Exercise bikes?

[JHeaton]

Been considering one of these as a way of increasing the level of exercise that I do and was just wondering if I could get some opinions on how effective they are for helping to lose weight when used regularly? Thinking of starting off with half an hour every day, then starting to increase duration and intensity as time goes on, but I really have no idea if they're even any good for this kind of thing (last time I did serious exercise was 2004 and I was clueless back then, so... ).

Ideally, I want to be going to the gym and swimming, but at the moment my weight and size are such that I keep putting it off because I'm really unhappy with myself and generally lack confidence, so was thinking that I'd start to reduce my weight at home first. I've already started walking more, which is helping a bit, but I feel that I need to be doing something more now that I've started to get my eating under control. I've finally had enough of being so overweight, lacking confidence and generally just disliking myself, so work is going to begin. I'm just hoping my plan is a decent one and that I can get somewhere with it. Wanting to start playing cricket for a local club next year.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[BlackCoat2k10]

Okay a couple of years ago I was 17.5 stones of fat, I purchased an exercise bike with the aim of going on it 6 times a week. Each morning as I awoke, all I did was drink some water than 10 minutes later I'd be on the exercise bike. I started out doing a simple 10 minutes, and each week added between 2 and 5 minutes on, until I was reaching 40 minutes. I would aim to burn 100 calories in 10 minutes, and I soon found that I was getting more than this so I aimed for 500 calories within 40 minutes.

Over a period of 3 and a half months I went from 17.5 stone, down to a nice 14 and a half stone. Pretty stonking results to be fair.

I would say an Exercise bike, used regularly and Intelligently will greatly help with weight control. The majority of my weight loss (looking back) was my diet and I do remember cutting back on all sweat things eating more protein and less carbs and just generally eating a lot healthier.

If you do get a bike, dont think your action man and go in the deep end as you will regret it and cry inside.. Give it time and build up, find what suits you best and always try push the boundarys a little bit more every so often.

An alternative to an exercise bike is a xtrainer, these tend to use more muscle groups while you use them and I generally find them more fun to use with a better feeling of satisfaction after being on them. Problem with these is there are a huge variety and cost wise they can range from (£150 to £300++).

Keep us updated and if you are unsure on what type of bike / xtrainer to go for post on here and the kind people here will more than happily look into it for you !

 

[BennyC]

Save your cash, spend it on a gym membership as it's likely you'll make far greater progress there with the ability to do resistance training too.

Everybody else in the gym really couldn't give a toss what anybody else is doing! Anybody that is concerned what others are doing isn't going to make any progress anyway! You've also the possibility of meeting new people and making friends if you attend various circuit or spinning classes etc.

If you want decent CV equipment then you'll need to spend a fair chunk, generally speaking you get what you pay for.

 

[JHeaton]

...

Thank you for that, very useful information. Of course, would be looking to start small and work up to it, so I understand that going all-out straight away would be bad for me.

Save your cash, spend it on a gym membership as it's likely you'll make far greater progress there with the ability to do resistance training too.

Everybody else in the gym really couldn't give a toss what anybody else is doing! Anybody that is concerned what others are doing isn't going to make any progress anyway! You've also the possibility of meeting new people and making friends if you attend various circuit or spinning classes etc.

If you want decent CV equipment then you'll need to spend a fair chunk, generally speaking you get what you pay for.

The problem with that is that I find such things extremely difficult. I've spent the past three years rebuilding my confidence at a comfortable rate after roughly ten years of it constantly being hammered and I don't want to end up taking too big a step only to leave myself feeling bad. Yeah, it's pathetic, I know, but it's a problem that I've been making progress with at my own pace and I'm quite comfortable with that at the moment. :/

 

[kalvindeane]

Gather up the courage and join a gym Like Benny said, anyone who judges you because of your size isn't worth thinking about. Do you have any friends who go to a gym, or would like to go? Having someone with similar goals to yourself to go with is a big confidential and motivational boost (at least for me it is). Lots of people who are new at a gym can be a bit shy or lacking confidence slightly. From my own experience (which is being to three separate gyms so far), most other people in the gym are pretty welcoming and in fact

Your diet will affect you a lot, if you're keeping it in check, as well as exercising correctly (which is pretty simple), you'll see results. Supervisors/Trainers and other gym members will probably take notice if you're showing progress. When people give compliments on the changes that they see, it's a pretty good feeling

*edit* Ah just saw your last post
Well, it still applies. If you join a gym, you'll get better equipment. Not just the resistance equipment that Benny said, but you'd most likely get a better quality bike/treadmill/climber/x-trainer than you would if you were to buy one for home use, as equipment doesn't come cheap! Maybe your local gym would have a sauna and sunbed like my local gym does lol.

How much are you willing to spend on your equipment if you're planning to work out at home?

 

[BlackCoat2k10]

my point about dont jump in the deep end..

Just so you know I didn't mention it to berate you or anything, it's just I've seen so many people start something by going into the deep end and then they give up where as if they started out smaller they'd stick to it and do well.

I used to be similar to you in the fact I had very low confidence, and I mean low, to talk to people who weren't in my good circle of friends I'd have to be rather drunk and even then it was a challenge just because I used to be shallow and upset about my weight. I lost mine over my college summer break, so when I went back in the amount of compliments I got was staggering, from fatty to good looker.

As for the tips on joining the gym, I do agree. Since joining the gym I constantly get complimented even at the slightest gain / weight loss. Gyms are like a social hub where everyone seceretly wants some one to notice them and their gains / weight loss. I see it all the time and it does help. It may also be cheaper, I still have my exercise bike ( I paid £120 for it back then) so to me it was a worth while investment, where as my dads bike has long since broken and been disreguarded and cost £300, of which he probabally got less that 50p's worth of use from it.

Another option, if you have a stairs in you place.. use that to walk up and down do that a lot. Its cheap, its effective to some degree and it may help you shed a few pounds where you are then more comfortable to join a gym and further your gains as well as meeting new people and gaining much more advice.
Again like the above but a skipping rope? maybe incorperate it into your routine a bit and slowly work it up. I now use one and its fantastic, I probabally use it once or twice a week for a change from the bike.

 

[sammo62]

I bought an exercise bike and much prefer it to the gym.

I have back problems (slipped disc) which pretty much limit me to a bike as my only form of cardio exercise. I much prefer to put my own DVDs on and cycle than go to the gym and get an hour of skysports news being bored. I also find it much easier to motivate myself to use my bike than to go to the gym on a rainy night.

To each his own.

 

[JHeaton]

Gather up the courage and join a gym

It is something I am hoping to move on to, but preferably in my own time. I understand the potential benefits and I do want them, but I don't feel that I'm ready to make that step yet.

How much are you willing to spend on your equipment if you're planning to work out at home?

Well, that's the thing. I haven't got a clue what kind of race I should be looking at, sadly.

Just so you know I didn't mention it to berate you or anything, it's just I've seen so many people start something by going into the deep end and then they give up where as if they started out smaller they'd stick to it and do well.

I know, and I'm grateful for the advice.

I used to be similar to you in the fact I had very low confidence, and I mean low, to talk to people who weren't in my good circle of friends I'd have to be rather drunk and even then it was a challenge just because I used to be shallow and upset about my weight. I lost mine over my college summer break, so when I went back in the amount of compliments I got was staggering, from fatty to good looker.

I have that problem now, although it's starting to improve. At college, I couldn't even do a presentation to a group of five people that I knew really well, but that's not such a big deal now. I do struggle to hold conversations with people that I don't know well, though, and that's another thing I've been trying to work on by deliberately taking up the requests logged by people I don't talk to much at work.

Another option, if you have a stairs in you place.. use that to walk up and down do that a lot. Its cheap, its effective to some degree and it may help you shed a few pounds where you are then more comfortable to join a gym and further your gains as well as meeting new people and gaining much more advice.
Again like the above but a skipping rope? maybe incorperate it into your routine a bit and slowly work it up. I now use one and its fantastic, I probabally use it once or twice a week for a change from the bike.

Hmm, both sound like they'd be a good addition and certainly something I could probably try out sooner, whilst I get more information. Thanks.