Bike for fitness

By Yokota Fritz


Bicycling is a great way to get fit for a number of reasons.

• Cycling is a low impact excercise, causing less strain and injuries than some other fitness exercises. It's easy on the joints.
• Cycling is easy. Unlike some other sports, cycling does not require a high level of physical skill. When people talk about something that's easy to do, they say "it's as easy as riding a bike." Lance Armstrong got into cycling because he wasn't any good at football at his Texas high school.
• Cycling is good for strength and stamina.
• Cycling is as intense as you want it to be. If you need to take it easy, doing so is very easy on a bike. If you want to get to 80% of VO2Max and get the heart really pumping, the bike is still the tool for the job.
• Cycling is fun. Being outdoors and having fun means you're much more likely to stick with cycling as a fitnes program.
• Cycling is social. Group rides for a variety of skill, interest, and fitness levels are available in many areas. If you don't like to be in groups, however, cycling is still a great activity for the loner.

Whatever your motivation for physical fitness -- whether you're training for a summer charity ride or you want a better quality of life -- cycling is a great way to become physically fit.