Cycling to Fitness
Cycling is a terrific way to get fit as well as being a thoroughly enjoyable way to go about it.
If you like the idea of getting outdoors and seeing some of the local area where you live but want to do it a lot faster than simply walking or running, then get on your bike and get pedalling!
Choosing the Right Bike
The first thing you have to think of is getting the right kind of bike to suit your needs. Any old bike might be OK if you're only considering making short forages out through the local streets and not really taxing yourself, but for longer journeys and some really beneficial cycling, you will need a better breed of bike.
If you ever get a chance to watch a big cycle race, such as the Tour de France or for that matter any local big cycling event, notice that the riders still use the old style of racer with drop handlebars in preference to the more generally popular mountain bike format. There are several very good reasons for this, most of which come down to speed and maintaining it over long distances.
These bikes are super lightweight and will doubtless cost you an arm and a leg to buy, but if you are serious about going up a notch and maybe even getting involved in competing at local level, you will need a bike like this.
Of course, most people will not be considering getting involved in cycle racing, but will want to be able to cycle around their local area and maybe a little further afield on a bike that is both comfortable and lightweight enough so that it doesn't wear you out too soon just keeping the thing moving. The mountain bike format is popular because a good quality one can be pretty lightweight with all the latest technological improvements that have gone into bicycle design and manufacture in the last few years.
Finding Your Comfort Zone
Once you have your bike and the necessary safety equipment such as a helmet, elbow and knee pads and any special clothing you wish to wear, then you're ready to get going. If you are just starting out, it is a good idea to just stick to riding around the block a few times to get used to the bike and to find how fit or otherwise you really are.
If you are very unfit, it would be wise to start with very short distances and gradually increase the length each day. You don't want to go hellbent for leather on your first day and end up with a heart attack!
It takes a while to find your true comfort zone and after a few weeks of daily riding, you'll find you can travel quite long distances and really enjoy the scenery that you never seem to be able to do when driving a car. You'll find you have more stamina and staying power for the longer journeys and you will feel comfortable and really enjoy yourself while you are out exploring in a way that you may never have done before.
Cycling for Health
Of course, enjoyment aside, it's your health that will really get the true benefit from what you are doing here. Your body will become stronger and your metabolism will increase over time when you workout daily to lose weight and improve your fitness levels.
Your heart and respiratory system will get stronger and your overall fitness level will improve a heck of a lot. Your strength and stamina will also improve greatly, increasing muscle mass and providing your body with a much more powerful fat burning engine.
The upshot of this form of exercise is that it really boosts the effectiveness of a healthy diet, if you are currently following that route to better health and weight management. You'll be pleasantly surprised that your food intake is being much more efficiently metabolized thanks to the regular exercise you're doing.
Combining diet and exercise is absolutely the best way to go to gain the full benefits of each discipline as each compliments the other to help you fight back against weight gain and get back in shape in the best possible way. You will find that you have more energy during the day and will sleep better at night.
And it's all because you chose an easy way to get fit doing an activity that is both enjoyable and interesting.
Cycling is a great sport as well as a great pleasurable pastime and forms one of the truly great tips for losing weight through daily exercise. So if this appeals to you and you find you really do enjoy doing it, then you will have found a great way to stay fit, keep your weight down and your energy levels up while also getting to learn more about your local area while you're about it.
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Posted on Sun, 27 Oct 2019 in Health and Fitness | 0 Comments