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Twenty-Three Tips
for the Best Cycling
About 90 million American adults ride a bike
at least once a year, nearly 30 million cycle regularly for recreation,
and a few million even commute by bicycle, according to a recent
article in American Demographics.
Those numbers may rise in the next few years, thanks to federal
legislation that encourages local communities to build cycling into
their transit plans. That's good not only for the environment,
but also for the nation's health, since cycling is one of the
best forms of exercise around. It gives the heart and circulatory
system a workout; it puts little stress on joints (except perhaps
the knees); it can burn 400 to 700 calories per hour; and if you
own a bike, cycling is free and can be done just about anywhere.
Do-It-Yourself
Home Gym
You don't need a home gym to exercise
at home. Here are four inexpensive, easy-to-store alternatives that,
together, enhance all the elements of fitness: muscle strength,
flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. All are sold in sporting-goods
stores.
A Dozen Ways to Improve
Your Walking Workouts
Of all the ways to stay fit, walking is the easiest,
safest, and cheapest. It can also be the most fun: a fine day, a
good companion, an attainable goal (say, a scenic spot) three or
four miles away. On city streets, in the woods, or even round and
round the high school track, walking is the best way to experience
a landscape. If it's too rainy for anything but a treadmill indoors,
at least you can read or watch TV. And after your workout, you know
you've done yourself some good.
Building
Muscle and Bone—At Home, On Your Own
If you feel shy about starting a strength-training
program, it may help to sweep a few myths from your mind.
The
Home Stretch
Stretching, one of the simplest fitness activities,
is controversial. Will it prevent injuries? Some say yes, some say
no. Is there a right and wrong way to do it? Different methods have
their advocates. Here's a Q & A session about a type of exercise
that has undeniable benefits—whichever side you take in the
controversy—and also feels good.
Getting
Fit
Physical fitness—the ability to carry out
daily tasks with vigor, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy
to enjoy leisure-time pursuits—has three basic elements. To
be truly fit, you should develop each of these components.
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