Cycling in general good exercise or need to push it

[alex_cycles]

Any exercise that makes you exert yourself a bit more than normal daily life has to be good for you, but cycling in itself is quite limited for overall health as it does little or nothing to develop upper body strength, or to maintain a healthy bone density level.

I cycle around 3 x 25 miles a week, push myself on parts of those rides, especially the hills, but worry that I need to vary it a bit more with fast walking, weight resistance and flexibility exercise

If you stand up and use your arms on hills you can work them quite hard, but yes you need some load-bearing exercise for bone density.

I think we also need to acknowledge that there's a lot of different cycling going on. It's all bike riding but there's a world of difference between a gentle bimble round the park and smashing it up a hill going for a KoM after a 30-50 mile hard ride. Off-road riding is slower but gives you more of a body workout.

But anything that gets your heart rate and breathing frequency up is good (as long as you don't push further than you should).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Very interesting hypothesis. I suspect most non retired cyclists don't exercise 4-5 times per week for 30 minutes minimum so aren't getting those healthy ageing benefits. I know I don't and I'm in the 2-3 times a week category

I think that depends on whether you have a cycle commute. I’m in the 4-5 times a week bracket, which used to be 11 times a week (2 a day commutes) pre pandemic. I’m getting out in my lunchtimes during the week, and then a longer Sat morning ride. I try and keep a couple of days for off the bike to get some longer walks in and do some body weight exercises.

 

[cyberknight]

I think that depends on whether you have a cycle commute. I’m in the 4-5 times a week bracket, which used to be 11 times a week (2 a day commutes) pre pandemic. I’m getting out in my lunchtimes during the week, and then a longer Sat morning ride. I try and keep a couple of days for off the bike to get some longer walks in and do some body weight exercises.

in my normal routine im similar, commute 10 miles each way 5 days a week then a club ride aka 2-3 up for at least a metric century.Currently zwifting most days around 45 mins at threshold pace.
ran a hrm today and my average was 167 bpm !

 

[Alex321]

Very interesting hypothesis. I suspect most non retired cyclists don't exercise 4-5 times per week for 30 minutes minimum so aren't getting those healthy ageing benefits. I know I don't and I'm in the 2-3 times a week category

Possibly most don't, but I suspect many on here do.

I normally get out on the bike 5-6 times a week. Weekdays that will be after work when WFH (when in the office, I'll be commuting 15 miles twice a day). Each of those is normally 12-18 miles, 40 minutes to a little over an hour. Often do a bit longer ride at the weekend.

 

[alex_cycles]

Possibly most don't, but I suspect many on here do.

Yep. I try to have one rest day most weeks but don't always manage it

 

[HLaB]

What level of Fit @Leemi1982 ? Sounds like what you're doing will be making you fitter than the average population. I am one of those crazy people though who

Hi been off the bike for 3 months due to some minor work injuries started to notice myselfeeling a bit slow and sluggish, heavier at home..

Today was my first day back on the bike didn’t feel as difficult as I thought it would be.

Just wondered what people would call it enough exercise on a bike, I would describe myself as a gentle pace cyclist doing about 10 to 15 mile rides and hit some hills. But I never go for speed..

do you think you need to be a fast and hard cyclist to get fit or is just getting out and about enough.
Thoughts

Just getting out will get you fit compared to the average population but if you're like me you'll want to push harder but do what level you are happy with. Don't push so hard that it becomes a chore and puts you off cycling. Unless pushing hard is your thing