LOSING WEIGHT

Losing weight not only makes you look good, feel great and gain confidence but it can greatly benefit your body as well. It doesn't really matter how much weight you lose because even a little counts towards the contribution of health. Here are some of the benefits you can reap losing that bulge.

Heart
Research has shown that a moderate weight loss of 5-10% of body weight may reduce cardiovascular risk factors. This means that by losing weight, you can reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides level and improve heart function.

Liver
If you have fatty liver, losing weight might be the key to getting rid of the fats from the liver. Research shows that by losing excess weight, not only the fat content in the liver decreases but the storage of fats in the liver is reduced as well. This will improve the overall condition of your liver.

Kidneys
According to studies, if you're obese, weight loss attained through diet and exercise reduces kidney damage and help to maintain kidney function.

Joints
If you are overweight that means you are putting a lot of pressure on your joints such as your knees, hips and lower back. Losing even a small amount of weight will help to reduce the pressure, stress and pain on your joints and therefore reduce the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. According to research, for a woman of normal height, for every 5 kg weight loss the risk of knee oasteoarthritis dropped by more than 50%.

Reduce Weight By Cycling

One way to reduce weight, is to burn more calories by doing more physical activity. Cycling is a very effective way to burn calories and therefore reduce fat. About 10 minutes of cycling burns about 80 calories. My regular time is about 1 1/2 hours (approximately 25-30 km distance). In one year, this daily fitness workout uses up a total of 29,200 calories per year - about 3.5 kg of body weight.

A daily cycling workout doesn't just help you to reduce weight, it also helps you to increase aerobic fitness, improves circulation and blood sugar levels.

In order to speed up weight reduction, by cycling, it's important to follow a calorie-controlled,
healthy eating-plan, containing an adequate supply of carbohydrates and protein, as well as a full range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Remember, a well-fed body loses weight faster. In addition, obesity tests show that motivation is improved when you monitor your weight statistics on a weekly basis.

The best type of fitness plan for weight reduction is the one that you find most suitable. If you enjoy cycling, try it. If not, choose another exercise method. I have tried badminton and jogging but I ended up with injuries on my ankles and knees. Then I turned to walking in the Park but I found it rather boring and slow. I started cycling since the past 2 years and I find it suitable to keep myself in shape.

The Benefits of Cycling

First, cycling for exercise, if you choose it, is a great cardio exercise.

Second, it works well for you and me and for anyone.

Third, it gives you these benefits:

• Improves your cardio-respiratory (meaning heart and lung) fitness
• Decreases your risk of heart disease. One study done on cycling and health finds that new cyclists covering short distances can reduce their risk of death (mainly due to the reduction of heart disease) by as much as 22.5% !
• Increases your capacity to burn body fat to lose weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work 5 times per week burns off an equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year!

  And when you combine cycling for exercise with a healthy weight loss diet , you'll get an enjoyable and effective weight loss program!

• Helps you to maintain strength and coordination as the strength and co-ordination that regular cycling brings reduce incidences of your falling, injuries and hip fractures, when you're older
• Improves your leg strength and you're in for a bonus because leg strength improves other mobility, for example, by allowing you to get out of any seated position more easily and helping you to avoid falls (and the broken bones) and other injuries associated with the falls
• Regulates your blood pressure
• Has positive effects on how you feel too. Cycling for exercise or any kind of moderate exercise has been found to reduce levels of depression and stress , improve mood and raise self-esteem, and has also been found to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Not A Professional Road Biker? Don't Worry About That...

Regular Cycling For Exercise Is More Than Enough....

The Power of Cycling for Exercise

It gets your heart and lungs into the cardio-respiratory fitness zone! That's how powerful it is!

I used to do morning and evening walk with my wife at the Reservoir Park, Taman Budaya, Kuching. Besides walking , my other favorite cardio is cycling. Now I have stopped walking in the park with my wife.

All because cycling is, just like walking, an easy and convenient cardio and I can do it any time of the day.

I get on the bike, peddling past my chosen, preferred routes, easily and enjoyably for up to 6 miles per 30 minute session, without feeling strained in my body!

With cycling, I seem to burn calories a lot more easier since I can cover more miles in less time, hence burn more of my body fat.

As I cycle, I get to enjoy and appreciate the fresh air, the warm sunshine and the beautiful scenery - this way I get by to pass fast my exercise time!

In a blink of an eye (so to speak), 30-40 minutes would have already gone by. And I've accomplished cycling for up to more than 6 miles!

(P/S: If you're worried about traffic fumes and smokes, relax! According to a study, cyclists and pedestrians actually breathe in lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes and smokes than car drivers!)

If you don't like walking, jogging or running, try cycling for exercise.

....Hey.....You don't need to be a professional road biker to benefit from cycling. Just a regular cycling routine is enough to give you effective exercise to improve your physical fitness.......

You'd be surprised at what cycling can do to you and your body's health.

Let's get more acquainted with cycling as an exercise......

(P/S: When talk about cycling, I include here both outdoor cycling and stationary cycling. They're both beneficial to you. But I'll be referring to outdoor cycling since I think this would be your more preferred cycling choice?)

Cycling as a Fat Burning Exercise

As we are living in this busiest world, everyone is too busy and people want such exercisers from which they will remain healthy in very short timer. We also want that these exercises should not be time consuming. To remain healthy we should firstly control our fats.
So there are many different types of fat burning exercises that are popular today. Jogging, walking, running, cycling and swimming are wonderful fat burning exercises, which can be done both outdoors and indoors. Among these exercises cycling is considered as one of the best ways for people to achieve good health and fitness. Cycling will help us to burn a higher amount of calories that from fats.

By Pedaling cycle at a slower pace or riding a bicycle on straight roads burns about 200 calories in 30 minutes, but fast pedaling and riding uphill can increase the fat burned up to 400 calories. The key factor that should be kept in mind while doing exercise is that more muscle group you use, the more fats u will burn. Cycling also increases our daily Caloric output. By doing cycling we require energy, which moves you and your bicycle against the resistance of air and gravity. Cycling can offer benefits for both fitness and burning off unwanted body fat. Cycling also has a positive effect on bone density and strength.