Bike riding can be a fun adventure and a great way to stay in shape. It’s something the whole family can do together.
If you don’t own a bike, you can always check yard sales to find a good, cheap bike to start out with. Once you decide you’ll stick with it you may want to invest in a new bike for yourself.
If you haven’t ridden a bike in awhile, you should know that you’ll be sore in areas that you didn’t know existed any more.
If you keep it up though, you can have a lot of fun, see a lot of sights and get in better shape. Here are a few tips to make your experience the best it can be:
- Start off with short rides. It doesn’t have to be any longer than 15 minutes. A quick trip around the block is a great beginning. Try that for a few days and then decide if you’re ready to ride longer; maybe up your distance to two blocks.
- Watch your diet. Adding exercise alone isn’t going to make a big difference in your weight loss goals. You have to eat properly too. Choose foods that fuel your body instead of junky foods that make you feel sluggish. You don’t have to change your whole eating plan at once. Over time, as you start feeling better from riding your bicycle, you’ll naturally want to eat better foods.
- Set goals. You don’t need big goals to start out with, but you do need them. Using the short ride above, set a goal that each week you will add another block to your distance or five minutes onto your time. Small increments like this will lead to greater success, but you have to have the goals in mind to accomplish them.
- Mix up your routine. You don’t have to take the same route every time. One of the purposes of bike riding is to get out and have fun. You don’t want to look at the same old scenery every day. Also, change up the time and distance you ride, add a path that has some incline to it once in awhile.
- Don’t over do it. This is true of any exercise routine you take on. Riding a bike can be fun. Often you start having a good time and want to keep going longer than your normal ride. This can lead to extra soreness and may prevent you from riding for a few days. Be sensible with it. On Friday, if you want to ride longer and plan to take a break until Monday, you may want to challenge yourself a bit. This is fine and something you should do from time to time, just don’t go overboard with it.
- Take care of your bicycle. You want to keep it clean. Wash it off if you take a dusty or muddy route and keep oil on the chain. By taking care of your bike it should give you many years of fun and fitness.
- Invest in a good seat. If you’ve decided that you want to continue riding and do it on a regular basis, go buy a seat that is comfortable for you. There’s nothing worse than having a sore back side every day. Much of this discomfort can be eliminated by using a proper seat. Go try a few out and see what you like best.
- Buy some cute biking clothes. A good pair of bike shorts and nice top will not only look good but it’ll make you feel better about yourself. You don’t have to invest in the most expensive attire to begin with, but looking the part of a cyclist will improve your motivation and be more comfortable than regular shorts and a tee-shirt.
Riding a bicycle can be a great way to have some fun and get in shape. It’s something you can do alone, with the family or with a friend who also wants to get out and get more active.
The main thing is to get out there and have some fun while you get into shape.
