Cycling for health

By Norman Wright

Cycling is not only a good way of keeping fit, it's also environmentally-friendly and a great way of enjoying the countryside.

I have many abiding images of my dad fixed in my brain, but one of the most frequent is of him with his ancient, black sit-up-and-beg bike. Known by all in our Northamptonshire village as Bill, he made good use of that bike. It took him four miles to work and back every day for the best part of 50 years, until he was well into his seventies.
It also acted as a trusty workhorse. He was often to be seen pushing the bike with a sack of spuds over the crossbar. He would coast down the hill from his allotment with bunches of flowers and prime specimens of any vegetables you could name hanging from the handlebars.
The point of all this personal nostalgia is that, though labouring work and that allotment kept him fit, all that biking was a big factor in maintaining his health and strength into his late seventies.
Cycling is much easier now, with better machines, all the right clothes and safety gear. With special traffic-free routes being opened all the time, you can ride through beautiful countryside and actually see it. And it still does you as much good as it did in dad's time!
I dabbled with cycling when our children were younger, and even did a London to Brighton run. Now I'm aiming to have another go. If you feel the same, this feature should help you start, and hopefully give you a bit of inspiration to carry on with it. If you already do some cycling, I hope it will inspire you to keep going.

Pedal power
There's a whole bunch of studies from all over the world showing that regular cycling is good for you. One study has even suggested that regular cyclists enjoy a fitness level equal to that of a person ten years younger. Another, that if one-third of all short car journeys were made by bike, national heart disease rates would fall by between five and ten per cent.
Many people cannot take part in certain sports because of the pressure it puts on their joints (running is a good example). Because the bicycle takes the weight of the body, much less pressure is exerted on the joints while cycling. This makes cycling a good form of exercise for those with certain joint problems.
Many people are also put off doing certain sports because of the high level of skill that seems to be required (a good example is aerobic dance). Most of us know how to cycle - once you have learned you don't forget. All you need is a cycle and a bit of confidence.
Because cycling uses major muscle groups (the legs!), it raises the heart rate to an extent that benefits health. Cycling therefore lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as reducing LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) while raising good cholesterol levels.
So, if you feel like getting back on your bike, what's the best way to start? If you are pretty fit and get plenty of exercise in other ways, fine. If not, the rule is definitely to check with your doctor, as is the case with all types of exercise when you are aged over 50.
It's important to ride regularly, ideally three times a week or more, but start with twice a week. Ride a short distance first, something you are comfortable with at a speed you can manage. Once this is going well add a third ride of the same sort of distance and speed.
When the routine is going well make just one of the rides longer but keep to the same sort of pace. The next gradual increase is to make one of the two shorter rides faster. The trick as you get fitter and stronger is to gradually improve one area at a time, either distance, speed or frequency. That way you make a gradual improvement and can combine longer periods of exercise with shorter but faster ones.
Make sure you eat something before you ride and then when you finish have something like a cereal bar or a banana. Drink plenty of water during and after your training rides.
As you build up your level of fitness you will have rides that go well and some that don't go perfectly, try not to get put off and keep at it. It is a long-term project.
The reward is tremendous health benefits for cycling around three hours a week. You will be fitter for all activities and you will be in great shape to take on a longer ride if you want to, or even a Sunday leisure ride with the grandchildren.