Whether you’re hoping to boost your weight loss efforts or just simply seeking to improve your fitness levels, cycling is a fantastic choice. The benefits of cycling include improved muscle tone and enhanced calorie burning, making it a great all-rounder that can contribute towards a range of fitness goals.
When considering adding cycling to your workout regime, you have two options: use a static bike at a gym or in your own home, or venture into the outside world. Many modern cyclists choose the static bike option for convenience, but it is worth reconsidering this default choice, and asking whether or not cycling outdoors might be better for you. Below, we’ll investigate the pros and cons of cycling outdoors, so you can make an informed choice about whether this is the right decision for you…
Pro: A chance to enjoy nature
If you have cycle paths through rural areas close to your home, then making use of these is an excellent choice in terms of mental health. The benefits of being out amongst nature are well-known, so off-road cycling can lift your spirits and your heart rate so as to achieve a complete workout that is tough to match in the gym.
Con: Traffic fumes
If you do not have easy access to rural cycle paths, your best option for cycling outdoors is likely to be on the roads. While this is still beneficial in terms of fitness, it’s questionable in terms of overall health. The fumes produced by vehicles are particularly problematic for cyclists, so you will need to take this into consideration. However, you can lessen the risk by choosing to cycle early in the morning or late at night, when the roads are clearer and thus the pollution level should be more reasonable.
Pro: More variable terrain
While some static bikes can be programmed to offer variable terrain, this function is not ubiquitous, which means that you may find that your cycling experience struggles for difference. This is less than ideal in terms of getting the most from your workout, given that high intensity intermittent exercise offers myriad health benefits.
When cycling outdoors, you’ll experience period of high intensity intermittent exercise without even having to think about it. Urban environments have natural inclines and obstacles to navigate, while rural cycleways are all the more challenging – sometimes you’ll be freewheeling, at other times you’ll need to pedal hard. You’ll achieve HIIT training entirely naturally, and the variation will be more mentally stimulating too.
Con: Higher level of danger
It is a simple truth that cycling outdoors places you at a higher risk of accidents, and severe bike injuries are all too common in both urban and rural environments. However, it is important to remember you do have an element of control over this threat: wear the appropriate safety gear to protect yourself physically and eliminate distractions – such as listening to music – when cycling outdoors. While these changes won’t eliminate the chance of an accident, they should help to make such an occurrence less likely.
In conclusion
Cycling outdoors can be genuinely beneficial, as long as you ensure you cycle at the right time of day and maintain excellent awareness, especially if cycling in urban environments. However, if you can control these downsides, then the advantages of cycling outdoors cannot be denied – do you think you might be tempted to give it a try?
