Of all the possible exercises out there to help you lose weight is one of the best.
If you want to lose weight and are looking for the perfect workout, or if you are looking for a great calorie-burning workout to add to your workout repertoire, this article is for you.
We will tell you why cycling is so good with cycling padded shorts and what it can do for you, what you will need to get started, and provide you with helpful tips to help you ride your bike effectively and safely for the rest of your life.
The benefits of cycling
- Cycling has many health benefits, especially for those who want to lose weight. These are just some of the great aspects of cycling:
- Cycling clothing is one of the easiest ways in exercises to start with because it offers very comfortable and exercises of a wide range of training intensities, including very low-intensity levels.
- Cycling is an exercise that does not bear weight, so it is gentle on the joints, muscles, and tendons.
- Cycling burns a lot of calories (more than 500 per hour at a moderate pace for someone who weighs 80 kg).
- Cycling can be a very social activity and is easily done in a group or with family and friends.
- Cycling can be done indoors or outdoors.
- Cycling provides aerobic training (for the heart and lungs), resistance training (for the leg muscles), and isometric (static) resistance (for the arms and other muscles in the upper body).
- Biking is becoming safer as state governments and local councils invest in dedicated bike lanes and designated bike lanes on city and country roads.
Why cycle?
If you want to lose weight, there are many reasons why you should consider cycling with bike gear as part of your daily exercise regimen.
These are just 10 of the great things cycling can do for you:
- Help you burn excess calories.
- Improve your cardiovascular condition and gain more energy.
- Help you avoid lifestyle-related illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
- Help you increase the intensity of your exercise in a slow and controlled manner.
What you need to get started
One of the best things about cycling is how easy and relatively inexpensive it is to get started (assuming you can ride a bike, of course, and even if you can’t, that’s not an insurmountable problem).
Of course, there are those of us who are really into cycling and spend a small fortune on fancy gear, but for those who just want to get started and lose weight, here is a list of the essentials they will need, as well as optional extras to consider for make your driving more enjoyable.
The essential
Here’s what you’ll need to start biking outdoors:
- A bicycle!
- A bicycle helmet with cycling clothing.
- Spare tubes, tire levers, and a bicycle pump.
- Water bottle and bottle cage for your bike.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Optional extras
Although they are classified as optional extras, if you can afford them, we recommend that you seriously consider:
- Bike shorts (called knicks) with a good quality chamois sown on the seat.
- Bicycle gloves with padded palms.
- Speedometer (to control your distance and speed).