Cycling is an important form of exercise. Cycling provides good exercise to the whole body, making you stay fit and healthy. Infact among all the popular forms of exercises, cycling is rated second only to running. For overall fitness, cycling should be done regularly.Cycling has today become very popular all over the world. An easy solution to maintain overall health and weight. Moreover cycling as an exercise is full of fun and enjoyment. Cycling can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes according to a report by Kelley GA.
Benefits of Cycling in Controlling Diseases
- Controlling Cholesterol: Since cycling is a good form of exercises, you will be able to improve the levels of the good cholesterol or High Density Lipoprotein in blood.
- Controlling Blood Pressure: A regular activity like cycling prevent people to have a higher BP or blood pressure. This in turn helps to have a healthy heart.
- Controlling pain in joints and muscles: Cycling helps improve our muscle strengths, balance and coordination, helping in joints mobility and its lubrication. It also helps arthritis patients by reducing pains and swelling in the joints, and increasing flexibility.
- Imporoving skin: During cycling, the blood flow in our skin increase, removing our body’s heat and removes the waste through sweating. This also helps in giving you a clear skin.
- Controlling Diabetes: Regular cycling is one of the best exercise for diabetes patients. Cycling helps in controlling weight.
- Cycling also helps in reducing tension, stress and depression of a person.
Cycling and Weight Loss
For excessive weight problem or to maintain weight, cycling offers a great workout. Infact, bicycle riding is suitable for everyone, any age or level of fitness. It is said that cycling helps in losing weight as it burns calories and improves health. You will lose fat and burn calories by increasing heart rate. For many, cycling is an easy exercise as you do not need to stretch or exert yourself much. For those who cannot do high impact sports because of the pressure it puts on their joints, because of twisting, turning, and stretching like as in running, swimming, aerobices, cycling is a good alternative. Pedal power while cycling is of low impact and takes the weight of the body. Another benefit of cycling is that it improves all round fitness, along with strength and cycling exercises the major muscle groups in the legs like as the glutei, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.
How many calories will cycling burn?
Depending on your weight and exertion level, cycling will help by burning off between 75 and 670 extra calories in a half-hour session, thereby helping you lose weight.
Advantages of Cycling or Biking
- Cycling regularly as an exercise can be maintained for a long period of time compared to other forms of exercises that too without your leg muscles getting too tired, although you may feel the burn. This way, your lungs and heart get a solid workout which is just great for improving your cardiovascular fitness levels.
- Lots of people find doing exercises a big problem. Many find jogging , walking burdensome because it needs early waking time. Then comes gym options, but then it is expensive. But cycling is a cheaper alternative and a good investment.
- Cycling for half an hour just 2-3 times a week will help you achieve your goal much earlier than regular aerobics or walking exercise.
Types of Cycling for Exercise
There are different types of cycles to choose from – mountain bikes, road racing bikes, touring bikes and hybrid bikes. Choose a bike that will manage the local terrain, comfortably. If you are not at all interested in going out but want to remain fit and healthy, then you can opt for staionary bike.
Stationary Cycle as an Exercise Equipment
A stationary cycle is an exercise bicycle with saddle, pedals, and some form of handlebars arranged as on a bicycle. It is not used as a means of transportaion but used as exercise equipment. Stationary bike provides a low-impact, medium/high intensity cardio workout and strengthens a number of muscle groups. Due to their calorie-burning benefits, the cycle workouts are very useful for any weight loss exercise program.
