Exercise: if you’re reading this, chances are good that you just don’t get enough of it. According to the National Center for Health and Statistics, only 20.4% of adults actually meet the “standard” guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity.
In the United States, that doesn’t add up to as many people as you would imagine when it comes to something as important as taking care of your health. We all have reasons why we really don’t get into the routine of working out.
We have work to do, families to take care of, and social engagements to work out. However, there is something to be said about making fitness part of your lifestyle in some way or another. When it becomes part of your life, you automatically make time for it. If you have time to watch television, you have time to work out! After all, you only have one body per lifetime, right?
How can you work in exercise?
You might not realize this, but you can build in more time to exercise everyday. After all, you have to work at least part of the week. Most people work 5 days a week, which means that they can simply bike to work.
Yes, that’s right: the best thing that you can do for your overall health would be to bike to work, and bike back home. Of course, if you work a long distance from your house, you might have to bike on the side for a little while until you build up the endurance to do that. You just need to make sure that you get out there.
If you are a reasonable distance away from work and you already have a bike, there’s no reason not to take your bike to work. Worried about what’s in it for you? Don’t worry, most people are. Here are just a few benefits that come to mind when it comes to riding your bike to work.
The benefits of biking to work
First and foremost, you are saving money on gas and you’re getting to exercise at the same time. The rising cost of fuel is making a lot of people rethink the way they use transportation as it stands, and there’s nothing wrong with getting in shape at the same time.
A lot of people assume that you don’t get a workout from something as basic as riding a bike but that’s not true. Cycling, as it’s technically called, is truly a full body workout. When you look at the average cyclist, it actually makes sense. You aren’t just using your legs — you are also using your feet, stabilizing your body with your core, holding on tight with your hands and keeping your arms in place…do I really need to go on? If cycling isn’t a full body affair, I don’t know what would honestly be considered a full body workout.
You also have the ease of entry. A lot of exercise programs require years and years of conditioning before you can honestly get the workout that you’re looking for. However, this is not the case with cycling. You don’t have to be a pro at cycling to get the benefits. Even if you haven’t ridden a bike since you were a kid, you’ll find that your body still remembers how to do it.
Worried about the risks involved with lifting heavy weights? Don’t worry about it — you can always turn to cycling! The more you cycle to work, the more you are working your muscles all over the body, but primarily the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. If you want a more defined body done gradually, then it really is all about cycling.
Have you ever hated running out of breath? Building endurance through cycling will also help you stop running out of breath so quickly. This is through the way you use oxygen while you’re on the bike.
Just get started!
Building new patterns in your life can take some time. Test it out on a comfortable bike for at least a month. Sure, it might mean that you have to get a little uncomfortable but the results are worth it.
Be sure to dress for the weather if you’re going to start riding your bike to work. You may want to put your work clothes in a separate bag and get dressed at work if it’s too hot outside. It just depends on the type of working atmosphere that you have to deal with.
If you haven’t ridden a bike in a long time, don’t be afraid to test drive a few times before you make the official commute. You should try to pick a day where you will be going into regular traffic so that you’re not taken off guard by this.
So get out there, get on your bike, and start biking to work. The weather is nice this time of year! You really do get to stretch your legs, see new places and take life a little bit slower. What more could you want than that?
Mirsad Hasic is writing for Ab-Solutely-Fit.com where he shares his tips on fitness and gives you the answer on why you should exercise as well!
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I believe this. Too bad I’m too uncoordinated to ride a bike. I notice here in Norcal, many commuters bring their bikes onto BART and Caltrain. I like to walk for health and I’ve noticed that walking about 2 miles a day on a workday keeps me lean.
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