Is the exercise bike a waste of time?

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Sydamty
Sydamty Posts: 28
in Fitness and Exercise
I have one and in a conversation with a co worker yesterday I was told that it was a waste of my time. I was highly upset because... I have it at home and I dont have to go to a gym to use it.
I ride it about 30 minutes every other day at minimum.

I will eventually work my way up to something else... financially. but I never considered that it was a waste of time. It does work the cardio and the lower half...right?

I do sit up straight and try and work more of the ab/pelvic area when i'm exercising and if I am feeling energetic I do thing with my arms


any suggestions?


oh and an FYI:
i have to watch certain exercises due to a back injury over the summer. and my thoughts on the weight loss are to start moderate and work up to the more intense exercise... i didnt want to get burned out in the first few months. I thought , let the new eating habits and light exercise do there thing in the beginning ang slowly add in more exercise as the loss plateaued... does that make sense?

Replies

  • Adina81
    Adina81 Posts: 252 Member
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    As long as you keep your spine elongated and your putting effort into your workout (you know like anything else in life)
    I guarantee you the best back/*kitten*/legs.... I was never a runner I stuck to my biking and I have a rocking *kitten*.
  • Bethie_B
    Bethie_B Posts: 292 Member
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    Anything that gets you moving and burning calories isn't a waste of time. You are correct, it is cardio, and if you use resistance, you can get a fine workout for your legs.
  • Aello11
    Aello11 Posts: 312 Member
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    it is not a waste of time .... exercise of any kind is never a waste

    don't listen to what everyone at work says - do what is right for you
  • Adina81
    Adina81 Posts: 252 Member
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    it isn't a waste of time.

    When your legs are looking hot. please for me wear a skirt with heals and ask that same co worker if it was a waste of time.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Why did your co-worker suggest it was a waste of time?

    It's cardio (and there is such a thing as too much cardio, but 30 mins a day seems absolutely fine). And since it's in your hmae you can always get to use it.
  • blondeski
    blondeski Posts: 27
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    not a waste of time. some people swear by biking as their cardio because as long as the pedal, seat and handles are in the right position, its a challenging workout!

    look up online the proper way to ride an exercise bike and you will be fine

    also, you may want to try HIIT- high intensity interval training. it's easiest on a bike and will really get you sweating.
  • dbower18
    dbower18 Posts: 40 Member
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    This is a myth perpetuated by folks sitting on bikes in health clubs, slowly peddling while reading a newspaper or magazine. I have a recumbent bike at home, I work it in it at least once a week, it is great for high intensity interval training ( you can download apps to help keep time and music) or for cross-training ( I use the cardio program to keep my heart rate at a minimum and jump off every four or five minutes to do sit-ups, push ups, chin ups, whatever).

    Use your imagination, the point is just because you can dog it on a stationary bike doesn't mean you should. And it certainly doesn't mean you have to.
  • joconnor09
    joconnor09 Posts: 124
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    He probably thinks it is compared to whatever workout he does, but really whatever gets you moving, gets your HR up, and gets you sweating a little is good for you. I've done some bike exercises that left me covered in sweat and had my quads burning from effort. When it comes to ANY exercise, it's all about how much effort you put into it. And especially if you have a back injury and have to be careful about putting too much weight or strain on it, a seated exercise might be better for you. Doing something like an eliptical or something involving a lot of running motion might be too much torsion for your spine. Better to wait until your fully healed to get into exercises that require a lot of upper body movement. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for doing what you can to make yourself better and healthier! And, if you decide you're looking for other exercises, I'd recommend swimming- very low pressure on your joints, and, if you're doing it correctly, it shouldn't impact your back much at all. Swimming is great for injury recovery- or even water workouts in general- because it's so low impact (that's why all those seniors do water aerobics!)
  • beatpig
    beatpig Posts: 97 Member
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    As a cyclist, I use the cycle in the gym for my warm up and cool down before a weight session. No different.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    Why would it be a waste of time? Your aim is to burn calories, yes? Well that's what it allows you to do. If you like it and it suits your situation right now then go ahead and use it.
  • 76tech
    76tech Posts: 1,455 Member
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    How would it be any different than cycling on an actual bike? Many cyclists put their bike on a trainer to ride indoors through the winter.

    It's a perfectly valid form of exercise. Just make sure you're you're challenging yourself, setting the resistance, etc.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
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    Define : "waste of time". It's going to burn calories, and build endurance muscles in your legs assuming you go at it reasonably hard. It's not going to get your heart rate up like running most likely (unless you really push it), and it's not going to build muscles like weight lifting, but especially considering your constraints it's hardly a waste of time.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    A waste of time would be sitting watching TV, anything that gets you moving is not a waste of time. Even if you're just doing a leisurely spin for 30 minutes it's more than someone doing nothing.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
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    A waste of time would be putting any thought into a negative comment about an activity that is moving you towards your goals....keep pushing!
  • Sydamty
    Sydamty Posts: 28
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    I'm really glad I posted my encounter!
    Alot of what you all said was what I was thinking.
    It is better than doing nothing!

    We have both been losing weight about the same amount of time. And her Doc gave her tips on exercise and nutrition that were quite different than mine.
    My doc instructed me to do whatever got me moving with a little guidance on some of the machines to use at the gym that would help strengthen my back as well. Telling me to stay away from the elliptical and ZUMBA until he thought it was okay for my back. and also telling me to not do the treadmill because of the impact.

    so that limits me alot!


    I have been looking for a video on step aerobics... but nothing in the local stores at all. and i can't find a link to watch either. So I just keep pedaling on the bike.
    My time at the gym is limited . I have access while i'm in therapy for my back but its about an hour away... so the bike is definitely more convenient.

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