Imagine that you’re sitting in your lounge room watching television. You make sure there’s some good music or a good video on the screen. You mount your stationary bicycle in your lounge room and get to work. Your eyes close as you mentally drift to another place. You’re in the French Alps and Lance Armstrong is your riding mate. The two of you make your way up the hill toward the peak of the mountain. He pulls ahead of you, but not completely out of your sight. You can ride the Tour de France right from the comfort of your own living room.
Develop Cardiovascular Fitness
The best way to motivate yourself for exercise is to picture something you like. Many people would agree that a mental image of riding the Tour de France along with Lance Armstrong is a great way to get interested in working out. Stationary bicycles can help you develop and maintain excellent cardiovascular fitness. They can help your body become more efficient at using oxygen that your body needs to function properly. Imagining a scenario where you try to keep up with Lance Armstrong in the French Alps is fun and easy to do.
Great for Weight Loss
Stationary cycling is great for weight loss. Overweight individuals can start with a stationary bicycle when they are first learning proper exercise habits and techniques. The bikes place little to no stress on the joints, which means stationary bike exercises are also perfect for elderly people. You will receive an excellent baseline for fitness with the help of a stationary bike. A few months of stationary bicycle workouts can prepare you for more rigorous exercise, such as elliptical machines, treadmills, and running outdoors.
Choose Your Own Motivating Music and Videos
Good music or motivating videos are a must when you want to ride the Tour de France from your lounge room. Humans respond to music more than anything else. Put your favorite band on a stereo or on the television and start pedaling. You’ll want to pace yourself at first, especially if you’re new to stationary cycling. Although the bike itself doesn’t move, you’ll have a great workout in no time at all. Lance Armstrong will lead the way for your workout and encourage you to do your best to keep up with him. He could totally blow you away, but he’ll hang back with you for now to help you along.
Create a Successful Mindset
Creating a mindset to succeed is very important for any workout. The human body is capable of strength and perseverance beyond measure. Humans have so much power deep inside them that often remains bottled up for far too long. Trying to ride the Tour de France in your lounge room may be exactly what you need to be as powerful as you can be.
After a few weeks of stationary bike training, you’ll be glad that you tried to ride the Tour de France in your lounge room. Your health will improve dramatically if you have the will to continue training even when you’re tired. Try a stationary bike in your lounge room today and experience a wealth of health benefits.
Ryan is a Personal Trainer and cycling enthusiast from Melbourne, Australia. He enjoys getting out on his road bicycles but during periods of bad weather he will ride his stationary bike indoors with motivational music and videos. Ryan is currently training for his first professional cycling road race.