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A Tale of Two Bikes
When the weather turns rainy, it's hard for most cyclists (unless they're die-hard athletes) to head outdoors for their regular ride. But does hopping onto a stationary bike offer the same benefits as going for a spin on a recreational bike? The answer, theoretically, is yes, but in reality, not likely, says Jim Hagberg, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist in the department of kinesiology at the University of Maryland.
"If you're exercising to maintain general health and fitness, you can do just as well on either bike," says Hagberg, "but if your goal is to train for a race or to lose weight, I don't think you can get quite as good a workout on a stationary bike as you can on a regular bike." Hagberg theorizes that even though you'd burn about the same number of calories on either bike, people are more likely to work out longer on a moving bicycle rather than on one that's not going anywhere. "It's easier to be out on the road for an hour or two than to sit on a stationary bike in a room for that length of time," he says. "It's much harder to get motivated indoors."
Hagberg also points out that "whereas your workload changes every few minutes on the road (you've got to deal with the wind in your face and the inclines and declines of hills), the only way to match that challenge on a stationary bike is to constantly adjust the resistance levels, which most people don't do." A further benefit of a cycling workout that takes you someplace, he says, is that when you're outdoors you're likely to stand up on your bike as you ride, which works your arms, back and shoulders. Most people don't get those advantages indoors unless they take a group cycling class in which an instructor provides the motivation.
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