Is Cycling the Best Exercise for You?

Since bicycles first took their modern form in the early 20th century, cycling has been one of the world's most popular forms of cardiovascular exercise. Not only do many people enjoy cycling for the health benefits, they also love being able to explore their surroundings from the saddle which makes outdoor cycling on dedicated trails and pathways a very popular summertime activity in the UK for the entire family.

Cycling is an absolutely fantastic way to pack plenty of cardiovascular exercise into your week and it is also a popular means of transport for commuters making shorter journeys, and means they can avoid using the car or public transport to get about. So it can be said that most people cycle because they need to commute, want to exercise, or simply because they enjoy it.

When used as a major form of cardiovascular exercise which you do regularly, cycling gives you a very impressive range of health benefits that you can enjoy for a lifetime. Cardiovascular exercise focuses on improving the strength and health of your heart and lungs. Most experts recommend taking at least 3 intense sessions of cardio every week, and each session should last around 30 minutes or so. If you already have quite high levels of physical fitness you should aim to either increase the frequency and duration of your exercise sessions or make your sessions more intensive.

If you can maintain this exercise schedule in the long term you will also find you have a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions affecting the heart and lungs, and can also reduce your chances of developing diabetes, dementia, drink problems, and other conditions which can affect you and later life and are associated with inadequate exercise throughout your life, and with being overweight.

Some of the benefits that you can expect to see when you've been cycling regularly and fairly intensively for some time include:

• Better strength
• Better stamina
• Improved muscle tone and condition
• Better balance and coordination
• Improved posture
• Better weight management
• Protection against osteoporosis
• Reduce stress levels
• Anxiety and depression management
• Improved joint mobility with age

Unfortunately these benefits do not happen overnight and you will need to put consistent effort into your exercise schedule in the long term. To feel the maximum benefit from cycling it should form part of your weekly routines, and you can even choose to do cycling for all three of your recommended weekly workouts if you prefer. One thing that makes cycling such a universally popular activity is the fact that it is very simple to modify your workouts so they match your current fitness levels perfectly and make it easy for you to gradually increase your efforts and intensity to build strength and stamina.

There are several ways that you can safely enjoy cycling without needing to sign up for expensive gym memberships. For example, road biking is very popular among the commuter crowd as it gives them a reliable and cheap means of getting from A to B. For people who are exercising purely for health reasons, at home cycling can be a great choice which is convenient enough to work around there are other commitments such as their career and family lives. Mountain biking is also a very popular form of cycling which requires a high level of technical skill, especially for cyclists who are attempting more advanced trials and cycling courses.

If you like the sound of mountain biking, you should always start with routes which are suitable for beginners as more technically advanced routes can be dangerous for those who do not have adequate experience. A standard mountain bike will usually feature either half or full-suspension in order to absorb the impact on rugged terrain. This helps to ensure that mountain bikers can enjoy a more comfortable ride which is easier on the wrists and lower back than it would be to cycle the same paths using a bike that lacks suspension.

Whichever kind of cycling you end up taking up be it indoor, outdoor, in the gym, or in the Velodrome, you should always remember to take it easy when you are starting out. Easing yourself into regular exercise is the best way to avoid injuries which can prevent you from exercising for a number of weeks or months as you heal.