Riding your bike is one of the best workouts for a healthy body. It burns a lot of calories and builds the muscles in your legs, hips and core. Benefits of Cycling for Health and Fitness.
It also improves balance and strengthens the abdominal muscles. But it’s important to talk to your doctor and physical therapist before you start cycling, especially if you have any heart or lung issues.
1. Aerobic Exercise
As long as you start off slowly, cycling can give your heart and circulatory system a great cardio workout. It also helps strengthen your lower-body muscles, including the quads, hamstrings and calves. If you pedal with clip-in shoes, a type that snaps into your footwear, and crank up the resistance on your bike, you’ll add strength training to your workout as well, Qayed says.
Many studies have shown that regular exercise can help ward off cancer, including colon and breast cancer, as well as lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A 2019 study published in the journal Medicina showed that cycling and a healthy diet can improve aerobic capacity, blood pressure, lipid profile and body composition.
As a bonus, cycling can boost your mood as well. That’s partly due to the feel-good hormones released during and after exercise, as well as from socialising with friends on your bike or in a cycling club.
2. Strength Training
Many cyclists shy away from hitting the weight room, but it’s one of the most important parts of any training regimen. Strength training improves power transfer through the legs, promotes better riding posture and helps to maintain bone density and physical resilience as you age.
It also burns fat, as muscle is leaner than fat and uses more calories even when sedentary. And it’s great for your balance. You have to work hard to keep your balance while cycling, and it gets better over time.
Plus, unlike other exercise, cycling doesn’t pound the joints the way running does. That makes it a more accessible form of exercise for people with joint issues or other health concerns.
3. Flexibility
The confined, repetitive motion of cycling causes muscles to contract only in the shortened, or eccentric, position, which can lead to tightness and adaptive shortening, especially in the hip flexors, quads and calves.
However, cycling can help to improve the flexibility of your lower body and core, which is necessary for daily movements like walking and running. In addition, cycling requires the use of your upper-body muscles for balance and control.
Having proper flexibility can also help to prevent injuries when cycling, as tight, inflexible muscles can restrict movement where they cross over joints, explains physical therapist Melissa Gallatin. She suggests working on flexibility with yoga, as it can complement the muscle building of cycling. It can also help with your posture on the bike, since good flexibility helps you maintain a strong, stable and comfortable position.
4. Weight Loss
Cycling can be a great way to lose weight, especially if you burn a lot of calories. You also train your body to use fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates, during long rides.
Plus, cycling increases your stamina and strength, so you’ll be able to ride for longer. Aim for one to two short rides each week, and gradually increase the duration of your workouts, says Manhattan, Kansas-based Garret Seacat, CSCS, a cycling coach.
Just make sure to get your doctor’s approval before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a health condition or injury. And if you don’t feel confident enough to ride outdoors, indoor cycling is an option. You can find group rides for all levels at many gyms and recreation centers. It’s also a fun way to meet people needs read more hear.
