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Health Benefits of Bike Riding

If you are looking for ways to get back into shape or positively influence your overall health, bike riding is an absolutely great way to keep yourself healthy and loose some unwanted pounds.

Benefits of Riding a Bike

There are many advantages to cycling and it can be even better for the body than jogging because:

1. You don’t have the constant pounding that running causes to your feet, ankles or knees.
2. It is very effective at burning calories, especially as you gain strength and momentum.
3. The faster speed of biking compared to jogging is just plain fun.
4. You can use a bike to go places and do things productive and it gives you good exercise at the same time.

If you are trying to incorporate exercise into your daily life, cycling tends to be an enjoyable and easy way to get started.  Below are a few suggestions on how to get motivated and start cycling to lose weight and feel healthy.

Tips to Get Started with a Bike Riding Workout

• Make a daily schedule to ride your bike every day.  Make it fun, not a chore.  Go somewhere interesting.

• Join a bike riding group or get a friend to ride with you on a regular basis.  This is a really great way to keep yourself motivated to get regular exercise, at least until it becomes a habitual part or your life.

• Find productive ways to fit cycling into your busy life.  Ride to the post office when you need to mail something off or use your bike to go visit a friend.

• If you are able to ride to work, then you’re really set.  You get to stay fit, lose weight and actually use your bike to take you to where you need to go.  It will take longer to get there as opposed to using a car, but it is a really positive choice.  Better for the environment and better for you.  The best thing about riding a bike is that it really makes you feel good inside and out.  I’ve never met a grumpy cyclist.

• If you haven’t biked in awhile, allow yourself to start slow and let your body adjust gradually.  The key really is to have fun with it.  It is too hard to only do something simply for the benefit of losing weight if you don’t enjoy what you are doing.

Keep it Positive

Remember that regular workout like bike riding is only one component of losing weight and achieving better health.  You also need to nourish your body with good healthy food, drink clean water and keep positive thoughts (this is more important than you may think).  We can’t control the people around us but we can work at controlling our own positive thought pattern, which goes a long way in keeping us on a healthier and happier path.

Remember to take baby steps.  All of these healthy habits may take some time and patience in order to learn and incorporate them into your life in a way that works for you.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Biking Experience

Join Cycling Forums: If you do choose to start biking, you might want to try checking out the cycling forums.  These will help you to get more into the mindset of other like minded people which can greatly increase the enjoyment you get from it as well as help motivate you to stick with it.  In my experience, most active or recreational communities are extremely positive because everyone has chosen to do something fun and healthy that makes them feel good.

Get Out and Enjoy: If what you were doing before wasn’t working for you then it is up to you to get out and try something new.  If you are looking for a fun and positive way to shed a few pounds, cycling can be a very effective method of achieving your optimal weight and positively influencing your life.

Love What You are Doing: Take proper care of your bicycle and be proud of the positive changes you are making.  Taking responsibility for the upkeep of your bicycle will increase the joy and ownership you feel towards cycling.  There are usually several choices for great bike shops within most communities or if you’re a DIY kind of person, you can look into getting a good bike repair stand, a few tools and learn a few tricks online to do your own bicycle maintenance and cleaning.

Choosing a fun activity such as riding a bicycle and incorporating a few healthy habits into your lifestyle can go a long way in making the process of losing weight a positive and successful experience.

Written by Sam Walker who is an author of numerous articles on the positive health benefits of bike riding, as well as bicycle maintenance and bike repair stand reviews