Not A Professional Road Biker?
No Worries! Regular Cycling For Exercise Is More Than Enough....

The Power of Cycling for Exercise

It gets your heart and lungs into the cardio-respiratory fitness zone! That's how powerful it is!

Besides walking , my other favorite cardio is cycling.

All because cycling is, just like walking, an easy and convenient cardio and I can do it any time of the day.

I get on the bike, peddling past my chosen, preferred routes, easily and enjoyably for up to 6 miles per 30 minute session, without feeling strained in my body!

With cycling, I seem to burn calories a lot more easier since I can cover more miles in less time, hence burn more of my body fat.

As I cycle, I get to enjoy and appreciate the fresh air, the warm sunshine and the beautiful scenery - this way I get by to pass fast my exercise time!

In a blink of an eye (so to speak), 30-40 minutes would have already gone by. And I've accomplished cycling for up to more than 6 miles!

(P/S: If you're worried about traffic fumes and smokes, relax! According to a study, cyclists and pedestrians actually breathe in lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes and smokes than car drivers!)

If you don't like walking, jogging or running, try cycling for exercise.

....Hey.....You don't need to be a professional road biker to benefit from cycling. Just a regular cycling routine is enough to give you effective exercise to improve your physical fitness.......

You'd be surprised at what cycling can do to you and your body's health.

Let's get more acquainted with cycling as an exercise......

(P/S: When talk about cycling, I include here both outdoor cycling and stationary cycling. They're both beneficial to you. But I'll be referring to outdoor cycling since I think this would be your more preferred cycling choice?)

First, cycling for exercise, if you choose it, is a great cardio exercise.

Second, it works well for you and me and for anyone.

Third, it gives you these benefits:

• Improves your cardio-respiratory (meaning heart and lung) fitness
• Decreases your risk of heart disease. One study done on cycling and health finds that new cyclists covering short distances can reduce their risk of death (mainly due to the reduction of heart disease) by as much as 22.5% !
• Increases your capacity to burn body fat to lose weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work 5 times per week burns off an equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year!

  And when you combine cycling for exercise with a healthy weight loss diet , you'll get an enjoyable and effective weight loss program!

• Helps you to maintain strength and coordination as the strength and co-ordination that regular cycling brings reduce incidences of your falling, injuries and hip fractures, when you're older
• Improves your leg strength and you're in for a bonus because leg strength improves other mobility, for example, by allowing you to get out of any seated position more easily and helping you to avoid falls (and the broken bones) and other injuries associated with the falls
• Regulates your blood pressure
• Has positive effects on how you feel too. Cycling for exercise or any kind of moderate exercise has been found to reduce levels of depression and stress , improve mood and raise self-esteem, and has also been found to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome

I find cycling attractive because:

• It exercises the heart better than walking and without the hard pounding of running or jogging
• I can ride a bike to almost anywhere, at any time and at low cost
• No time lost, as I can cycle to work, perform errands, or enjoy the outdoor ride, as part of my exercise routine
• It's an excellent way to cardio-exercise for 20 to 60 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days per week to achieve good health and cardio-respiratory fitness
• It's as effective as walking and running for toning large muscles of my lower body (legs, thighs)
• It provides the needed cardio activity to stimulate the cardiovascular system but with less stress on my joints. Cycling is one of the best exercises for improving my cardiovascular fitness
• Exercise researchers say that cycling for exercise is as good as exercises like running and swimming for attaining health and fitness. It causes less wear and tear on the joints and muscles than jogging
• It can be done alone, with a partner or with a group, at any time and by any reasonably fit person - regardless of age
• It fits well into my busy lifestyle
• Even a small amount of cycling can lead to significant gains in my fitness. A study found that cardio fitness was boosted by 11% after just 6 weeks of cycling short distances, 4 times per week. Say, if I cycle the equivalent of 4 miles to and from work in total per day, my cardio benefit increases to 17%!

Ah, well......

Cycling for exercise sounds more and more alluring to you?

You and I and anyone of reasonable fitness levels can cycle.

But if you've heart disease or other conditions affecting your activity, you should consult your doctor before starting cycling for exercise or any exercise program.

To get the most out of your cycling exercise, you'd want to know these helpful tips:

• Always warm up
• Adjust the seat height so your knee gets only a slight bend, about 10 to 20 degrees, when your foot is at the bottom of a pedal swing
• Put on stiff-soled shoes when cycling. A soft-soled shoe, such as the ones used for running or walking, absorbs too much pedal force and makes your pedaling inefficient
• Always wear a proper fitting helmet when cycling outdoor
• Gradually increase the duration (how long) of your cycling before you increase the intensity (i.e. speed or cycling in hilly terrain)
• Your pedaling speed can vary depending on your fitness level and comfort, but 50/70 revolutions per minute (rpms) usually can provide you with a good workout if you're a beginner, with 70/90 at a higher level
• After your cycling session, cool down by pedaling at a low resistance for 5-10 minutes

Cycling is an excellent exercise if you've arthritis simply because the exercise improves your leg strength, helps you to maintain and control a healthy body weight (by burning your body fat), which is good for your joints.

And riding a bicycle is not jarring to your joints the way running or jogging can be.

It can be fun, which is crucial for helping you stay committed to an exercise program. It can be done from virtually any fitness level.

Get the right bike. There're many styles and varieties in the market. Your good choice will be on a "comfort bike" which lets you sit more upright, on a more ample seat space with decent shock-absorption.

The recumbent bike is another good choice. These bikes place you in a semi-reclined position and distribute your body weight across your buttocks and back.

Your hands, arms and shoulders are in relaxed position and aren't bearing the weight of your torso. Good for your legs too!

If you're suffering from knee arthritis involving your kneecap joint (patellofemoral arthritis), take caution! You could aggravate your knee when you cycle.

So, it's best to consult your doctor before you start cycling for exercise. He or she can tell you whether this exercise is suitable for you based on your specific condition and medical history.

When you cycle, make sure the height of your seat is comfortable, to be at a level that won’t make you fully extend your leg while pedaling.

Fully extending or overextending your leg causes your joints to be overworked, which leads to pain and swelling.

Set the pedal so your leg is just slightly bent (not totally straight) when your foot reaches the bottom of the pedal-stroke.

In order to get a good workout from cycling, you want to aim for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes or more, at a steady pace.

Cycling is one way you can keep fit if you've fibromyalgia.

It'll increase your flexibility and muscle strength.

It'll help decrease your symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome.

You'll improve your strength, stamina, cardio-respiratory fitness and general muscle function, with little risk of over exertion or strain.

You'll relieve your stress and depression, partly due to the cycling exercise itself, and also partly due to the sheer pleasure of riding a bike.

When you choose cycling for exercise, it's an ideal exercise program since you can adjust it to suit your individual level of fitness and you can treat it as part of your daily travelling routine.

I'm sure you're now much sold to the idea of cycling for exercise and will pick it as your cardio workout.

Hey, that's a good choice.

And don't forget to have fun while you're doing it!

Enjoy whizzing past beautiful scenery, long line of cars stuck in the traffic crawl and the fresh air blowing on your face!

You get the bonus of becoming fitter in the process.....

Bookmark this page? Click one of the little buttons below and you're done.

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb