Great mood, loss of excess weight, slim legs - these are just a few of the positive effects brought by cycling. In addition, the bike is a great type of outdoor activity and allows you to explore the surroundings with your friends or family and see local attractions.
Muscle benefits
To begin with, what muscles work when riding a bicycle. Of course, the legs are most involved, starting from the feet and calves and ending with the hips and buttocks. If you correctly select the load, then the hips and calves will be toned and slim. But this is not a complete answer to the question of which muscles work when riding a bicycle. In addition to legs, cycling strengthens the back and stomach. Unstretched, weak muscles begin to spring over time. Accordingly, their mass increases with each trip. Hands also work, as it is very difficult to hold the steering wheel while driving on an uneven surface. Triceps and biceps are especially rocking on mountain and unpaved roads. The bicycle also affects the spine. Therefore, it is important to adjust the seat and steering wheel to suit your height. If your back hurts after cycling, you need to raise the steering wheel a little higher. Sit straight, not bending to the steering wheel and without raising your shoulders. Only in this case, riding will benefit your posture. For people who work exclusively to improve the functioning of the heart and respiratory system, it does not matter which muscles work on the bike. Such physical activity is ventilation for the whole body - the pulse grows, blood flows faster and organs are better saturated with oxygen. The result is increased stamina. You can refer to the atlas for the bodybuilder to see a diagram of what muscles work when riding a bicycle. In general, it must be said that cycling affects the muscles of the whole body, but to a different extent.
Weight loss
What muscles work when riding a bicycle, we discussed. Now consider its effect in terms of weight loss. A bicycle is a great fat burning simulator. With a quiet ride per hour, 300 kilocalories are burned, and with a sports one, it burns about 600 (the same amount is burned with continuous running). Any active effort burns fatty tissue, but cycling can be recommended even for people with heart disease. After all, it is considered the safest, as it does not burden the body above the values you set. Regular training will maintain an optimal metabolism and will not allow you to gain excess weight.
So, we found out what muscles work when riding a bicycle, and how riding helps reduce weight. The main thing is to always listen to your body and its capabilities. If you feel muscle pain and fatigue, it is better to reduce the load or even interrupt the workout for a while. If, on the contrary, you have an even greater need for movement, it means that your body has adapted to this sport, and you can gradually increase the load.