Cycling for Better Health

If you are looking for a way to lose weight and get in shape, then cycling could be a great option for you. Cycling is fantastic all round exercise and has the added benefit of getting you out into the fresh air!

How does cycling help your fitness?

Once you get started, it is easy to make cycling a regular part of your routine. You can ride your bike simply as a leisure activity or as a means of getting around your town and getting to work. You can cycle alone or with friends or family. You can increase the time you spend on your bike as your fitness improves and cycling is very adaptable to your level of fitness.

Cycling helps to strengthen your leg muscles. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this can help you with weight loss. You will really get your quadriceps and hamstring muscles working hard, particularly as you cycle uphill. You will also be working your calf muscles. Again, you can build up the amount of work that you do, over time.

Cycling can be a great family activity, getting the whole family out together to keep healthy while enjoying exercising and spending quality time together as a family.

Like walking, cycling is an activity that you can do on your own whenever it suits you, or with family, friends or as part of an organised group. Why not get cycling today?

Nowhere to go? Try Spinning – Stationary Cycling!

Do you want to cycle for fitness, but it doesn’t really suit you to get out on the road? A great alternative to outdoor bike riding is to take a spinning class. This is a popular activity that uses a stationary cycle to allow you to get many of the benefits of cycling.

Even if you don’t own a bike you can get the fitness benefits of cycling, and the motivation and social gains of a fitness class.

In a spinning class, a combination of techniques and interval training routines help to increase your heart rate for a great cardio workout as well as working your muscles.

The stationary cycle is similar to a road cycle, with adjustments that can be made to the seat and the bike pedals to set it up for you.

Some classes simulate a road trip, so you will be biking up hills and around corners, while other sessions are set up with the instructor facing you and calling out the instructions. Music may used to maintain the rhythm and keep you focused and motivated.

If you like to exercise in a group and enjoy the gym environment, then try a spinning class. It’s a great workout!

Exercises to help your Cycling

Whatever form of exercise you choose, and certainly for cycling, it’s very important to warm up and cool down properly, and to do some stretching. Warming up prepares your muscles for exercise, allowing them to move easily and reducing your risk of injury. Cooling down helps you to bring your heart rate back down and stretches out your muscles, which can help you to avoid stiffness later.

When you start, you’ll find that your legs are doing a lot of the work, particularly your calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings. You may feel “the burn” at first, but this will get easier as you build it up. As your muscles get stronger, they’ll work better without accumulating so much lactic acid. Weight training targeted on these muscles can help with the process.

Squats work your abdominal muscles and many of the key leg muscles, and other exercises such as calf raises and leg lifts can really help your leg muscles as you build up your cycling routine.

Discovering Better Health

Cycling is one of the best forms of exercise, with so many benefits, and a lot of different ways you can get started. Why not give it a try?

If you need some more inspiration, then check out these 10 great reasons to cycle from the British Heart Foundation!