Fitness health centre

Health and fitness: Get on your bike

Inspired by Mark Cavendish becoming world cycling champion in a year which also saw him crowned best sprinter in the Tour de France?

You don't have to be the Manx missile to reap the benefits of cycling.

Remember as a child freewheeling down a hill on your bike, the wind in your hair, the exhilaration, the freedom? Well get out your old bike and give it another whirl.

More than three million people in the UK ride a bike each month and it’s getting more popular as a great way to get fit and healthy.

You don’t have to start out as an athlete when it comes to cycling. Most people can do it, from toddlers to teenagers, to people in their eighties and those with disabilities.

Cycling is far easier to slot into your everyday life than many other forms of exercise. It has the benefit of getting you from A to B as well, so it could save you money on transport.

Cycling for health

Regular cycling can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

The British Heart Foundation says cycling for 20 miles a week reduces your chance of getting heart disease by a half, compared to those who don’t exercise.

Nick Cavill is public health advisor to Cycling England. He’s looked into the health benefits of cycling.

"If you are a cyclist you’ll live longer as you’ll have reduced cardiovascular disease, it’s better for your lungs and cuts the risk of some cancers."

As a nation we are obese and cycling, like other forms of exercise, is a good way to lose weight.

In 2007 the Government-commissioned Foresight report predicted that if no action was taken 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children would be obese by 2050.

It called for big changes in our nutrition and physical activity.

So cycling could be a great way for you to make that change. The main advantage is you can make it part of your everyday life rather than having to find time to go to the gym or for a swim.

Cycling for fitness

Nick Cavill’s study - Cycling and Health - found that cycling has many of the same fitness benefits as other training programmes.

It found cycling for 30 minutes on most days of the week, combined with cutting your calories, gets the same sort of results as doing three aerobic classes a week.

Nick says, "That’s basically a 15 minute journey to and from work."

"When you cycle you burn between five and 10 calories a minute. It depends on how heavy you are and what you eat as to how much weight you lose, at what rate.

It’s estimated that someone who weighs 80kg (12.6 stones) will burn more than 650 calories with an hour’s riding.

The best way to build your cardiovascular fitness on the bike is to consistently ride twice during the week, then do a longer ride at the weekend. You'll soon feel the benefits.