Try a Sport - Cycling
Pedal your way to fitness.
Cycling
by Kelly Olsen
Pedal power is fun, it's challenging, sociable and offers a great workout. Suitable for everyone, any age or level of fitness, cycling gets you out and about. More and more cycle paths are being opened and bikes are becoming more comfortable and easy to ride. What a great way to get out in the fresh air.
Cycling…
Burns Calories Cycling uses THE major muscle groups in the legs, is aerobic and raises the heart rate so that you are burning fat and using calories.
Is Low Impact Many people cannot do some sports like running because of the pressure it puts on their joints. Because the cycle takes the weight of the body, there is much less impact on the joints making it an exercise that most people can do.
Requires No Special Training! If you have to spend hours learning and training you may not take up the sport in the first place. Most of us can already cycle and guess what it’s like falling off a bike, you never forget!
Benefits
Cheap and pollution free, cycling uses all your muscle groups and gives you all-round fitness. Within time you can build up your stamina and endurance. Go it alone or make it a sociable event, whatever it will get you out and about and you'll enjoy it!
An interesting statistic… If one third of all short car journeys were made by bike, national heart disease rates would fall by between 5 and 10 percent (Bikes not Fumes, CTC, 1992). Info from BikeBiz.
Burn Rate
Depending on your weight and exertion level you'll burn between 75-670 extra calories* in a half-hour session. 30min Cycling:
- Recreational, 5mph: 75-155kcal
- Moderate, 10mph:190-415kcal
- Vigorous, 15mph: 300-670kcal
Think about it like this…A half hour daily cycle trip could burn 11 pounds of extra fat in a year. Because the activity is frequent, the weight is likely to stay off – combine it with a change to a healthier calorie-counted diet and weight loss will be even more effective.
*Extra calories are those you burn on top of the calories you use for basic day-to-day living. Inputting your exercise into your exercise diary will calculate the number of calories you will burn, based on your weight.
Getting Started
Anyone can ride a bike; once learned, never forgotten. There are hundreds of different cycles to choose from – mountain bikes, road racing bikes, touring bikes and hybrid bikes. Ask the dealer's advice on what is best for you. Start off slowly and build up. Keep off roads until you build up your confidence. Then stick to flat roads/paths until you have built up to a certain level.
Kit Bag
Mountain bike, road bike, or track bike - you can go for a top of the range machine or a standard, easy to ride model from £100. Look around for second-hand shops; you can pick up some bargains. Or look in the garage, a little work and that bike will be roadworthy!
Safety
- Make sure your bike is maintained regularly.
- Carry a basic toolkit and a spare inner tube.
- Follow the Highway Code.
- Wear bright, visible clothing and don't forget lights in poor conditions.
- Wear an approved safety helmet, off road as well as on road.
Helpful Sites
Why Cycle? - Offers practical advice on bike sizes, comfort and safety
Commuting Cyclists - CTC offers a comprehensive and specialised service for the leisure & commuting cyclist.
Cycling England - The national body which co-ordinates the development of cycling across England. They aim to create the conditions which will result in more people cycling, more safely, more often.
BicycleSource.Com - Offers tips and advice for both the beginner and experienced cyclist; covering everything from training, fitness and nutrition to buying and repairing bikes. Well worth a browse!
The British Cycle Federation - The governing body of cycle sports in the UK. This site offers a comprehensive guide to clubs, affiliated to the BCF, across Britain.
Go Riding - Lists biking events all over the country.
National Cycle Network - A safe, attractive, high-quality network for cyclists. Visit the website for details of how and where to join the network in your area. There are maps for most of the routes available from their online shop.
‘About: Cycling’ - Gives good advice on stretches you can do to ensure that you remain injury-free.
Exodus – Cycling holidays for the adventurous
