Cycle Up The Hills
This picture was taken from: greatoutdoors.com
Cycling is, with no doubts, one of the best ways of keeping fit. It may also be a way of enjoying fresh air and save gas. Especially now, when spring days are longer and warmer.
Craig Undem, a cycling coach, advises to cycle in the hills. The workout is great and doing it twice a week will help you to burn lots of calories and build strong muscles.
“Hills give you more bang for the buck,” Undem said. “You might choose to go on a slow, steady ride for 20 miles (about an hour’s worth for experienced riders and more like two hours for novices). But if you do moderate hills for 30 minutes that will burn more calories.”
Your tempo needs to be “moderately intense” if you want to get good workout. It means you should increase the intensity levels in short bursts.
Undem explains that cycling requires more expertise and techniques that we might think.
Some tips:
~~ Sit upright while climbing a hill and don’t put your arms back too hard.
~~ Breathe deeply.
~~ Don’t forget to drink lots of water and have a snack if your ride lasts more than one hour.
Even recreational cycling will change your body if you add some hills and 30-seconds sprints.
“Cycling is a real tonic for the body,” Undem said. “Work harder and it will charge you up. You will feel good even after you’re off the bike.”
