subject: What Benefits Come From Cycling? [print this page] Keeping in good health and good physical condition is important and there are a variety of ways to do this. You can weight lift, power walk, take the stairs at work, and even start Cycling. Cycling can be done with a normal bicycle or with a stationary exercise bike. The benefits of exercising using either method are numerous and can increase your health in many areas.
First are your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Cycling requires you to do a bit of intense breathing and it gets the heart pumping at a steady rhythm. Over time your system gets use to it and strengthens the respective systems. Once your normal pace becomes easier, you can move to a faster one.
Your stamina will also be improved. Exercise of any type improves your stamina but long term cycling improves your staying power greatly. It wont make you really strong, but you are likely to still be standing after a hard day of work where others will be completely wiped out. There are also various muscle groups that benefit from cycling.
First and foremost are your legs for obvious reasons. The faster you want to ride the faster you have to pedal which means a bigger workout for your leg muscles. Add to the fact that your shoulders and forearms are responsible for turning your bike and they begin to get a good workout as well. Of course if you're on a stationary unit you won't be doing much turning so you'll have to find an alternate method for building them up.
The final improvement is simply a general improvement across the board. Good exercise can aid immune system response, digestion, reaction time, and can help you sleep incredibly well. And when it comes to sleep, quality is greater than quantity and a few good hours can energize you for the day.
While older cyclists have put their heavy riding days behind them young people tend to favor a more intense rush. Thus mountain biking and other extreme forms of cycling are always a source of intense exercise. In some cases the exercise is both physical and mental due to the nature of the terrain and the environment. Still it makes for a very good workout to load up your vehicle with friends and bikes and spend a weekend hitting trails and paths.
There are also many dangers that can be linked to falling off your bike, but those come with any kind of environment. Also this kind of exercise is very great for weight loss but your results may vary. One thing you will want to increase though is your water intake.
Remember that cycling is a healthy and relaxing form of exercise that anyone can do. As long as your legs work and your reaction time is reasonably well you can bike outdoors whether it is casually or intensely. There are cycling machines for indoor exercise which works well for urban areas but it lacks the social interaction of being outdoors.
