01 May Outdoor workout ideas: Cycling

This is the second in a five-part series on outdoor workout ideas. These can be used to enhance your indoor workouts on home gyms, treadmills, vibration training machines, elliptical, etc.

After being indoors much of the winter, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the nicer warmer weather. One of the most fun ways to combine enjoying the outdoors and exercising is to go for a bike ride.
Bicycling is not only great for your cardiovascular system, but an excellent way to explore your community and surrounding areas.
More and more areas have parks, bike paths and trails set up for safe bike riding. One of my favorites is the rails to trails systems that convert old railroad tracks into bike paths.
Biking can be used as actual transportation to work or to go see friends, or strictly as a fun way to exercise.
To add an adrenaline rush to your workout, try mountain biking on a good off-road course. Start out easy, build up gradually and enjoy the wild ride.
Cycling will help your overall leg muscles, especially working the quadriceps (thighs).
Before going out to train make sure your bike is working properly. If you’re not sure if it’s in good working order, take it to a bike shop for an inspection and tune-up.
Also make sure the seat is set at the proper height so that you don’t put too much strain on your neck, knees and-or back.
Practice safety first and wear a helmet. The biggest tip I can off is to invest in a pair of biking shorts, it will make your ride much more comfortable and will allow you to go longer.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com