Pedals and Pedometer Steps’ posts have concentrated on walking and pedometer steps specifically, although the “pedals” part is important as well. It just doesn’t fit that well in a pedometer steps blog, as you probably realize, because a bike doesn’t register on a pedometer that well.
The video above from Trey Zepeda contains some good walking and cycling tips using a treadmill and exercise cycle. These are great workout options and starting with these 2 pieces of equipment makes for variety and good cardio.
Using a ‘real’ bike had been an ambition for me over many years. I’m probably one of the few who didn’t learn to ride as a kid and although I have ridden occasionally as an adult, it has never ‘taken’. It does seem to be a great way to exercise and it seems to me that bike riders are rarely overweight.
As with walking it is not my ambition to join a bike club but to add to the variety of my exercise routine in a way which is fun, with lots of options to built cycling into my lifestyle. The fact that biking can be social is also a factor however this is not its main attraction.
Pedometer steps is my favorite way to walk for weight loss because it becomes easy to amalgamate within your life. It can be an enjoyable and effective lifestyle, has travel options and contributes to the other daily tasks. Cycling doesn’t have quite the flexibility of pedometer steps to fit into your daily life unless you ride to work, go to school or shop, visit neighbors or the dry cleaners on your bike.
However the combination of the two seems to cover some very good exercise options for an outdoor lifestyle and of course the indoor options are also good for the times that outdoors is not your venue of choice. With these indoor options for cycling there is no necessity to have any bike riding skill so these are immediately accessible for the beginner as well.
In the long term as I restructure my lifestyle to maintain rather than lose weight, I anticipate making cycling one of my main weight maintenance activities.
I am not abandoning pedometer steps as my weight loss option as, compared to walking for weight loss, taking up cycling in the outdoors, requires much more involvement from me than walking. Walking doesn’t require special skills, equipment, proper tracks, skill or training, etc. The gym options are good and spin classes excel for weight loss and fitness.
I’m looking forward to taking up cycling. Who knows it may be just ’round the corner,
Pedals & Pedometer Steps
