Cycling is great for many health benefits. Not only does it improve your cardio and strength, it strengthens your hips, thighs, rear end, arms, and upper body. Cycling also is gentle on the joints and preserves cartilage.
Women, particularly, can benefit from cycling for its anti-aging properties. Biking daily will also help you fight off incremental weight gain and reduce your waistline.
This article will discuss some of the benefits of cycling for women and how you can start incorporating cycling activities into your life.
Strength Training
As an athlete, you are probably aware of the importance of cycling strength training. Not only can this technique help you improve your cycling performance, but it can also increase your overall health and resilience.
In addition, strength training can help you maintain bone density and increase your physical resilience. It should be prioritized and planned carefully to reap long-term rewards. If you are unsure how to begin your strength training, the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast can help you.
The first step in strengthening your cycling muscles is to train your lower body and core. Strength training exercises for the upper body will enhance the upper body strength. Lower body strength training exercises should be done conservatively to prevent fatigue and not interfere with bike training.
A good way to do this is by doing body weight exercises to reduce lower body load and increase upper body strength. It is important to do a variety of body weight exercises to maintain overall fitness.
Weight Loss
Research has shown that cycling can help you lose weight because it increases the heart rate and increases oxygen demand. Cycling also helps prevent cardiovascular disease because of its low impact on the body. The gradual conversion of fat to muscle helps the body burn calories more efficiently.
By combining cycling and cardiovascular exercise, you can significantly increase your resting metabolism. In addition to weight loss, cycling can improve your health and prevent certain diseases, such as diabetes.
While cycling is a great form of exercise, you must pay attention to the amount of time you spend exercising. Five hours a week can burn about 300 calories. Likewise, cycling at a high intensity can increase the intensity of your workouts and increase the amount of fat you burn.
A pound of fat can be lost in a week when cycling for five hours a day. Despite the low initial weight loss results, you can continue to improve your metabolism and lose weight in a short amount of time by cycling to work every day.
Cardiovascular Health
Regular exercise has many cardiovascular benefits, including increased fitness. A half-hour bike ride a day burns around five kilograms of fat over the course of a year. Cycling regularly improves the cardiovascular system's ability to provide oxygen and use it efficiently.
The cardiovascular benefits of cycling do not only include physical fitness, but also mental ones, as well. The benefits of cycling do not just stop at the physical ones; cycling indoors can help you achieve a high-level of fitness without the high cost.
Another benefit of cycling is its ability to strengthen your lower body. As you pedal, your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves are all worked out. By cycling, you're increasing the strength challenge placed on these lower-half muscles.
One review, however, found that cycling can help build muscle, though it may take a longer training period. Cycling is also excellent for building lean muscle. However, it's important to note that cycling can lead to muscle gain, although it is not as effective as resistance training.
Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer
A new study suggests that cycling can significantly reduce breast cancer risk in women. The study found that women with a cycling habit had a 34% decreased risk of breast cancer after three hours of moderate-intensity cycling each week.
The reduction in risk was greater the more the women cycled. A recent study conducted at the University of North Carolina showed that women who exercised had a decreased risk of breast cancer.
This relationship was stronger for women in their reproductive years, who exercised more frequently. The authors of the study stressed that women should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling a week, but any amount of exercise will help.
Building Muscle
While cycling may be a great way to burn calories and get a cardiovascular workout, it's not a natural form of exercise. Instead of building muscle mass, cycling engages slow-twitch muscles that are fatigue-resistant and focus on small movements.
While cycling won't build mass, it can tone and strengthen leg muscles, particularly the quads and glutes. When combined with strength training, cycling increases the positive effects of training and improves overall body composition.
Cycling also works the upper body. Building upper body strength helps improve posture and prevent fatigue during long rides. Additionally, cycling can cause tight hips, so targeted hip stretches should be performed after each cycling session.
To maximize your cycling muscle gains, consider incorporating off-the-bike core strength exercises into your routine. You can take a self-guided training course offered by the International Society of Strength and Conditioning (ISSA) to maximize your results.
Meeting New People
Aside from the physical benefits of cycling, it is also a social activity, and you can meet a lot of new people while you're out riding. Cycling is a great way to socialize, as most cyclists love the sport and want to share it with others.
You can even join cycling clubs to meet new people. Cycling can help you make friends that you can keep for life. Cycling is an excellent way to stay fit, meet new people, and reduce your environmental impact.
Bicycling can help you explore new places and sites, as it allows you to move at a slow pace and can cover a lot of distance in a day. Furthermore, you can learn how to navigate, something you won't learn if you're riding a car. Bicycling also helps improve your navigation skills, and you'll be more likely to reach your destination without stumbling into problems along the way.