Get Into Gear

Regular bicycling gives your heart, brain, bones and muscles a workout. 

- Loraine O'Connell

NOTHING BEATS A bicycle ride on a balmy Florida day. Not only is it fun, it’s good for you. For one thing, it’s easy on the joints, according to Harvard Medical School. Bicyclists put their weight on their pelvic bones, so individuals with joint pain needn’t be concerned about straining those joints.

Cycling also builds muscle, especially the gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Other muscles that get a workout are the abdominals, arms and shoulders.

Those are just some of the benefits of bicycling, Harvard researchers say. Pedal-pushing also builds bone density and provides an aerobic workout that’s great for your heart, brain and blood vessels.

All aerobic workouts “reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and reduce blood pressure,” says Bret H. Goodpaster, a senior investigator with Florida Hospital’s Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes.