overdo it when it comes to intensity level. Up the resistance only when you’re ready to do so.
And be sure to rest as you feel is necessary for your body. Drink lots of water too!
4. Weight loss benefits of air bike exercise
Obviously, this one varies according to your fitness goals. For example, you might cycle to maintain your current fitness level rather than to shed pounds.
But if you’re looking to lose weight, cardio will certainly get you moving and that’s putting you on your way to getting to your desired body weight. An assault air bike in particular can burn 1.5 times more than a stationary bike, according to Shape; that’s good news for anyone wanting to spend less time exercising while having an effective session.
As for the number of calories per minute you can expect to burn, it depends on how intense you’re going on the machine. As per Shape, the writer of that article burned 30 calories in a minute and burned roughly the same number of calories in 10 minutes as would have done in a 35-minute run.
5. What does air cycling do? It strengthens lower body muscles
If you use a higher resistance while riding a fan bike, it can help strengthen your lower body and legs. The pedaling builds your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
And this movement also helps in making your back and glutes stronger. If you are using the handlebars of the bicycle, you can work on your upper body muscles too, including the shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
Overall, you’ll likely see improvements in the range of your joint motions as you use the bike regularly. Get maximum benefits from cycling from your knees, ankles, and hips. All of your body joints start rotating when you start pedaling, improving their motion and strengthening them.
4 more benefits of air bike exercise:
6. Much safer than road cycling
Outdoor cycling is a great way to exercise and enjoy the surroundings, but there are certain hazards like:
- Slick roads
- Uneven paths
- Poor visibility
- Drivers not watching for cyclists
And the weather is one of the biggest hurdles, including the cold and the rain. All these factors are enough to mess up your motivation to go outdoors for exercise as you worry about getting into an accident or uncomfortable weather conditions coming your way.
Rather than riding outside, which could be unsafe, stay at home or inside the gym to get your fitness on. When it comes to the benefits of air bike exercise, it can be a safe space for you to get your fitness on.
7. Reduce stress
What does air cycling do? While it might be hard to believe, at least at first, exercise is good for relieving mental stress. When you first start on the air bike, though, you’ll likely curse it for being difficult. Is air cycling good exercise? It is when you use it properly and its fitness challenges help your mind too!
But as you get into better shape, you’ll start to notice likely that you’ll enjoy it and actually look forward to riding it. It can stimulate the body and mind, as well as reduce stress. The mental benefits come because of the reduction of the body’s stress hormones that come from exercise.
The activity stimulates endorphin creation or the number of feel-good hormones in the brain. It’s those same endorphins that explain a runner’s “high.” And then after that tough workout comes a feeling of relaxation and also the mental boost of knowing you got through it and came out the other side.
8. Biking and cancer
What, you want more health benefits of air bike exercise? OK!
A significant amount of research exists on the links between cancer and exercise. Several studies show that more physical activity corresponds with lower risks of certain cancers, including colon and breast cancers.
Furthermore, biking can be an activity to look forward to after cancer. For Eve Mart, for example, cycling is her escape after battling breast cancer for the past decade. While she had tried returning to the gym following treatment, she explains that she instead wanted to be out and free of the four walls.
In this case, it could be that you get on the air bike twice a week and pedal outdoors one or two other days weekly. That way you get both time in nature and the comforts of indoors if it’s raining or cold weather.
9. Track your progress
There are no strict rules on how long you need to exercise on an air bike or how many calories you must burn in a day. There also isn’t any hard and fast rule on how much weight a newbie is supposed to shed within the first month as part of your healthy lifestyle.
But you can see a power-to-weight table on your machine. That’s designed to show you how many calories have been burned so far.
If you belong to a gym, ask for a fitness assessment test at the start of your experience with the air bike and then again a few months later. A good gym will do so for its members.
The tests show you not only total body weight but also muscle mass and fat percentage. Then you can easily track your improvement over time.
10. Interval training benefits of air bike exercise
Interval training will allow you to swap short bursts of some intense exercise with long intervals of less intense air bike exercises. By doing so, you can burn more calories in less time, and you can bump up your cardio fitness.
In air biking, there is a variety of resistance levels that can help you in exercising at low, medium, and high intensities. That’s the best part of these bikes for an interval training workout.
But do remember one thing, if you are a starter; don’t ever go at medium or high intensity. Always use the low intensity and increase time after a week to see better results. When it comes to “is air cycling good exercise?” the answer is that it is when you know exactly how to use the bike for your desired goals.
Before buying an air bike
Before shopping for your new air bike, do your homework as there are so many options available in the market that it can be confusing about which one to buy. Some key points to consider before purchasing one:
- Don’t lean forward or backward during cycling; if you lean too much, your breathing and oxygen intake will be hampered
- Keep your core tight while exercising
- Do you have space for the machine at home or does it make more sense to use the gym machines?
- Are you going to buy a new one or go with a used one?
- How much do you want to spend?
- The handles should be adjustable and can be easily moveable
- Ensure the bike’s resistance option works and is easy to operate
Talking about maintaining the benefits of bike exercise by staying motivated
Freedom and convenience are key factors when having an air bike at your house. You can exercise while listening to music or watching a TV show.
Just know that when you multitask like that, you risk slowing down the intensity of the exercise as you’re distracted. But then again you might work out for a longer period than if you were bored.
Here are some more points to help you stay motivated:
- Find a friend, partner, or someone else with whom you can exercise. They can be the best accountability for you, and they could help you in sticking with the routine.
- You can write down your monthly workout plan in advance, which could be a week before. In case you miss a day or two, reschedule it immediately.
- There is a purpose for every workout; day one could be the strength day, the second day would be a recovery day, and the other day is a speed day. If your bike has different programs, give them a try on every alternate day. You can also use the bike as a warm-up or cool-down training machine.
- Make a playlist of favorite songs or any podcast. Your music can help you in bringing some variations to the workout. You can peddle even more vigorously with the fast beat songs whereas slow beat songs can be ideal for resistance training.
Is air cycling good exercise? It IS when you use it correctly
There are some of the best tips for getting the smartest workout from the equipment:
- Make sure that the bike fits you properly. You can seek help from any trainer or a store owner to make sure that the seat height is correct for your body and you will not be sitting too far away from the handles
- Sit lightly on the seat
- Support your back with the help of abdominals
- Relax your upper body
- Keep shoulders down, away from the ears
- Research your machine and know how to stay safe while using it to get the most air bike cycle benefits. You should know all points on how to control its intensity and change the bike’s program
- You can buy a gel seat and a pair of padded shorts for some additional comfort. Suggest one to a friend too when they ask “is air cycling good exercise?” and you enthusiastically nod
People who are new to air bikes or any other exercise bike are best to start with modest goals. It’s better to get on the bike and do exercise for 10 minutes a day and increase the time gradually than risk tearing something.
Final thoughts on the leading benefits of air bike exercise
Finally, health is wealth; a saying that every ill person believes. He/she is ready to give all of their wealth just to get back their health at any cost. This is the latest technology era, and people use cars and other transport to move from one place to another.
So many people today spend most of their time sitting in front of computers, phones, and TV. To be in shape and achieve better health, you need to go out for a walk, join any gym, and do bicycling. Regular air cycling workouts are great, and to answer the question initially asked “Is air cycling good exercise?” the answer is yes!
Start working on your fitness from this very moment to keep all health hazards out of your reach. And listen to what your body is telling you. Stay healthy!
Super nice article! Totally agree! I mentioned cycling benefits throughout my blog as well many times!
Most times in the open air though, I must say haha.
Great that you’re enjoying the benefits of cycling too!