If you enjoy cycling outdoors but loathe dealing with the weather elements and sharing the road with motorists, it may be time to consider purchasing an exercise bike in Overland Park. There are numerous advantages that indoor cycling affords and it's not as boring as you may think. Here are some reasons you may want to consider moving your workout inside. Safety It's no secret that motorists and cyclists have long history of clashing, both literally and figuratively. Even with bicycle lanes, it can be quite daunting trying to get in a good workout on a bike while dealing with traffic. Indoor stationary bikes can help you get a great workout without the fear of being involved in an accident and injured. Build Your Endurance If you've been cycling on flat surfaces, chances are your endurance could use a kick start. While your legs may be getting a workout, your heart and lungs may be getting the short end of the stick. Stationary bikes have settings that allow you to gradually climb to higher elevations while pedaling. These workout machines are similar to treadmills and can be programmed to mimic hills to help you gain endurance. Many bicyclists that use a stationary bike for endurance training once or twice a week find that their outdoor rides are faster and they do not get winded as easily. Increase Your Speed Speaking of speed, stationary bikes can help you perfect speedwork sessions. If you're training for a race, you need to build up your endurance but also increase your speed. It can be difficult to go all out for 30-60 seconds when you're outside and worried about traffic. When you're indoors, the sky's the limit. There are 2 kinds of speedwork you can incorporate into your routine: standing and sitting. Standing speedwork improves your explosive power and also builds up your lactate threshold. Sitting speedwork raises your lactic threshold too, but it is often used as a way to build your rapid turnover. Whether you do seated sprints or standing speedwork, incorporating speedwork sessions into your training will greatly improve your race results. How to Make Indoor Cycling Fun Sure there are plenty of reasons why you should add indoor cycling to your cycling routine, but many people shy away from it because it seems rather boring. When you're riding on the road, there is scenery to look at and the general sense that you're actually moving toward something. If you've been avoiding indoor cycling because you think it's boring, consider the following suggestions to make it fun and challenging: • Turn up your music and let the beat guide you. Many cyclists do not listen to music while riding on the road because they need to have all their senses available to help them know if a car is getting near. When you're indoors, you don't need to worry about this and you can finally enjoy that awesome playlist you downloaded. • Cycle with a friend. When you use a stationary bike with a friend, you can challenge each other to speed races and encourage each other when you feel fatigued. You can ride side by side and chat with each other. Although biking can be a social event, most cyclists don't treat it as such because it's hard to carry on a conversation when riding on the road and watching out for obstacles. • Sign up for a spin class. Spin classes are fun and motivating. They are also major calorie busters. Not only could a spin class keep you entertained while biking in place, it can also improve your fitness level. So, there you have it. Now that you've read the benefits, the next question you need to ask yourself is "Am I ready to buy an exercise bike in Overland Park?" If the answer is yes, head to your nearest sports store to speak with a sales associate about the best stationary bike for you.
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