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By David Pico

We live in the healthiest state in the U.S.  A lot of people who live here exercise not just to stay in  shape, but to have fun.  Where else in the world, can one say that?  In Colorado Springs we are fortunate to have mountains that creep into the west side of our town and loom large in our sunset vision.  This is a big reason why so much fun is to be had in health & fitness.  Bicycling is a major component of our village.  Everywhere you go there is a cyclist in front of you; on the road, at the coffee shop, at the bagel store, on the trails, in the bike lanes, and at the bike rack in front of the book store.  In Colorado Springs, we LOVE to bike.  If you haven’t yet picked up a bike, or if you only do it once in a blue moon, I want to challenge you to ride your bike more often.  There are a ton of benefits you can experience from jumping on a bike.  Here are just a few: 

Weight Loss – This one is the most obvious.  If you exercise consistently you will see less body fat when you look in the mirror.  Bicycling gives you three fat burning qualities making it an ideal exercise for weight maintenance- aerobic, cardio, and muscle building.  

§  Aerobic exercises are targeted directly to burn through calories and bust your gut. 

§  Cardio gives you a healthy heart which pumps more blood to your muscles, not your fat. 

§  Muscle building gives you more energy to take your exercises to new levels, and quite simply – more muscle burns fat, even when you are sitting on the couch clicking the buttons on the remote. 

·         Lowers your Risk of Heart Disease – It’s true.  If you ride your bike regularly then you lead a healthy lifestyle.  You are less likely to have high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.  This all leads to a longer life expectancy.  We all want that!

·         No More Stress – Taking an hour lunch 3 times a week to ride your bike around the neighborhood or office will get you outside and enjoying the day rather than being stuck in the office.  Physical activity fuels the brain and gives you a fresh outlook on the days work.  Try it.  By the end of the first week you’ll feel great.

·         Saves Gas Money – Commuting to work on a bike leaves your car parked in the garage.  Obviously, a parked car uses no gas – saving you money.  Think about this: If you commute to work on a bike just 1 day a week, your commuting gas bill is cut by 20%.  If you live too far from your workplace, try this – Put your bike in your trunk a drive halfway or even two-thirds of the way to your office.  Park your car in a lot and ride your bike the rest of the way to the office.  This gives you both the exercise each day and cuts your gas bill down.  As a bonus – you’re doing your part to cut down emissions in the air too. 

David Pico is the publisher of Peak Region Cyclist Magazine in Colorado Springs.  Pick up a free copy of Peak Region Cyclist at any bike shop, coffee shop, restaurant, or Chipotle in Colorado Springs.

Comments (2)

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written by Doug Osterman, March 31, 2009

Great article.
I have a friend who swears biking helped him beat cancer!!

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Low Impact exercise for the rest of us
written by Tim Mancuso, April 04, 2009

Thanks for the article.

For those of us that prefer low(er) impact, easier on the knees, skiing, surfing etc. there is a cool alternative I've found: It's called the Trikke - and it's like a bike but like a scooter but like a ski... well, you'll just have to check it out.

(Local Colorado Springs source: Trikke of Colorado Ph: 719-641-0806, also on Facebook)

In any case, get outside and keep moving. We live in a fantastic area and there is so much to see, and fresh air and sunshine to enjoy!

-Tim Mancuso
http://www.TimMancuso.com

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