People from all walks of life, cycle for fun, work, and social purposes. But, one of the main reasons people cycle is health. More and more people join the cycling world each day. Whether their intentions are to utilize a traditional, stationary, or electric bicycle, you are in for a treat. Not only will you notice an improvement in your mentality, but also your physicality. While some cyclists do not give much thought to their health, each session will make your heart, muscles, and lungs stronger over time.
If you are preparing to start a cycling adventure, you are in for a treat. At this point, you should already have a bike and all the accessories to ensure your safety on the road or trail. Below, you will discover how your body will prosper from one cycling session several times per week.
Maintain Optimal Weight
There is no doubt, inactivity contributes to obesity. As a football player, you must maintain optimal weight. You may as well know in advance, any extra weight will melt away with each cycling session. While you are probably not planning to cycle for more than a few hours each day, you can expect to gradually lose weight over time. The more diligent you are with your cycling, the more weight you can expect to lose. Of course, this is only possible as long as you continue to cycle 6-1/2 hours per week.
Studies show just 6-1/2 hours of cycling each week can help a 150-pound adult or teenager lose about one pound of fat per week. To maximize the results of your weight loss goal, it is recommended to maintain a 3500-calorie diet.
Improved Range Of Motion
Do you experience stiffness and soreness during and after football practice? In this case, the symptoms are associated with strenuous activities. It is unclear if these symptoms will go away after several cycling sessions.
It is crucial to note when you first start cycling, you can expect to exhibit more muscle pain and stiffness. It could take several cycling sessions for your body to get accustomed to the new physical activities. As an international football player, one of your goals is to improve your range of motion. Why is your range of motion important to professional athletes? Without a good range of motion, football players would exhibit poor joint movement, improper flexibility, pain in joint movement, and poor overall performance.
Stronger Lower Extremity Strength
Football players rely on their lower extremities to run up and down the field and perform all the very important plays. Run-block, pull, gap, pass, sweep, reverse, blitz, and draw are just to name a few plays in football that will improve after a few weeks or months of intermittent cycling.
The term “lower extremity” refers to the knees, hips, thighs, calves, feet, toes, ankles, muscles, joints, and tendons, all the components needed to perform the above football moves. Building your lower extremity strength is as simple as cycling.
Since you are a professional athlete, your leg muscles are strong enough to power through hours of cycling. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about people who do not participate in regular physical activities. However, it could not hurt to build your leg muscles stronger, as it could make you faster and more agile.
Builds Core Muscles
Are you exhibiting poor balance during football practice and live games when performing specific plays? Well, the problem could be contributed to a weak core. The muscles that make up the core include the rectus abdominis and obliques. A weak core has been linked to lower back pain, poor posture, and stability, slower sitting and standing, and weakness when throwing and stretching.
As you cycle, you are building your core muscles. It may take several months to notice improvement. But, your dedication will definitely pay off over time. Be sure to take intermittent breaks to give your core muscles a break during extended cycling adventures. Play slots or blackjack with each break.
Summary
Cycling has many health and fitness benefits. It also has emotional and mental as well. You would be surprised by the large volume of cyclists that regularly utilize parks, off-road trails, and other public facilities. While it is not always necessary to mimic these cyclists, doing so could benefit you greatly. Cycling in designated public areas is a great way to meet new people. You can hook up with some of these individuals to expand your cycling range.
