While cycling is a fun outdoor activity, indoor cycling can be even easier and more rewarding than cycling around your neighbourhood. This is especially the case during the winter when you’d prefer to stay warm and dry or in the peak of summer when you’d rather stay out of the scorching sun. Even so, the benefits of indoor cycling have become even more apparent in the midst of the pandemic and accompanying gym closures.
Why should you try indoor cycling?
When you’re cycling on the road, you have to be on the lookout for drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists. The stress of avoiding accidents can easily take away from your enjoyment of the cycling experience. On the other hand, failure to be attentive on the road could turn you into a horrifying statistic. With the combination of poor road conditions, inattentive drivers and unfavorable weather, the risks of you having an accident outdoors are high. In contrast, cycling indoors is a more enjoyable experience. Since the external risks to you are fewer, you can go ahead and listen to music or catch up on your favorite podcasts as you work out. Even better, cycling indoors offers the same physical benefits as riding your bike around the block, without the hassle of navigating busy roads.
What are the physical benefits of cycling?
1. Better mental health
As a form of exercise, cycling boosts your mental health and confidence. This isn’t surprising, given the rush of endorphins you get after a good cycling session. Moreover, cycling allows you to set and accomplish targets, thus contributing to your overall confidence and self-esteem. Cycling regularly will boost your well-being both physically and mentally.
2. Boosts cardio
Cycling on a regular basis is a good way to strengthen your heart, lungs and muscles. This, in turn, expands your energy levels and keeps you looking and feeling younger for a longer time.
3. Improves lung capacity
Over the long term, cycling improves your lung capacity by 5-15%. When you have more efficient lungs, it becomes easier to do physical activities and your stamina increases. This makes exercising more enjoyable and less strenuous.
4. Strengthens your immune system
Cycling is a fun way to not only keep active but also boost your immunity. Cycling regularly boosts your immunity, making you less vulnerable to many illnesses. This is especially useful now, at a time when people are worried about getting COVID-19.
5. Builds muscle
Beyond helping you burn calories, cycling on the regular will help you build toned muscles, especially around your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. When you have muscle, you burn more calories than someone with less muscle, even on days when you aren’t very active.
6. Reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer
Since cycling is an effective way to burn calories and avoid obesity, it’s actually recommended as a way to avoid serious health conditions such as heart disease and different types of cancer. In fact, cycling regularly can reduce your risks of heart disease and cancer by half.
7. Improves brain health
Cycling is known to increase blood flow to the brain by up to 70%, effectively reducing the chances of developing dementia later in life.
As you can see, cycling in itself is a beneficial form of exercise. Cycling in a group is even more rewarding. Joining a cycling group can expand your social circle and boost your motivation levels immensely. In addition, cycling with a group can give you access to the maintenance and training advice that you’ve been looking for.
How Swerve Fitness can help
Swerve Fitness launched in 2013 as the world’s first-ever team indoor cycling studio. The Swerve Fitness team has watched riders from all over New York City show up, push themselves, and improve over the years. They’ve also seen them set personal bests, turn defeats into motivation for the subsequent victory, and take on challenges outside of their regular workout routine.
As gyms across NYC open back up, Swerve Fitness has partnered with Crunch Fitness to stream cycling challenges to gyms across the city. Each gym or studio will have its own team competing against other teams across the globe. Swerve Fitness has combined beat and power-based challenges to move your body and give your mind something to focus on. Add some friendly competition, and you will have a good time that is also good for your health.
For more information on Swerve Fitness, you can connect with the team on Facebook.