|
Bicycling For Fun and Fitness
Preparing to Cycle
How to Properly Prepare for Cycling
Cycling is becoming a popular fitness activity. People like the fact that
cycling is a low-impact activity, which can amplify the benefits that one can
get from other higher-impact activities such as running.
Cycling also offers more than just physical fitness. It has been transformed
into a channel where people can release stress from everyday life. Cycling helps
in clearing the mind and being more in touch with nature.
Cycling also results in many health benefits such as lowered risk for heart
attacks, diabetes and other deadly diseases. It is also very effective in losing
unwanted pounds because it helps in the consumption of calories and helps in
increasing metabolic rate. A cycling program is also a good way to keep oneself
healthy over time. There are many long-term benefits that are associated with
cycling. Knowing these benefits is important for any person who is thinking
about starting a cycling program. Let’s take a look.
-Cycling helps protect one from heart failure. Generally, exercise is the single
best protective agent from coronary heart dysfunctions.
-Cyclists will benefit from the activity because it helps regulate blood
pressure. Strokes are therefore prevented.
-According to a study, cycling helps reduce the pollutants that are inhaled by
cyclists (as long as they do cycling properly) than other kinds of road users.
-Contrary to common beliefs, cycling actually results on a positive note when it
comes to injuries and accidents. Because cycling entails coordination and
balance, cyclists develop these essential skills, as they grow older therefore
making them less vulnerable to injuries.
If you are thinking about getting started with your own cycling program for
fitness purposes, here are some basic things that you would have to consider
before any thing else:
1. Consult your physician
Cycling generally is a low-impact fitness activity, meaning that is suitable for
those people who have had some kind of injuries before and for older people as
well. However, there are certain special cases where cycling should be done with
precaution. This is why going to the doctor first and asking for some advice
regarding a cycling program is recommended. You will know your capabilities and
limits when it comes to cycling and he can definitely give some kind of advice
on how to go about your training properly.
2. Get the right kind of bike
There are numerous kinds of bikes that are available on the market today. Choose
one that specifically meets your needs. Fitness cycling has many forms. Some
people do a cycling program to maximize the cardio-vascular benefits of the
activity by biking certain distances for certain minutes. Others would prefer
mountain biking because it incorporates endurance training into cycling.
The right kind of bike for the right kind of cycling activity is essential for
the success of the program.
3. Get the right accessories
Better be safe than be sorry. A downside of cycling is that cyclists are exposed
to the outside world and accidents do happen sometimes. Having the right cycling
gears and the right bike accessories can minimize the chances of these accidents
from happening and reduce the chances of incurring injuries while cycling. Don’t
forget your helmet, elbow pads, kneepads. You can also buy odometers or “bike
computers” which can tell you how many revolutions you are generating per
minute.
4. Layout your schedule
Cycling should be considered as a base training activity. It incorporates
cardio-vascular and endurance training in one activity. It should be done three
times a week and other activities such as circuit training should be done in
between to complement the benefits of cycling. Laying out your program schedule
is definitely a must in starting a cycling program. The schedule should be done
according to the goals set during the planning of the program. Simple things
like increase in mileage or decrease in time spent in covering a certain length
should be set before starting the program.
5. Know your routes
Before engaging in a cycling program, one should scout the town and spot certain
places that he would like to traverse. Using the meters the car, one can
calculate the distance of a certain route.
These are some basic tips that should not be taken for granted when starting up
a cycling program. However, the most important thing to remember when starting
up with the program is to never forget to have fun. This is the essence of
cycling.
>>> Table of Contents
Bicycling News:
MSN
Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-msn-5-bicycling.php on line 10
Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-msn-5-bicycling.php on line 10
Google
Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-google-5-bicycling.php on line 10
Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-google-5-bicycling.php on line 10
Yahoo!
Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-yahoo-5-bicycling.php on line 5
Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/bicycling-for-fun-and-fitness/rssfeed-yahoo-5-bicycling.php on line 5
|
