Cycling

Cycling requires more muscular effort and cardiovascular endurance than walking, and is especially good for the legs. Mountain biking off-road has the added advantage of working the upper body muscles. If cycling is your chosen exercise, complement it with some upper body work such as working with weights, squash, swimming the crawl or golf.

The more you cycle, the further you will be able to ride. This is best done on a regular and sustained basis, making your bicycle a part of everyday life.

For real benefit, aim to cycle 15-20 minutes a day at 16kph/10mph. You should be able to cycle 8kph/5 miles in approximately 30-35 minutes or 16kph/10 miles in 1 hour. FACTFILE

Calories burnt per minute: 8.1-9.8 (based on cycling at 16kph/10mph)

Works on: improving the endurance of the upper and lower legs; excellent cardiovascular exercise

Complementary exercises: walking, jogging, weights, squash, front crawl, golf, weight training

You need: bike, safety helmet, fluorescent strip




Other types of cycling include track and road racing, both only for the very fit. Track racing is a competitive sport and requires a special bike and banked track. In road-racing, long distances (up to hundreds of kilometres) are covered on a lightweight bike. Mountain biking can be enjoyed by everyone; the study frame of mountain bikes allow you to take them over the toughest terrain (although this requires some hard cycling).

Of course, if you want to cycle without leaving home, there are stationary cycling machines. The intensity of exercise on these machines can be easily controlled.