Bicycling for Fitness
IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENTThe Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com) states that riding a bicycle outdoors for one hour can burn between 170 and 800 calories for a 120 to 130 pound person or 240 to 1120 calories for a 170 to 180 pound person. With these kind of results, why wouldn’t you ride a bike? Establishing a riding program isn’t as difficult as you may think. It just takes a little gear and little willpower. Follow these tips to get started:
Get a bike. Either dig it out of the garage for a tune-up, or purchase a new one. Don’t know where to start? Log on to www.trek.com or www.cannondale.com/bikes for more information.
Get the gear. There are some essentials in cycling: helmet, pump, puncture repair kit, spare inner tube, and a small tool kit. If you’re riding at night, wear reflective clothing and install lights on your bike.
Get going. One of the best parts of bicycling is that you choose your own route. The sky’s the limit as long as your bike is equipped to fit the terrain. If you’re a beginner, make sure to pace yourself. Bicycling magazine (www.bicyclingmagazine.com) offers great fitness tips to get started with a riding program. A riding program can help you burn calories, strengthen muscles, shed fat, and improve your overall health. Riding regularly improves your health in a variety of ways including the following:
Increased fitness. Riding your bike improves strength, stamina, aerobic fitness, and muscle function, and there’s little risk of strain.
Reduced risk of heart attack. We all know that regular exercise is good for your body, but it’s good for your heart, too. Cycling can strengthen your heart muscles, lower your resting pulse, and reduce blood fat levels.
Shedding excess weight. Cycling is more comfortable for overweight people than other activities. It can burn body fat and raise your metabolism, making losing weight easier. In addition, regular exercise allows a person to enjoy a varied diet without increasing body weight.
Reducing stress. Regular exercise has been shown to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression. Riding your bike is no exception!
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Variety Is the Spice of Life You’ve got your bike, helmet, and the will—now all you need is a way to keep things interesting. A riding program with variation is good physically, working different parts of your body. But changing your pace will also keep you interested in riding your bicycle. Variety is the spice of life, so sprinkle some on with these tips from www.gorp.com, a Web site dedicated to outdoor recreation and active travel. Go the extra mile: change how far you cycle from day to day Rough it up: one day ride hard and long, the next day ride leisurely Liven up your landscape: hills, plains, mountains, try them all! It takes two: invite friends or family to join you | |
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To learn more about the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center Diabetes education program, call (315) 713-5181 or visit our website.
