Cardiovascular health is super important.  It decreases your risk of heart disease and helps you feel more in-shape.³ There are a lot of different ways that you can get your cardio exercise in, but my favorite by far is hopping on my stationary bike. It’s a great way to get the blood flowing and kick off the day – but these are the 5 main reasons why I choose to bike over other cardio workouts.

1. It’s lower impact. I get terrible shin splints when I try to run. Rowing is fun but can put some strain on my back. Kickboxing is awesome but it can be pretty high-intensity. Meanwhile, biking is easy on my legs, gentle on the spine¹, and can vary in intensity for my heart depending on how I’m feeling.
2. It burns a ton of calories! The average 30-minute session on a stationary bike will burn about 300 calories.² That’s not a bad haul, considering you’re not jostling around as much so you can simultaneously burn through an episode of “The Office.”
3. Work that booty! Working out on a stationary bike helps to tackle and build up a ton of different muscle groups. First, it helps out your legs – a cycling session works out your glutes (dat peach tho), hamstrings, calves, and quadriceps. Your abs and lower back muscles are also employed to help you maintain your posture (on upright bikes) and get a decent workout too. Plus, if you have one of those snazzy crosstraining bikes, you might also be working out your arms!³
4. It’s all season with a smaller footprint. Even in the dead of winter, I can hop on my exercise bike without worrying about the weather. I can also bike at night without worrying about my safety. And I can adjust my central air so I’m always at the right temperature. Sure, these benefits can also be attributed to other cardio equipment, but there’s no denying that a small stationary bike has a much smaller footprint than a stairmaster or a treadmill.
5. You can multitask! As I mentioned up in number 2, the stationary bike is just that – stationary. You’re not bouncing and jostling around as much as you would be while running or on an elliptical. That makes it the ideal exercise equipment to watch a show, read a book, or browse the internet. You can kill two birds with one stone, and take your mind off the fact that you’re even exercising at all!

How do you like to get your cardio in? Do you try different machines or rotate around? What are the reasons you chose your cardio routine? I’m genuinely interested so please, leave a comment below or on Instagram!

¹Spine Health: Exercise Bikes for a Low Stress Work Out
²Livestrong: How Many Calories Are Burned on a Stationary Bike in 30 Minutes?
³Vescape: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Stationary Bike

Feature Photo by Martin Barák on Unsplash