The benefits of cycling: 6 steps to make it a normal exercise regimen

The fitness and health benefits of riding a bike are obvious. Any type of normal exercise regimen, followed on a weekly basis, is good for a person’s long-term health. Exercise is beneficial for the human body. Sticking to a dedicated fitness regimen helps a person improve their cardiovascular system and lowers blood pressure within the body. Along with following a diet plan and eating healthy, a routine weekly exercise regimen helps prevent excess weight gain.

I have been an avid cyclist for over 30 years. Instead of getting car keys when I turned 16, my parents went out and bought me a 10-speed bike. I know that 10 speeds for a bike today would be considered obsolete. But please remember this was the summer of 1973. Even though I was running track in high school and going all-state in sprinting when I graduated, I found love in cycling. A few years later, while attending college, I would have about five weeks off between the time I left school after completing semester finals and when I started my job as a summer camp counselor. During that five-week period, instead of sitting on the couch every day and watching TV for hours, I just took out my bike and rode around the outskirts of the city I was living in at the time. My normal route was about 25-30 miles. It involved climbing several hills, but after each workout I felt invigorated.

As I mentioned earlier, I also ran in high school and then college. After graduating, I continued with the running regimen. However, I became a distance runner, often hitting the road for three to four mile workouts. I used to live in New England until I was 30, and although I still rode my bike in the summer, it was impossible to do so when there were several inches of snow on the streets. So I also ran a lot.

Eventually, all the long-distance running I did for about fifteen years caught up with me. The incessant pounding of my lower body on the sidewalks of those streets resulted in sore feet and knees. I also experienced Achilles tendon pain in my right leg. I knew I had to stop running, which I did, fearing my Achilles tendon would rupture as a result of the years of stress I put on it.

However, I never stopped riding my bike. In fact, I increased the number of workouts on my bike to maintain a fitness level. That’s one of the benefits of riding a bike for fitness and health. On a bike, your lower joints don’t experience the same amount of stress placed on them compared to a person running. My feet, knees, and in particular my Achilles tendon don’t have the same amount of stress that was put on them when I was running four times a week. I am now 52 years old. And, several times a week, I take out my bike and ride it. The only stress I experience is climbing the hills that are part of my training route. And I feel invigorated at the end of my exercise regimen.

If you’re not participating in a normal exercise regimen and are looking to get back in shape, I suggest you consider taking up cycling to meet your needs. I have outlined 6 steps, below, in which you can turn cycling into something that will benefit you in terms of health.

1). If you haven’t invested in any exercise regimen for several years, it’s always best to check with your doctor or primary care physician first. He/she will set up an exercise routine for you to start.

two). You may already have an old bike that has been sitting in the garage for several years and still works. Take it out, take it to a reputable bike repair shop and let them do the maintenance work to get it working right. Above all, you must have a bike that is safe to ride. If you don’t own a bike; Whether it’s a street/road bike or a mountain bike, you can invest in one. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a bike. To begin with, an investment of two hundred to four hundred dollars in a new type of bicycle would be more than enough.

3). Buy a good bike helmet before you start riding a bike. This should be mandatory. I know that I personally wouldn’t even think of getting on my bike without a helmet on my head. A good bike helmet would cost around $50-75. Many good helmets come with foam pad inserts that can be adjusted to fit your head size. I don’t want anyone to ever have a problem on their bike with regards to safety. But, should an unfortunate incident occur; injuring a leg, arm, or shoulder would present fewer problems than if something happened to a person’s head. Protect your head. If adults have children who ride bikes together, require that the little ones also wear helmets. In fact, the adult must be a role model for a son or daughter, educationally, that riding a bicycle with a helmet is an absolute necessity.

4). Take it slow and easy at first. He couldn’t possibly hope to go out on a ten-mile ride, completing the route in less than an hour when he initially begins his cycling regimen. At first, your body will not allow it. You may experience muscle fatigue upon completion. Actually, it would be smart to stretch your leg muscles as a warm-up before riding. When you’re done, do a few more stretches to get rid of any lactic acid that may have built up in your muscles during the ride. Above all, start your regimen with short walks. Ride a bike just a couple of times a week, to allow your body to build strength and endurance. Remember, Rome was not conquered in a day.

5). Buy yourself a bottle of water and while you ride, drink plenty of fluids. Your body loses fluids as it goes through the normal process of sweating. You want to stay as hydrated as possible while driving. Drink plenty of fluids after you finish your ride as well to replenish minerals lost during exercise.

6). Remember to follow traffic rules. Drive as close to the shoulder of a road as possible. I have the luxury, as part of my bike route, of riding a clear, designated bike lane, and then a bike/jog trail where no motorized vehicles are allowed. This may not be a possibility where you live. I’d even consider spending ten bucks on a rearview mirror to attach to your left handlebar or one that attaches to your helmet. Also, wear a brightly colored shirt so drivers of motor vehicles can see you. Obey all traffic laws, including stopping at traffic lights. Use proper hand signals when you know you are going to turn in traffic situations. I used to go on cycling holidays with a well-known company that specialized in the business. The company’s bike tour guides used to teach us the best way to indicate our turn signals, which would allow the drivers of the vehicles to fully understand our intentions. This was, when making a next left turn; he would point his left arm outwards with the index finger extended outwards. As you turn to the right, do the same movement with your right arm and right index finger extended out. Take these actions well in advance of the time you would make the turn. I’ve heard of other turn signals that, frankly, don’t explicitly notify the driver of their intentions. For example: Simply hold your right arm up to indicate an upcoming right turn. This can be interpreted as a vague signal to the driver of a vehicle. Does this action mean that you intend to stop? Are you going to turn right? Are you waving at the driver, telling him he knows he’s behind you? No, you must make his intentions clear by following the above practice for signaling a turning maneuver by you, the rider. Any other sign could create confusion for the driver of the vehicle and an unfortunate accident involving you, the bicyclist.

So get out there and allow your body to benefit through a normal cycling exercise regimen.