Is bicycle riding?

adrenaline · #1 (**permalink**) 11-03-2008, 11:36 PM

Is bicycle riding good? I mean I know it beats sitting on the couch, but is running way more beneficial or do you think riding for an hour or more be good?

Does going for a leisurely ride constitute exercise? Or when I ride do I have to crank the whole time?

Or should I keep the bike in the garage and run my heart out?

Also maybe some good Ideas for how to get exercise during the week when it is dark after work all week?

art · #2 (**permalink**) 11-04-2008, 07:38 AM

I ride about 5 miles a day. I don't try to beat Lance.

It's exercise.
It works

Art

princesslinda · #3 (**permalink**) 11-04-2008, 08:49 AM

I think anything you enjoy doing that you will do consistently is great!

harryjacobs · #4 (**permalink**) 11-04-2008, 10:36 AM

Do what exercise you like, Bike and Run why choose. Myself I love running so I run; I am doing a training program for a ½ marathon at the moment. But I have no race schedule until July at this time. Maybe a 5K in December if time permits as well as the injury allows.

Certainly mixing your exercise can benefit different muscle groups as well. So do what you want, as for running outside in the dark, find a friend perhaps. But just follow some general guide lines to keep you safe.

Run in lighted areas, so avoid parks, stick to the side walk on well lighted streets. Wear reflective gear, if you have to cross a street or run on the road, cars can see you. Carry a Cell phone, so if you do need to call someone for help you can do that. Make sure you have ID and money, at least enough to jump on the bus or cab back home if you need to.

Join a club, there are run clubs that go out as groups we have one that goes out 2 nights and Saturday. Running in a group makes the run a social activity as well.

Most of all, have fun in whatever activity you choose.
Harry

dar917 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-04-2008, 10:42 AM

heck yeah bicycling is good! Plus it's fun.

Ronin · #6 (**permalink**) 11-04-2008, 01:10 PM

Hi Adrenaline!

Is bicycling good? Personally I think it's great!

Do you have to pedal constantly? That all depends on what you want to accomplish. Bicycling offers very low impact aerobic exercise. You can, if you want, coast occasionally to catch your breath while still moving. Most importantly you can build up to higher speeds and distances as you skill and desire grows.

Bicycling is, and is often used as, transportation as well as recreation/exercise. Simply put, it can be a large part of your life.

The most important thing was written by Harry in his response. The most effective exercise is the one that you like so much that you don't have to drag yourself into doing it.

Also, don't be intimidated by folks like me who log lots of miles. Yes, I ride between 22 and 25 miles most days of the week with some longer rides on weekends with our tandem club. But I wasn't born doing those kind of miles. About 13 years ago a five mile ride would have me begging for mercy. Today that same five miles won't cause me to break a sweat.

The main thing is to keep moving and enjoy the movement.

Gordonm · #7 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 06:11 AM

I agree with Ronin.

Exercise is what you put into it. If you just go for a leisure 1 or 2 mile ride yes it is better than sitting on the couch but not much exercise. When I ride my average is 25 or so miles. I won't even put on my shoes for under 15 miles. I have many times riden 40 to 50 miles. I do it in well under 3 hours. I have averaged 18.5 MPH for the 2000+ miles I have riden this year. I am always pushing myself and try to keep my heart rate up for the entire ride. It definitly helps control the BS. Start off slow and build up. It is fun and good for you.

Scrabblechick · #8 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 01:47 PM

I just bought a bike Monday! Woo-Hoo! Of course, I bought a basic coaster bike. No gears, no handbrakes. I can't remember to stop the bike using my hands. LOL. But I've been out a few times and love it all over again. Makes me feel 15 again.

We have some small hills in the neighborhood. Believe me: taking hills on a one-speed will get your heart rate up. LOL. I'm enjoying myself, for sure!

SawDust · #9 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 02:25 PM

I agree with other bicyclists;the more the better.I have logged around 100k since 74' and thoroughly enjoyed ever mile.Presently have slowed down due to the agging process and medical problems.Ride 30-40 miles every other day,being retired helps.

t1_ 25yrs
pump_5yrs
a1c 7.1

neo · #10 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adrenaline

Is bicycle riding good? I mean I know it beats sitting on the couch, but is running way more beneficial or do you think riding for an hour or more be good?

Does going for a leisurely ride constitute exercise? Or when I ride do I have to crank the whole time?

Or should I keep the bike in the garage and run my heart out?

Also maybe some good Ideas for how to get exercise during the week when it is dark after work all week?

i love cycling,here in nashville i am a mile away from two awesomes grenways

neo

owlyn · #11 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 04:59 AM

I have found the bicycling is not nearly as productive as plain old walking. I can go for a 16 mile ride, averaging 9 MPH (I have a hybrid bike and ride on gravel trails, so it is slower and harder than pavement), and it has very little effect on my BG. Walking for 1 hour at 3MPH reduces my BG significantly (~100 points), or requiring only half the insulin I would need otherwise for that moment.

ant hill · #12 (**permalink**) 11-07-2008, 04:59 AM

Cycling is great fun as it gives you a sence of freedom and I go prepared like BG meter and glucose tabs or better like sherbet bombs. and a camera, Mobile phone & Ham radio.

Ronin · #13 (**permalink**) 11-08-2008, 05:40 PM

Owlyn, et al.,

Bicycling, or any exercise for that matter, is about much more than just controling BG levels.

Exercise is about feeling better inside your skin, getting the blood moving, building muscle tissue, increasing insulin receptor sites in the muscle cells, et cetera. The only effective exercise is the one that a person does without having to drag themselves into the act.

It would appear that for Owlyn, he has a preference for walking. That's great! Others like weight lifting, and I (as well as others) cannot stand a day without bicycling, even though weather and other factors occasionally conspire to deprive me of my cycling "fix."

FWIW: I do find that cycling briefly raises my BG levels, largely due to the fact that I cycle in a very aggressive manner for 90 minutes or more thus calling on my liver to dump glucose into my blood stream. The overall result of my cycling is that I can consume more carbs and my body uses the insulin that I produce effectively when timed around exercise periods.

Axel Slinger · #14 (**permalink**) 11-30-2008, 06:20 PM

I would have to agree that bicycling is good for you. Now that I know what neuropathy is and what it is from, I know I was diabetic long before I was told I was. I used to ride anywhere from 20 to 50 miles a day and pretty much kept diabetes in check without even knowing I was diabetic. But as I got older I started to spend more time sitting here in front of my computer, and over the course of a few years my health got pretty bad.

When I found out I was diabetic my A1c was 12.6, my triglycerides were 6,711 (believe it or not), my overall cholesterol was pretty bad, and my blood pressure was horribly high. At first I did ok and brought most of that down considerably, but I was still a pretty bad diabetic.

I didn't test like I should, nor did I make much effort to improve my diet, and exercise just wasn't happening because I was in a lot of pain most of the time. I hate "drugs" so I wouldn't take any pain killers. But as time went on I got used to taking all of the meds my Doctor put me on and slowly got used to taking pain killers so I didn't hurt so bad all the time.

Last year one of my A1c tests was 10.4 and my Neurologist said "It's been nice knowing you". That and the fact that both my Mom and my Sister died of diabetic complications when they were 52 years old, and my 52nd birthday was coming up soon after that kind of woke me up. So I changed my game plan.

After that I made sure I didn't miss any meds, I changed my diet and started eating better, I started testing before and after every meal, and I started riding my bicycle every day.

And it has all paid off. I've lost nearly 60 pounds, my last two A1c tests were 6.4 and 5.7, my blood pressure is normal, and my cholesterol is almost normal. Now I feel better, I have more energy, I'm stronger, and once again I can ride my bike for hours on end and it doesn't kill me. It looks like I will not be joining my Mom and Sister in the graveyard at age 52.

So yeah, I think bicycling is very good for you.

A_Darling · #15 (**permalink**) 12-07-2008, 10:37 AM

Yup, gotta jump in here and proclaim that biking is fantastic. Road or Mountain! Right now I'm "training" for a 50 mile MTB ride in Jan, and another one in Feb, and I'm hoping to get in a 110 mile road/gravel ride before the year is over (ride around Lake Okeechobee here in FL).

I started out mountain biking and still consider it my primary love, but road biking is great training for the offroad. I find that both have a significant impact on my BS levels that lasts for hours after I'm done with a ride. I have to admit that road rides do seem to have a more lasting effect on me, but mtbiking is much, MUCH more fun IMO.

I think cadence is the biggest factor in effecting BS levels, if you're doing high rpm (90 or more) then it seems to peak my BS burning. If I go out and hammer at low rpm I see less of a BS hit, but more muscle/training benefit.

and remember kids -- Riding never gets easier, you just get faster!