If you feel like you’ve been spinning your wheels lately in the gym, it may be time to try a new style of exercise: Indoor cycling!
This accessible, challenging, and FUN workout offers so many benefits to your body. It’s no wonder that so many people swear by it—and sweat by it. Wonder how this class can change your body? We’re highlighting five key ways.
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5 Ways That Indoor Cycling Benefits Your Body
1. Indoor cycling is a fantastic endurance builder.
For people who find running on a treadmill or elliptical a little too boring, popping into an indoor cycling class is a fantastic alternative option. Regular cycling can improve your cardiovascular health and your aerobic capacity—the latter of which increases the flowing blood to your tissues and increases the number of energy-producing mitochondria in your cells.
2. Indoor cycling strengthens your muscles (and not just in your legs).
The muscle power it takes to propel your indoor cycle varies depending on the style of riding (which your instructor will lead you through step by step….or pedal by pedal, rather). But it’s not just great for your glutes, quads, and hamstrings—indoor cycling works your entire body and requires strength in your arms and core muscles, too!
3. Indoor cycling can boost your metabolism.
Many indoor cycling classes incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into their programs. This style of training is the best of the best when it comes to eliciting a metabolic state known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC.
Basically, the EPOC effect increases your metabolism and allows your body to keep burning extra calories for a given amount of time after the workout is over, which really helps you lose fat and lean out.
4. Indoor cycling is completely low impact.
Cycling allows you to build strength, endurance, and power without subjecting you to high impact forces of other activities like running and jogging. Plus, some people want to utilize cycling in their training but don’t feel comfortable riding a bicycle outdoors, making an indoor class the ideal alternative.
5. Indoor cycling allows you to enjoy a community-style workout.
There’s something extremely inspiring about being in a class surrounded by other hard-working people and an energized, knowledgeable, and motivating instructor. The music is bumping, the energy is palpable, and the release of “feel good” hormones that exercise is almost a definite!
If you struggle to find that intensity you want and need for optimal fat burning when working out alone, or if you just love the social aspect of staying fit, then an indoor cycling class would be perfect for you.
Ready to test one out for yourself? Check out our GX schedule and sign up for a free class pass!