Many different organizations involved in healthcare have endorsed cycling as a form of exercise. For example, the National Forum for Coronary Heart Disease Foundation have stated that regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person 10 years younger, and the British Heart Foundation said “cycling at least 20 miles a week reduces the risk of heart disease to less than half that for non-cyclists who take no other exercise”. In short, cycling can improve both your general fitness level, and even a modest regular commute can move you into a lower risk band as far as heart disease is concerned.
But how does cycling compare to other forms of exercise? The answer is pretty well…
– Unlike jogging (for example), cycling is a low impact form of exercises. Low impact means that there is lower chance of injuring yourself, but nevertheless cycling can still give your heart and lungs a good workout.
– Cycling is easy to get started. When you first begin regular cycling, you can go as slowly as you like. Over time, you strength and stamina will improve, and after a couple of months you’ll be amazed at how fast you can go.
– If you’re cycling with a friend or family member (which by the way is a great way to stay motivated), you can talk while cycling. Yes, if you want to improve your fitness, you should aim to go fast enough to get out of breath some of time – but it doesn’t have to be all of the time!
– When your body works better, your mind tends to work better, and thus any form of regular exercise, cycling included, can help alleviate stress. Cycling has some particular benefits in this regard: the joy of the open road, fresh air, less time in traffic jams, and the exhilaration of riding in Spring or beating your train journey time.
By S. Tanna. First published at http://www.guide2cycling.com/p1_articles_bike_fitness.php
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