I Have Bruises After My First Indoor Cycling Class

Indoor cycling is a great way to blast calories and burn fat. Participants also enjoy class camaraderie, cardiovascular benefits and sculpted hips, glutes and legs. The workout is fantastic, but the intensity, movements, positioning and saddle discomfort may come as a surprise to new riders. On occasion, newbies may experience bruising on their butts, legs or thighs from the ride, but there are a few things that can be done to prevent this.

Inner Knee Bruises

If you develop bruises in your inner knees, it's likely from hitting your legs against the resistance knob while standing. If this happens, you either have the handlebars adjusted too far forward or you're leaning your body forward when out of the saddle. Try adjusting the handlebars back, if necessary, and focus on keeping your weight over the saddle during climbs.

Butt and Thigh Bruising

The butt, groin and thighs are another common spot for bruising on the bike. The saddles on indoor bikes can take some getting used to, and a good pair of padded bike shorts can alleviate some of the discomfort. But if you're bruising in these areas, you may be bouncing in the saddle during high cadence drills. This can happen if you don't have enough resistance on the bike. Try increasing the resistance and reducing your cadence slightly to keep your body firmly planted on the saddle during sprints.