Ash
Warming-Up
- Apr 23, 2006
- 686
- 2
An article here from the Korean news service.
Question here is: has cycling improved your health?
I used to have very bad lower back pain before I bought the road bike. Since then, it has all but disappeared. In fact I would say it is totally gone!
Anybody with similar experiences? And if you are a commuter, what effects has that had on your lifestyle and/ or health?
here it is:
Bike Commuters Say That They Anticipate Commuting
OCTOBER 31, 2007 03:43
Kim Myeong-uk, 37, bikes to work. Despite the blowing wind, he sweats. His office is 20 kilometers from his home. He began commuting on a bike three years ago because of his backache. He says, "You can keep your health as well as save the money for gas. Look at the cars crawling bumper to bumper over there. It took me 70 minutes by car to go to work, but now, on a bike, it takes less than 50 minutes."
With skyrocketing oil prices and the growing awareness of health, more people choose bicycles over cars. On Internet sites, there are more than 1,000 bicycle clubs.
Goodbye Love Handles and Backache-
Kim Jun-yeong, 36, began bike commuting four years ago. He commutes 40km on a bike daily, which takes about an hour. He says," There is little difference in commuting time, but you cannot compare the fresh air you feel in the morning with anything else."
The other benefit he got was a nice physique. Since he began bike commuting, he has lost about one or two kilograms in body fat per month. He became densely muscled and his love handles disappeared. In the past, he was short of breath when he walked up and down stairs of subway stations. Now, he says that he does not feel as out-of-breath, as his capacity to breathe has increased.
Choi Jeong-ho, 42, began biking to work a year ago. Since his workplace is close to his home, he intentionally goes the long way round. He said, "Until recently, I went on a diet avoiding high-protein and high-fat foods. Thanks to biking, I am happy that I do not have to get stressed because of food choices."
Song Sang-ho, chief doctor of Gangseo Jeil Hospital, said, "Since the saddle helps balancing one's body weight, one's waist muscles get stronger. Even an arthritis patient can enjoy biking. It also improves the circulatory system because blood vessels contract and release repeatedly while biking."
Preparations Before Riding a Bike -
Whether it be an experienced biker or a first-timer, ankle and arm stretching is mandatory. If there is no time to do any stretching, 10 minutes pedaling at the speed of 100 pedal revolutions per minute at a low gear is an alternative way to warm up your body. The saddle height should be around your pelvis when you stand up. When your legs can stretch to the pedals, your knees do not get hurt. The height of the handlebars should be either parallel with, or one to five centimeters higher than the saddle. One's body angle should be 45 degrees when you grip the handlebars.
The ideal pedaling frequency is 90 cycles per minute. For beginners, 60-70 is fine. If your butt gets sore, adjust your saddle height or keep standing on the pedals every ten minutes. On bumpy roads, standing on the pedals is necessary to reduce shock. If your feet are incorrectly situated in the pedals, or you do not evenly distribute power through them, you may feel pain in your knees or ankles.
For Your Safety-
A helmet is critical for bikers. Head injuries account for 75 percent of all bicycle-related injuries in America. Inline skate helmets are fine as well. Goggles are needed to protect eyes from ultraviolet rays and dryness. Gloves and bicycle lights are also necessary. Additional headgear may be helpful to protect against smog and pollen.
From the moment you get on a bike, you should think of it as a car. Under traffic regulations, it is regarded as a car. As a result, going in the wrong direction is dangerous. If a biker hits a pedestrian, the person on the bike will be held responsible for the accident. When crossing a crosswalk, get off the bike in order to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Oh Jong-ryeol, 31, the head of Internet club 'Bike Commuters,' said, "Bikers should pay attention while riding on a sidewalk or the terraces on the river because a bicycle accident is treated in just the same way as a car accident."
Question here is: has cycling improved your health?
I used to have very bad lower back pain before I bought the road bike. Since then, it has all but disappeared. In fact I would say it is totally gone!
Anybody with similar experiences? And if you are a commuter, what effects has that had on your lifestyle and/ or health?
here it is:
Bike Commuters Say That They Anticipate Commuting
OCTOBER 31, 2007 03:43
Kim Myeong-uk, 37, bikes to work. Despite the blowing wind, he sweats. His office is 20 kilometers from his home. He began commuting on a bike three years ago because of his backache. He says, "You can keep your health as well as save the money for gas. Look at the cars crawling bumper to bumper over there. It took me 70 minutes by car to go to work, but now, on a bike, it takes less than 50 minutes."
With skyrocketing oil prices and the growing awareness of health, more people choose bicycles over cars. On Internet sites, there are more than 1,000 bicycle clubs.
Goodbye Love Handles and Backache-
Kim Jun-yeong, 36, began bike commuting four years ago. He commutes 40km on a bike daily, which takes about an hour. He says," There is little difference in commuting time, but you cannot compare the fresh air you feel in the morning with anything else."
The other benefit he got was a nice physique. Since he began bike commuting, he has lost about one or two kilograms in body fat per month. He became densely muscled and his love handles disappeared. In the past, he was short of breath when he walked up and down stairs of subway stations. Now, he says that he does not feel as out-of-breath, as his capacity to breathe has increased.
Choi Jeong-ho, 42, began biking to work a year ago. Since his workplace is close to his home, he intentionally goes the long way round. He said, "Until recently, I went on a diet avoiding high-protein and high-fat foods. Thanks to biking, I am happy that I do not have to get stressed because of food choices."
Song Sang-ho, chief doctor of Gangseo Jeil Hospital, said, "Since the saddle helps balancing one's body weight, one's waist muscles get stronger. Even an arthritis patient can enjoy biking. It also improves the circulatory system because blood vessels contract and release repeatedly while biking."
Preparations Before Riding a Bike -
Whether it be an experienced biker or a first-timer, ankle and arm stretching is mandatory. If there is no time to do any stretching, 10 minutes pedaling at the speed of 100 pedal revolutions per minute at a low gear is an alternative way to warm up your body. The saddle height should be around your pelvis when you stand up. When your legs can stretch to the pedals, your knees do not get hurt. The height of the handlebars should be either parallel with, or one to five centimeters higher than the saddle. One's body angle should be 45 degrees when you grip the handlebars.
The ideal pedaling frequency is 90 cycles per minute. For beginners, 60-70 is fine. If your butt gets sore, adjust your saddle height or keep standing on the pedals every ten minutes. On bumpy roads, standing on the pedals is necessary to reduce shock. If your feet are incorrectly situated in the pedals, or you do not evenly distribute power through them, you may feel pain in your knees or ankles.
For Your Safety-
A helmet is critical for bikers. Head injuries account for 75 percent of all bicycle-related injuries in America. Inline skate helmets are fine as well. Goggles are needed to protect eyes from ultraviolet rays and dryness. Gloves and bicycle lights are also necessary. Additional headgear may be helpful to protect against smog and pollen.
From the moment you get on a bike, you should think of it as a car. Under traffic regulations, it is regarded as a car. As a result, going in the wrong direction is dangerous. If a biker hits a pedestrian, the person on the bike will be held responsible for the accident. When crossing a crosswalk, get off the bike in order to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Oh Jong-ryeol, 31, the head of Internet club 'Bike Commuters,' said, "Bikers should pay attention while riding on a sidewalk or the terraces on the river because a bicycle accident is treated in just the same way as a car accident."