Biking for exercise
Options
Replies
-
Not my only exercise, but a key exercise.
Now that it's summer, I combine cycling with swimming (pool and ocean), as I ride to the beach (I live in coastal NJ). In winter, I combine cycling (when able to get out) with gym work. In the Autumn, I tend to focus on my longer, adventure-type rides. I also occasionally do light hiking or walking.
Male, aged 66yo, some underlying physical conditions impacting performance, I've been back to cycling 3rd year now after decades away. Retired from a sedentary IT career with extensive travel which did my body no good. I have lost about 70lbs through this activity combined with some dietary moderation (nothing too extreme), but this year has been a bit of a plateau, with, of course, covid lockdown. I am hoping to do 1 or 2 overnight car-camping excursions to bike trails nearby the campgrounds this Autumn (with covid, I won't be staying in hotels/etc.).
I ride a trail bike 50/50 on-road/off-road, 80/20 paved/unpaved, and have carried the bike to ride all over NJ north to Ontario and south to FL Keys and a number of points between. In addition to physical benefits, my outlook and disposition has improved greatly (there are innumerable internet memes about cycling and attitude adjustment).
I heartily recommend riding if it works for you. In addition to whatever else you prefer/enjoy. Good luck.
Pic is in the Gateway National Rec Area, Sandy Hook Unit, NJ, in February of this year.
5 -
First, love your bike! Thanks for sharing. You sound like a busy person. I have not been on a bike in 35 years. I hope I can still ride one. Lol Can't wait to get my bike and start exploring, as you seem to have with your bike. What type of bike is yours?Not my only exercise, but a key exercise.
Now that it's summer, I combine cycling with swimming (pool and ocean), as I ride to the beach (I live in coastal NJ). In winter, I combine cycling (when able to get out) with gym work. In the Autumn, I tend to focus on my longer, adventure-type rides. I also occasionally do light hiking or walking.
Male, aged 66yo, some underlying physical conditions impacting performance, I've been back to cycling 3rd year now after decades away. Retired from a sedentary IT career with extensive travel which did my body no good. I have lost about 70lbs through this activity combined with some dietary moderation (nothing too extreme), but this year has been a bit of a plateau, with, of course, covid lockdown. I am hoping to do 1 or 2 overnight car-camping excursions to bike trails nearby the campgrounds this Autumn (with covid, I won't be staying in hotels/etc.).
I ride a trail bike 50/50 on-road/off-road, 80/20 paved/unpaved, and have carried the bike to ride all over NJ north to Ontario and south to FL Keys and a number of points between. In addition to physical benefits, my outlook and disposition has improved greatly (there are innumerable internet memes about cycling and attitude adjustment).
I heartily recommend riding if it works for you. In addition to whatever else you prefer/enjoy. Good luck.
Pic is in the Gateway National Rec Area, Sandy Hook Unit, NJ, in February of this year.
1 -
i wrote a big answer, but it's late here and i accidentally left the page, which lost it. will reply tomorrow.
thanks for your kind words.1 -
i wrote a big answer, but it's late here and i accidentally left the page, which lost it. will reply tomorrow.
thanks for your kind words.
Got distracted yesterday ... apologies for reply later than I had promised. Keeping it shorter this time: my bike is a model year 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 that my family bought for me as a Christmas/retirement gift in Dec 2017. "Go ride, it'll be good for you," they said, and were right. I made some mods to the bike to fit my 50/50 onroad/offroad, 80/20 paved/unpaved anticipated ride profile: semi-slick Schwalbe Big Apple 29x2.35 tires to replace the stock Bontranger knobbies, Ergon GP-4 bar-end grips (to reduce hand numbness and provide more hand positions, similar to my decades-previous drop-bar experience), a more "comfortable" saddle (which, because I've lost a lot of mass in my "nether regions," plus tightened up the muscles there, I'm considering replacing for better performance), and a few others, more minor.
I bike for exercise, yes. I've lost 70-ish pounds, have more to go, and improved my cardio and strength tremendously. It is one aspect of my exercise/health program. For instance, as I live near to the beach here in NJ, I yesterday did my usual summertime routine - ride to/from the beach and then swim (pool and ocean) for additional exercise and fun.
I ride for enjoyment and other non-exercise reasons as well. Both components are equally important to me. I hadn't ridden in decades myself, but in the old days I was pretty active on a 1980s Fuji road tourer. So this bike configuration was a big change for me. Riding 1-2 miles, at first, was a big deal; no longer. My full description of my riding sounds pretty busy, but there's a lot more I can and want to do. Who would have thought retirement would be so busy, LOL?
Good luck in your pursuits!1 -
MTBs and trail riding will give you great arms
A popular saying is 'a good ride is like a mini holiday'. It is oh so true. Enjoy yourself This is a bit OTT but the gist is there https://www.pedalchile.com/blog/mtb-muscles#:~:text=The biceps help stabilize the,absolutely vital during mountain biking.
1 -
I got a bike 2 years ago after 30+ Years without one. I was able to ride again immediately. It took a little while to get completely comfortable with it, but I’d never had a bike with more than 3 gears before this. I’ve ridden about 1500 miles since then! I’m not fast or strong on hills, but I sure have fun!dmcforthewin wrote: »First, love your bike! Thanks for sharing. You sound like a busy person. I have not been on a bike in 35 years. I hope I can still ride one. Lol Can't wait to get my bike and start exploring, as you seem to have with your bike. What type of bike is yours?Not my only exercise, but a key exercise.
Now that it's summer, I combine cycling with swimming (pool and ocean), as I ride to the beach (I live in coastal NJ). In winter, I combine cycling (when able to get out) with gym work. In the Autumn, I tend to focus on my longer, adventure-type rides. I also occasionally do light hiking or walking.
Male, aged 66yo, some underlying physical conditions impacting performance, I've been back to cycling 3rd year now after decades away. Retired from a sedentary IT career with extensive travel which did my body no good. I have lost about 70lbs through this activity combined with some dietary moderation (nothing too extreme), but this year has been a bit of a plateau, with, of course, covid lockdown. I am hoping to do 1 or 2 overnight car-camping excursions to bike trails nearby the campgrounds this Autumn (with covid, I won't be staying in hotels/etc.).
I ride a trail bike 50/50 on-road/off-road, 80/20 paved/unpaved, and have carried the bike to ride all over NJ north to Ontario and south to FL Keys and a number of points between. In addition to physical benefits, my outlook and disposition has improved greatly (there are innumerable internet memes about cycling and attitude adjustment).
I heartily recommend riding if it works for you. In addition to whatever else you prefer/enjoy. Good luck.
Pic is in the Gateway National Rec Area, Sandy Hook Unit, NJ, in February of this year.
4 -
-
Wow, everything in your post was well said. If only I could write as well as you did in your reply. I wish I lived near the beach, now that I am getting a bike. I lived near Fort Myers Beach in SW Florida years ago, but didn't have a bike back then. However, I live in Tn, so I can at least enjoy the hills and mountain/park biking trails. Thanks for sharing everything and sorry I am replying to you late. Sometimes I get so busy, that I forget to check messages, when I am logging my food.i wrote a big answer, but it's late here and i accidentally left the page, which lost it. will reply tomorrow.
thanks for your kind words.
Got distracted yesterday ... apologies for reply later than I had promised. Keeping it shorter this time: my bike is a model year 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 that my family bought for me as a Christmas/retirement gift in Dec 2017. "Go ride, it'll be good for you," they said, and were right. I made some mods to the bike to fit my 50/50 onroad/offroad, 80/20 paved/unpaved anticipated ride profile: semi-slick Schwalbe Big Apple 29x2.35 tires to replace the stock Bontranger knobbies, Ergon GP-4 bar-end grips (to reduce hand numbness and provide more hand positions, similar to my decades-previous drop-bar experience), a more "comfortable" saddle (which, because I've lost a lot of mass in my "nether regions," plus tightened up the muscles there, I'm considering replacing for better performance), and a few others, more minor.
I bike for exercise, yes. I've lost 70-ish pounds, have more to go, and improved my cardio and strength tremendously. It is one aspect of my exercise/health program. For instance, as I live near to the beach here in NJ, I yesterday did my usual summertime routine - ride to/from the beach and then swim (pool and ocean) for additional exercise and fun.
I ride for enjoyment and other non-exercise reasons as well. Both components are equally important to me. I hadn't ridden in decades myself, but in the old days I was pretty active on a 1980s Fuji road tourer. So this bike configuration was a big change for me. Riding 1-2 miles, at first, was a big deal; no longer. My full description of my riding sounds pretty busy, but there's a lot more I can and want to do. Who would have thought retirement would be so busy, LOL?
Good luck in your pursuits!
2 -
Thank you! I would love for my biking to tone up my arms some. Hopefully it will. I live in Tn, so we do have lots of hills with our trails and I could head to the mountains which aren't far either.MTBs and trail riding will give you great arms A popular saying is 'a good ride is like a mini holiday'. It is oh so true. Enjoy yourself This is a bit OTT but the gist is there https://www.pedalchile.com/blog/mtb-muscles#:~:text=The biceps help stabilize the,absolutely vital during mountain biking.
0 -
pridesabtch wrote: »Biking is fun. I think the wind in my face is my favorite thing. It gives a sense of freedom.
Me too! I go with friends and often on my own. We bike on trails and drive to get to other trails for variety. The sense of freedom and being out in nature is food for the soul, as well as the calories burned. I love it! Since COVID there's been a huge increase of people biking. For me walking is too boring, I have never liked it unless it's hiking on trails.0 -
dmcforthewin wrote: »Hey guys! I have been power walking and doing some water aerobics for a while, as my main daily exercise. I am wondering if anyone does only cycling, whether at home or outdoors, as your only exercise? I bought a bike and want to use it for maybe 45-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. However, I am wondering if that would be an adequate exercise by itself. I will ride at a decent pace, so more then just a leisurly stroll. Thanks!
What do you mean by "adequate exercise"....adequate for what exactly?
I'm a cycling enthusiast. I road ride and mountain bike as my primary forms of exercise. I hike here and there as well. I would also recommend doing some form of resistance training to preserve bone density and muscle mass1 -
I cycle and lift. Cycling is great cardio if you ride hard enough. Most people don't. Getting on a bike and pedeling around at 10 mph won't really get your heart rate up or burn a ton of calories. For example, I have a smart trainer with a power meter that is accurate to within about 5% of calorie burn. A recent ride of mine for 57 minutes at an average speed of just over 20mph burned an estimated 538 calories. That's a fairly long, hard ride at over 19 miles. Most people don't ride that way.
Cycling is great fun and can be a great primary form of cardio exercise, but you should understand how hard you have to work to burn a significant number of calories.1 -
Hi. I do both bije and light weights and have lost over 50 lbs dince march. For bike i use and indoor trainer and the Zwift cycling app on laptop. I use a spped, heartrate and cadence sensors
I connect the laptop to tv and can do any off the many "rides" on Zwift. Its the best approach. I can cycke anytime of day or night , no need to worry about weather, traffic or safety, and best of all no need to drive anywhere. The app tracks everything and includes races, work out plans or just fun rides. Its online so you are conbected to ruders all over the world.1 -
I recently discovered that time sure does fly when I'm on my recumbent bike playing Animal Crossing! That half hour goes by quickly!2
-
Thanks! I hope to work up to a good speed and distance over time, to make some kind of difference.DevilsFan1 wrote: »I cycle and lift. Cycling is great cardio if you ride hard enough. Most people don't. Getting on a bike and pedeling around at 10 mph won't really get your heart rate up or burn a ton of calories. For example, I have a smart trainer with a power meter that is accurate to within about 5% of calorie burn. A recent ride of mine for 57 minutes at an average speed of just over 20mph burned an estimated 538 calories. That's a fairly long, hard ride at over 19 miles. Most people don't ride that way.
Cycling is great fun and can be a great primary form of cardio exercise, but you should understand how hard you have to work to burn a significant number of calories.
0 -
I just mean to help with the continued weight loss part. I have done tons of walking over the year and it has helped me to lose a lot of weight. I am wanting the biking to take the place of SOME of the walking. Getting bored with the same routine. I do plan to add some gym exercise soon and hopefully build more muscle. I wanted to find an exercise that might be fun and comparable to walking at least. I figured biking would be one example.cwolfman13 wrote: »dmcforthewin wrote: »Hey guys! I have been power walking and doing some water aerobics for a while, as my main daily exercise. I am wondering if anyone does only cycling, whether at home or outdoors, as your only exercise? I bought a bike and want to use it for maybe 45-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. However, I am wondering if that would be an adequate exercise by itself. I will ride at a decent pace, so more then just a leisurly stroll. Thanks!
What do you mean by "adequate exercise"....adequate for what exactly?
I'm a cycling enthusiast. I road ride and mountain bike as my primary forms of exercise. I hike here and there as well. I would also recommend doing some form of resistance training to preserve bone density and muscle mass
0 -
Many years ago, I used to have a recumbent bike and I did enjoy it. I don't think I've have ever heard of animal crosssing. Time does go fast when you can do something else, while exercising. When I use my treadmill, I watch a movie, so an hour of walking goes fast. You're concentrating on the movie, instead of how much time you have left.Lynnsgoals2020 wrote: »I recently discovered that time sure does fly when I'm on my recumbent bike playing Animal Crossing! That half hour goes by quickly!
0 -
dmcforthewin wrote: »I just mean to help with the continued weight loss part. I have done tons of walking over the year and it has helped me to lose a lot of weight. I am wanting the biking to take the place of SOME of the walking. Getting bored with the same routine. I do plan to add some gym exercise soon and hopefully build more muscle. I wanted to find an exercise that might be fun and comparable to walking at least. I figured biking would be one example.cwolfman13 wrote: »dmcforthewin wrote: »Hey guys! I have been power walking and doing some water aerobics for a while, as my main daily exercise. I am wondering if anyone does only cycling, whether at home or outdoors, as your only exercise? I bought a bike and want to use it for maybe 45-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. However, I am wondering if that would be an adequate exercise by itself. I will ride at a decent pace, so more then just a leisurly stroll. Thanks!
What do you mean by "adequate exercise"....adequate for what exactly?
I'm a cycling enthusiast. I road ride and mountain bike as my primary forms of exercise. I hike here and there as well. I would also recommend doing some form of resistance training to preserve bone density and muscle mass
The eating less than you burn in total is what actually caused the fat loss.
The exercise can help because it means you burn more daily, and the same deficit means eating more which can make it easier to adhere to whatever deficit you use. Hopefully reasonable with less to lose.
But you won't build much in the way of muscle while in a diet as a woman, especially when you have less fat reserves.
But it's much easier to save what you've got, then trying to build later.
One reason we both mention resistance training - bone density.
As a woman higher risk already.
Doing mainly non-impact cardio in a diet - even more risk.
That's a real hard one to make up for later compared to even muscle.
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/why-cycling-is-bad-for-bone-density-and-how-you-can-improve-it/
1 -
I love cycling as part of my fitness routing. My other go to's are body weight circuits (push up, pull up, squat, plank, etc) as well as some rowing - and of course walking the dog. Fall is prime outdoor cycling time. If you do choose to go the cycling route and as we come into winter, you may want to check out adding a home smart power trainer with an app to keep cycling up indoors with the same bike you use to ride outdoors. Last winter, I procured a Wahoo KICKR (https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-trainers/kickr/buy?gclid=CjwKCAjwm_P5BRAhEiwAwRzSO_hKF9ELdqCijsV6DAMHPU6-FhFSczS6V9y9wz_5UIBR4pEBqzW2shoCOTQQAvD_BwE) and use ZWIFT (https://zwift.com) to keep things interesting. Very similar to the Peleton approach mentioned in an earlier thread.1
-
dmcforthewin wrote: »I just mean to help with the continued weight loss part. I have done tons of walking over the year and it has helped me to lose a lot of weight. I am wanting the biking to take the place of SOME of the walking. Getting bored with the same routine. I do plan to add some gym exercise soon and hopefully build more muscle. I wanted to find an exercise that might be fun and comparable to walking at least. I figured biking would be one example.cwolfman13 wrote: »dmcforthewin wrote: »Hey guys! I have been power walking and doing some water aerobics for a while, as my main daily exercise. I am wondering if anyone does only cycling, whether at home or outdoors, as your only exercise? I bought a bike and want to use it for maybe 45-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. However, I am wondering if that would be an adequate exercise by itself. I will ride at a decent pace, so more then just a leisurly stroll. Thanks!
What do you mean by "adequate exercise"....adequate for what exactly?
I'm a cycling enthusiast. I road ride and mountain bike as my primary forms of exercise. I hike here and there as well. I would also recommend doing some form of resistance training to preserve bone density and muscle mass
The eating less than you burn in total is what actually caused the fat loss.
The exercise can help because it means you burn more daily, and the same deficit means eating more which can make it easier to adhere to whatever deficit you use. Hopefully reasonable with less to lose.
But you won't build much in the way of muscle while in a diet as a woman, especially when you have less fat reserves.
But it's much easier to save what you've got, then trying to build later.
One reason we both mention resistance training - bone density.
As a woman higher risk already.
Doing mainly non-impact cardio in a diet - even more risk.
That's a real hard one to make up for later compared to even muscle.
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/why-cycling-is-bad-for-bone-density-and-how-you-can-improve-it/I love cycling as part of my fitness routing. My other go to's are body weight circuits (push up, pull up, squat, plank, etc) as well as some rowing - and of course walking the dog. Fall is prime outdoor cycling time. If you do choose to go the cycling route and as we come into winter, you may want to check out adding a home smart power trainer with an app to keep cycling up indoors with the same bike you use to ride outdoors. Last winter, I procured a Wahoo KICKR (https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-trainers/kickr/buy?gclid=CjwKCAjwm_P5BRAhEiwAwRzSO_hKF9ELdqCijsV6DAMHPU6-FhFSczS6V9y9wz_5UIBR4pEBqzW2shoCOTQQAvD_BwE) and use ZWIFT (https://zwift.com) to keep things interesting. Very similar to the Peleton approach mentioned in an earlier thread.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 394 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 941 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions