Do you want to lose weight in the comfort of your own home? Then a cardio bike might just be what you need. Thousands of people all around the world are using exercise bikes at home (or in gyms) to lose weight and get in shape.

But what exactly is a cardio bike? And is it really that effective if you want to lose some extra kilos. Are there other benefits? The answer to these questions and more you will find in this article.

You’ll also learn an effective workout that you can use at home to get fitter and lose weight. And if you’re curious, at the end of this article you’ll find some good examples of cardio bikes that you are of high quality – but affordable.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s dive into this cardio bike article!

What is a cardio bike

A cardio bike is another name for an exercise bike. It effectively is a bike that is made in such a way that it is stationary and can be used in one place. So it’s not effective to get from A to B! But if you don’t like going to the gym and biking outside is not an option for you (bad weather or dangerous), then biking at home is a great alternative.

Cardio bikes have been around for a long time. At first, they were only used by professional cyclists who wanted an easy way to train at home. After all, sometimes the weather stopped them from biking outside. And they needed to train otherwise they might not win their next race!

So if professional cyclists use them to train – are they effective too for you and me?

Is working out on a cardio bike effective?

The answer is simple. Yes. Exercising on a cardio bike is a good way to train. There are numerous benefits and losing weight is one of them. The main reason why they work is because it’s a good way to move your body.

After all, regular cycling works as a way to get in shape – so biking at home also works. Another reason why this is a good strategy if you want to get into shape is the following. You see, many people have a gym membership but they don’t use it. The reason or that is because the gym might be far away and it really creates another hurdle (e.g. having to drive there for 30 minutes) that stops them from working out.

The real power of having a cardio bike at home is that you can literally workout any time you want! So if you prefer to exercise in the morning, then you can do that. And if you want to blow off some steam after a long working day – you can do that too!

So because it’s more available you will log more hours exercising. And as we all know, the more you exercise, the faster you’ll get in shape!

Example beginner cardio bike workout routine

You’re probably curious for a good bike workout routine that you can do home. After all, if you don’t have a routine to follow then your workout is probably not going to be very effective. If you go sit at your bike without a specific plan to follow then chances are high you’re going to spend less time exercising and not giving all that you’ve got.

That’s why it is good to have specific routine in mind. Here is an example routine that you can use to lose weight and get in shape:

• Monday – 45 minutes of regular biking at a pace that is comfortable for you.
• Tuesday – interval training: bike for 5 minutes at 90% max speed. Then for 5 minutes go at a very relaxed pace. Repeat this 4 times for an effective workout.
• Thursday – 45 minutes of regular biking at a pace that is comfortable for you.
• Saturday – interval training: bike for 5 minutes at 90% max speed. Then for 5 minutes go at a very relaxed pace. Repeat this 4 times for an effective workout.

Before each workout. Bike for 5 to 10 minutes at a very relaxed pace to make sure that you are warmed up well. And after the interval workouts, be sure to take 5 to 10minutes to bike very relaxed to make sure that you won’t get injured.

It’s also important to take Wednesday, Friday and Sunday off. These are your rest days and they are necessary to make sure that your body recovers well enough to handle the workout days!

Some good cardio bike examples

Sunny health & Fitness

If you want a good bike that allows for maximum power, then the Sunny health & Fitness bikes are for you. Especially their Pro Indoor Cycling models are great if you want to workout hard at home. They come with many extra’s such as an LCD display on which you can see all the important data about your workouts. Speed, time, distance covered and heart rate.

Click here for more detailed information about the Sunny health & Fitness Pro Indoor cycling bike!

Schwinn Exercise bike

Schwinn is a German company that produces high quality exercise bikes. If you’re serious about getting in shape on a cardio bike, then you need a bike that will help you reach your goals. The Schwinn recumbent bike offers you 29 different programs – so you won’t even have to create a routine for yourself. Or look it up on the internet.

Simply pick one of the programs that is available on the bike and start pedalling. It’s a great way to get fit and you’ll find that after a couple of workout you’ll try to achieve new records!

For more information about the Schwinn exercise bike – click here to go my comprehensive Schwinn bike review!

 

 

P.S. exercising on a cardio bike is a great way to get in shape. Want to know what to look for in an exercise bike? Then click here to read my guide that shows you how to pick the best exercise bike for your goals!