Biking As Exercise

Riding a bike is a wonderful way to exercise and improve your fitness. It has cardiovascular benefits and can serve as a form of strength training for your legs and core. As long as you practice good safety habits and avoid over-training, you can enjoy all that cycling has to offer while also getting in shape.

  1. Biking for Cardiovascular Fitness

    • Biking, whether on mountain trails or the street, is a terrific form of exercise for building cardiovascular fitness. Most cyclists will reach their aerobic activity heart rate zone through cycling. Those who add more intense efforts--such as sprints or hill climbing--will also increase their anaerobic fitness level, meaning that those efforts will become easier over time. Like any other aerobic activity, biking for exercise can help to reduce cholesterol levels, lower heart disease risk, diminish the risk of osteoporosis and increase muscle mass. All of these benefits can be gained even from cycling at a relatively low intensity level; you don't have to be able to do the Tour de France to see health improvements from cycling.

    Biking for Strength Training

    • Biking is a good way to build leg strength. That seems obvious, but cycling also has other strength-training benefits. If you are conscious of keeping your core muscles engaged while biking, you'll also tighten your abs and build core strength and improve your overall cycling form. You can also do specific exercises on a stationary bike to increase your leg strength, such as one-legged pedaling. Climbing hills on a bike is another great way to build leg strength.

    Avoiding Over-training

    • As with any activity, it's important to avoid over-training with biking. Beginning cyclists, especially those who see quick results in their health or those who enjoy racking up lots of miles, may be especially at risk. Be sure to moderate your first few weeks of using cycling as exercise.

    Staying Safe

    • Know the laws and regulations in your area regarding biking on the street or on trails. It's important that you use trails, parks, bike lanes and bike ways legally and carefully to avoid accidents and preserve access to these areas for all cyclists. Cyclists of any age should also wear a helmet, whether required by law or not. Sunscreen is also a must.

    Biking for Mental Health

    • While the cardiovascular and strength benefits of biking are undeniable, it's also worth considering the benefit to your mental health. Biking can be a social activity if you ride with a group or your family. Biking gets you out into nature and in touch with your community in a way cars don't provide. And, like all exercise, biking helps improve your mood. All of these are great reasons to bike for both physical and mental health.