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

The fitness and health benefits of bicycling are self-evident. Any type of normal exercise regimen, followed on a weekly basis, is good for a person’s long-term health. Exercise is beneficial to 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 keep excess weight off.

I have been an avid cyclist for over 30 years. Instead of getting car keys on my 16th birthday, 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 in the summer of 1973. Even though I ran track in high school and would go all-state in sprints when I graduated, I found love in cycling. A few years later, while attending college, I would have about five weeks off between when I finished school after completing my semester finals and when I began 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 my bike out and rode around the outskirts of the city I lived 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 in college. After I graduated, 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 while I still rode my bike in the summer, it was impossible to do 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 pain in my feet and knees. I also experienced Achilles tendon pain in my right leg. I knew I had to stop running, which I did, fearing that 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 level of fitness. That’s one of the fitness and health benefits of riding a bike. On a bike, your lower joints don’t experience the same amount of stress placed on them compared to a person who runs. My feet, knees, and particularly my Achilles tendon don’t have the same amount of stress that is placed on them when I ran four times a week. Now I am 52 years old. And, several times a week, I take my bike out and ride it. The only stress I experience is climbing the hills that are part of my training route. And I feel invigorated when I finish my exercise regimen.

If you don’t participate in a normal exercise regimen and are looking to get back into shape, I suggest you consider taking up bicycling to suit your needs. I have outlined 6 steps, below, in which you can turn biking into something that will benefit you healthily.

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 establish an exercise routine to get you started.

two). You may already have an old bike that has been sitting in the garage for several years and is still in good working order. Take it out, take it to a reputable bike repair shop, and let them do the maintenance work to keep it running smooth. 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 an all-mountain bike, you can invest in one. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a bike. For starters, an investment of two to four hundred dollars in a new type of bike would be more than enough.

3). Buy a good bike helmet before you start biking. This should be mandatory. I know that I personally wouldn’t even think about 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 padding inserts that can be adjusted to fit your head size. I don’t want anyone to ever have problems on their bike regarding their safety. But, if an unfortunate incident occurred; Injuring a leg, arm, or shoulder would present fewer problems than if something happened to a person’s head. Protect your head. If the adults have children who ride their bikes together, require that the younger ones also wear helmets. In fact, the adult should be a role model for a son or daughter, educationally, that riding a bike with a helmet is an absolute necessity.

4). Take it slow and easy at first. He couldn’t possibly hope to get 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. It would actually 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 trip. Above all, start your regimen with short walks. Ride your bike just a couple of times a week, to allow your body to build strength and stamina. Remember, Rome was not conquered in a day.

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

6). Remember to follow the 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 in a clear and designated bike lane, and then on a bike/jogging path where motorized vehicles are not allowed. This may not be a possibility where you live. I’d even consider spending ten bucks on a rearview mirror to mount on your left handlebars or one that attaches to your helmet. Also, wear a brightly colored shirt so motor vehicle drivers 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 an upcoming left turn; he would point his left arm outward with the index finger extended outward. 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 his 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 that he knows he’s behind you? No, you must make his intentions clear by following the practice above to signal a turning maneuver by you, the cyclist. Any other sign could create confusion for the driver of the vehicle and an unfortunate accident involving you, the cyclist.

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