No More Winter Blues with the YOSUDA Exercise Bike

I’ve got to be honest, I’m kind of dreading the fall/winter weather. I love the cooler running temperatures, but I am not looking forward to endless runs in the rain. Yes, I will usually get it done, but there are some days when I just can’t convince myself to get out the door.

I can’t last on a treadmill for long, so I never invested in one. But, when I had the opportunity to test out the YOSUDA YB001R Magnetic Exercise Bike, I decided it would be good to mix things up and try something different. I enjoy biking outside in the summer for variety, but I never get on my bike once the weather turns.

So, this fall and winter will be different, as I’ll have an indoor option for cross training and for those days that I just can’t get myself out the door for a run. Perhaps I’m not dreading the forecast so much after all!

Why I like the YOSUDA Exercise Bike

• It’s super quiet, so if I want to listen to music, a podcast, or even watch a show without headphones I can easily do that.
• It doesn’t take up much space. I was able to tuck it close to the wall in the attic and there is still room to walk past it and/or use the floor space for other exercise.
• It’s easy to adjust the seat height and handle bar distance from the seat, so if someone else wants to use it – it’s not a big deal to change the settings.
• I can cycle both forwards and backwards with resistance. I am all about adding variety to every exercise I do, so the ability to go backwards and still be able to have a variety of resistance is a nice option to work my muscles differently.

Running vs Cycling

Both cycling and running use many of the same muscles, but not at the same intensity or in the same way. While both activities use the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves you definitely change things up when you cycle instead of run.

When cycling your quads are used to generate power, while running uses the quads more heavily for stabilization – although they do generate some power. Running uses the hip flexors heavily for generating power, but cycling hardly uses them at all. The hamstrings are a prime mover for your legs when running, but in cycling the hamstrings are used in the recovery phase of the movement, so they get lighter use when you cycle.

While this is just a few of the differences, you can see that even though you are primarily using your lower body for both running and cycling, there is a significant difference in muscle usage. Doing both is ideal for making sure some muscles get an easier day while others get used a little more.

And, combining both cycling and running helps prevent overuse of certain muscles and underuse of others. So, while cycling is not a direct substitute for running, it allows you to get in a cardio workout that complements your running.

I haven’t put many miles on the YOSUDA yet, as the weather hasn’t deterred me. But, I have used it for short intervals during my strength workouts to mix a little cardio in. It has been a nice option to have available and I foresee adding mileage as the weather changes.

While I never saw myself as someone who would ever have any indoor cardio equipment, just look at me now. Yea, change is good. I’m ready to cycle more. I mean, have you seen the legs on those Tour de France cyclists?