Cycling is a great sport, whether in the gym or road. It’s the best and easiest thing that any person can do to maintain a healthy life. Indoor cycling is more alike for beginners and experts. They just have to know the process of setting up an indoor bike properly. The adjustment of an indoor exercise bike for tall person or a short person can make a huge difference.
It can create stress on muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons if your bike set up is not correctly done. Here, we will share some tips and tricks for adjusting your indoor bike seat.
Importance of Proper Indoor Bike Set-Up
A proper bike setting will ensure a comfortable ride by reducing any injury risks. You can effectively do the workout at home if you are done with the bike set up accurately. A comfortable ride can enhance the willpower to push harder and workout for a longer time. The more accurately you set up the bike the greater pleasure you will feel.
An improper seat will affect your knees and end up with huge pain and discomfort. When you sit incorrectly and paddle for a long time it will hurt the knee. Also, bad posture causes back and shoulder pain. If the handlebar is not properly adjusted then you will injure the wrist. Too high and low seats cause strain, foot pain, soreness. Uncontrolled movements will affect your whole body badly.
So, pay attention to setting up the bike first and make proper form.
5 Essential Tips for Adjusting Your Indoor Bike Seat
A perfectly adjusted indoor bike can make a difference between a productive workout and a wasted one. So, we hope our below tips will help to get all the benefits of your workout.
Adjusting Seat Height
You just can’t imagine how important is seat height for cycling. Not only it gives you comfort throughout cycling, but also it will affect your productivity and health. A too high seat can cause less effectiveness and a too-low seat can cause extreme knee pain.
Stand alongside the bike and bring the seat up. Use your hip bone to adjust the seat by paralleling the bike seat with it. Most people find it an idle technique for adjusting the height. If you are unable to feel this bone, don’t worry, just raise your leg upward. Make sure to parallel your thigh to the floor and then you can feel it.
Check Knee Position
Sit down on your bike and start rotting feet until one leg comes at the bottom of the paddle. Your knee should be slightly bent between 5 to 35 degrees. If it’s locked or too bend then again adjust the seat down or up a little bit. Remember, if your knees are too bent or straight then it can cause pain or a lot of strain.
Align Knees Correctly Over Your Feet
To make sure that your knees are aligned with the feet put the hands on the front side of the handlebars. Rotate the pedals until your knees are bent and feet are equally distant from the ground.
If your knee is far behind or in front of the feet pull forward the seat or, pull it back towards the handlebars.
Adjust the Handlebars
Not all bikes but some of them allow moving their handlebars as per comfort from the seat. The handlebars height adjusted by personal preferences. But, for newbies slightly higher handlebars will be best to guard their back. To adjust the handlebars blend slightly in your elbow by putting hands on the front of the handlebars. Avoid extending your arms forward too much; it may cause lower back pain.
Check Body Posture
All these adjustments are made to allow perfect body posture for maximum efficiency. The perfect body posture is straight back, slightly bend elbows, open up the chest. Also, make sure shoulders should be away from ears, keep shoulders blades together, lock your core.
The handlebar’s grip should be relaxed and loose so that it can prevent muscle tension of arms and shoulders. There are three common hand positions. These are-
- Prayer Position: Your hand’s palms should be on the back bar and away from the center slightly.
- Second Position: Put the hands slightly above the bar corner and on the outer edges.
- Third Position: Keep the hands outside and slightly below at the top of handlebars.
Before getting started check the comfortable grips on handlebars, and let the legs to handle the body weight. Make sure the knees don’t hit the bar.
After completing and checking the whole set up, now you are ready to bike like a pro. For better benefits always warm up first it will make you more comfortable for biking. Go, burn those calories, and make yourself fit and fine.
Benefits of Indoor Biking
Indoor biking will help to reduce fat and improve health conditions. It boosts muscle endurance, maintains blood sugar level, reduces heart disease, and bad cholesterol. An orthopedic patient recovers from their injury with the help of indoor biking. It can lower the stress level, enhance body immune response, improve strengths. This exercise is idle for a cardio workout because it puts very little stress on their joints.
After a few months of constant biking, you can feel improved stamina, empowered physically and mentally. Make you enable to handle frequent or longer workouts, quickly recover from injuries. Your body muscle will get a better supply of oxygen and nutrients. Which ensures more blood flow to your muscles. This session is also beneficial for long-term depressed people. It will heal your mental health by preventing depression.
Conclusion
An effective, low impact cardio option is indoor biking. That can help to build body strength, also cardiovascular health. To gain all those benefits make sure you have well adjusted the exercise bike. Read these above tips and follow them carefully. Finally, secure the seat, handlebars, adjust other areas before hopping into the bike. That can supply a great boost to your workout and no injuries.