Muscle cramps can range from a mild annoyance to a downright painful experience. Cramps are common in athletes — particularly those who participate in endurance events, and the elderly, although anyone can get one. How hydration affects muscle cramps is not clear, but it is generally accepted that the proper amount of fluids in your body — particularly when participating in vigorous activity — can help prevent them.
While some cases of blood in your urine can be indicative of serious conditions, such as kidney problems, many instances occur as a result of taking aspirin or prescribed medication or engaging in strenuous exercise. While vita...
Whether you are an amateur, competitive or recreational bicycle rider you can benefit from regular resistance-training sessions at the gym. Cycling is an endurance activity while resistance training is an anaerobic activity tha...
Next to running, cycling is one of the activities most likely to induce cramps. Experts are not certain what causes cramps, but dehydration, muscle fatigue, electrolyte imbalances and lack of a proper stretching routine have be...
Although the mechanics of a bicycle can be sophisticated, one that seems less so is how to sit on a bike. It is a basic feature of riding, but it is also extremely important when it comes to getting the most out of your machine...
Nerve damage from bicycle riding makes for more than just a painful ride. It can lead to serious physical problems. It is important to understand what causes nerve damage when riding and how to address the problem. The nerve da...
Whether you need to outpace a dog, avoid a car, make a green light, match the speed of a slow cyclist or catch a fast one, you’ll change your velocity during a recreational bike ride as often as you would in a race. By ch...
As a kid, riding your bicycle was fun. You went from training wheels to two wheels, slow to fast. For some adults, that love of cycling continues whether they choose to do it for exercise or competition. As you cycle and contin...
Riding a bicycle regularly is an effective way to stay in shape and improve your cardiovascular fitness, but pain caused by poor equipment or improper fitting can prevent you from riding. Your feet are an important contact poin...
Tricycles also feature a flat seat that allows the rider to sit upright rather than leaning forward. This is more leisurely and less effective at generating power, but it is also more comfortable and desirable for recreational ...
It's often said that once you learn a skill, you will never lose that knowledge because "it's just like riding a bike." Unfortunately, muscle memory may actually be propagating bad habits that could lead to an injury down the r...
Since the hands help support a cyclist's weight and also absorb any impact from the road, it's not uncommon for the hands to either feel numb or tingle, especially during longer rides. This problem is often easy to treat once y...
Riding a bicycle is one of the easiest ways to get daily exercise, but bicycling does come with some hidden dangers and risks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 51,000 bicyclists were injured in 2...
If you're on the Atkins diet, you're getting most of your energy from protein and fat. Reducing carbohydrate intake while teaching the body to use fat as fuel is the central tenet of the Atkins diet. Though most cyclists rely o...
Trying to get the same amount of exercise each day can be a tough task when you want to include variety in your exercise routine. Walking and biking are two common exercises that can be performed in a gym, at home or as a way o...
Stretching your muscles and ligaments before a bicycle ride helps you avoid cramping. Your legs are nearly constantly in motion during a bike ride. If they're not properly warmed up beforehand, you risk pulling a muscle. Stretc...
Bicycling is an effective exercise with good aerobic benefits, and it allows you to enjoy the scenery outdoors while doing it. If you haven't ridden a bicycle since you were a teenager, don't expect to be an expert right away. ...
Unexpected cramps often hinder exercise --- especially when your rides go longer than normal --- and likely occur due to a lack of fluids or as the result of overusing your muscles. While most cramps aren't serious, you'll hav...
The typical road riding position on an upright bike places your neck in a position where you must fight gravity to look up. Until your muscles strengthen, you may experience soreness. However, persistent neck pain can indicate ...
The pelvis is the base of your skeletal structure, and many of the muscles that provide stability to your core have their origins in the pelvis. When that structure is unbalanced, stress on those muscles is increased, especiall...
Bicycling is an aerobic exercise that can improve cardiovascular health, aid in weight loss, and help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends stationary bicycle ri...
If you are suffering from balance problems, speak to your health care provider before riding a bike. He may suggest trying a different style bike or avoiding rides altogether depending on the underlying cause of your poor balan...
Many people enjoy bicycle riding as part of a workout routine and a healthy lifestyle. However, bicycle riding can sometimes result in an injury or flare-up of a condition that leads to pain in the knee muscles. Fortunately, mo...
If possible, choose streets that have minimal traffic. Many regions set aside portions of roads for bicycle paths. Use these whenever possible. If you must ride on a busy street, do everything you can to minimize your exposure ...
A PSA test measures the amount of the antigen in the blood, and an elevated PSA can indicate prostate cancer or simply an inflamed or enlarged prostate. Exercise, including bicycle riding, may influence the PSA level in certain...
Although riding a bicycle is an effective form of sport and exercise, it carries serious risk of injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 500,000 Americans are injured in bicycle-related accide...
Should you experience pain in your hamstring muscles after cycling, for example, it may indicate that a strain, pull or tear developed during your bike ride. Pain in the hamstrings may also signal that these large muscles have...
You can lose weight effectively by bicycling, particularly if you follow a healthy diet and watch your caloric intake. Depending on your body weight and the amount of time you spend bicycle riding, you can burn hundreds of calo...
While the new knee may work just as well as your original joint, there is a long period of recovery and rehabilitation you must undergo before resuming your regular activities. Low-impact exercises are tantamount to a healthy r...
Bicycle riding is an excellent form of exercise, but you might find riding uncomfortable, especially over long distances. For men, bicycle riding can place pressure on sensitive areas between the legs. While this pressure rarel...
Biking alone won’t make you thin; you must watch what you eat to lose weight and keep it off. But cycling is a fairly effective way to burn calories. If you have doubts, look at professional cyclers. You might see some be...
The condition is worsened by standing or sitting for prolonged periods. In most cases, regular exercise such as that provided by bicycling is a significant part of treatment. The answer to the question of whether bike riding i...
Bicycle riding rates as one of the top forms of exercise, especially for those who find fresh air and outdoor scenery a potent and painless distraction from the intense workout the body undergoes. Your joints enjoy the low impa...
Riding a bicycle is a fun, affordable form of exercise and recreation. It's also an easy way to lose weight and avoid weight-related problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. During just 30 minutes of cycling at a mod...
When the treadmill or stationary bike just won't do, long distance bicycling is a great alternative for cardio exercise. Whether you enjoy long bicycle rides for competition or for pleasure, a bicycle saddle is one of the most ...
There are no federal laws mandating bicycle helmet use in the United States, although many states and localities have mandatory bicycle helmet laws applicable to minors. Some cities and municipalities also have laws mandating t...
Anxiety occurs for a variety of reasons. Situations that may lead to anxiety before a bicycle ride include social anxiety and pre-race jitters. Understanding the reasons for your anxiety and taking certain measures to decrease ...
Visible blood in the urine, or gross hematuria, is a symptom that you should never ignore. Most of the time, hematuria is caused by a problem with the kidneys, bladder or urethra. Occasionally, blood in the urine can be caused ...
Kenneth Cooper, the author of 18 health and exercise books, and a Harvard Heart Letter study of 158 exercises. However, bicycle riding can cause repeated trauma to a man's prostate, chronic prostatitis and male infertility, acc...
Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages but is rarely found in men younger than 40 years old. Regular bicycle riding does not cause prostate cancer, and it may even reduce your ris...
Riding a bicycle can aggravate the prostate and cause other health problems in men. The design of the standard bicycle seat can rub against the prostate during the pedaling process. This can lead to several painful medical cond...
Riding a bicycle is a popular form of exercise and also an ecologically sound form of transportation. You can choose from a variety of types of bike, including exercise bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, BMXs, touring bikes, cr...
The world of bicycle riding has taken a leap closer to the ease of driving an automatic automobile. The company Shimano has introduced the electronic derailleur. At the push of a button, the electronics automatically shift the ...
WomensHealth.gov estimates that 75 percent of women will have one at some point in their lives, and most will have two or more. For women who ride -- either bicycles or motorcycles -- this problem can become even peskier. Sweat...
When you first start on a fitness program, starting slow is a good idea. Everybody knows how to walk, and most people remember how to ride a bike from childhood, so both forms of exercise are good for beginners. Physical activi...
Straight handlebars offer great power and leverage, notes UrbanCyclist.com, although they are not well-suited for long road trips. Your body only contacts your bicycle at the pedals, seat and handlebars, so proper technique wil...
Cycling offers an enjoyable and effective cardiovascular and strength workout for novice and advanced riders. If you're used to riding a cruiser or mountain bike you may need time to adjust to a road bike. Everything from your ...
Atlanta, Ga., has several bicycle riding clubs established for fitness, competition or both. Atlanta's terrain offers rolling and steep hills and long straightaways that make rides interesting and challenging. Atlanta bike club...
The essential pieces of the freestyle BMX bike include two durable tires, handlebar grips, a cushioned bike seat, a chain, two pedals and a brake system which allows the rider to stop. Many professional freestyle BMX riders fav...
According to Cycling Performance Tips, riding a bicycle for about an hour uses up 300 to 500 calories, depending on your size and the speed at which you ride. Balancing caloric intake and output is the key to losing weight. In ...
Small and unwieldy, children's bikes with training wheels are harder to ride than bikes without training wheels. The drag of the extra wheels on the ground slows the bike down and makes it difficult for children to maneuver the...
Riding a bicycle burns calories to help lose weight. You expend 240 calories in 30 minutes cycling 12 miles an hour, assuming you weigh 125 lbs., Harvard Health Publications notes. Cyclists can benefit from reduced coronary art...
Stationary bikes offer a non-weight-bearing, low-impact alternative to other forms of aerobic exercise. You can exercise on a stationary bike year-round, even during hot, rainy or cold weather. Adding stationary-bike workouts t...
Most bicycles have multiple gears to make it easier for you to ride up hills and let you go faster on level ground, according to the website BicycleUniverse. Classifying a bike as having a certain number of "speeds" means it ha...
It can be thrilling and exhilarating for kids and parents alike, but it's also fraught with the potential for injury. By slowly introducing the key parts of riding a bicycle, you minimize the potential for injury and the wear a...
Riding a bicycle is a fun, safe way to exercise. Most people learn to ride a bike as a child, usually with the help of a willing adult and some training wheels. But even if you missed out on this rite of passage, adults of any ...
It is an aerobic and anaerobic challenge, and requires a degree of skill and strength to accomplish efficiently and safely. Relatively new to the outdoors sports scene, mountain biking is the pure and simple fun of riding a bic...
There is an endless amount of terrific cycling opportunities all across the U.S., from leisurely touring roads along the New England coast or singletrack trail riding in the Rocky Mountains to skirting canyon rims in the Red Ro...
Ohio, with all of its farmland, scenic roads and widely varying terrain, is a great place to ride your bicycle, at least until the rainy and snowy season hit. When the bugs in your face are replaced with ice and snow, it's time...
Riding a stationary bicycle provides aerobic exercise that can improve your health in many ways. Because you ride the stationary bike indoors, you can attain the benefits of cycling without needing to worry about weather condit...
In many communities, bicycling is becoming more popular as an activity for adults, not just for children. Those who haven't ridden a bike in years, or ever, may not be familiar with the rights and responsibilities of an adult b...
Dr. Chad Asplund and Dr. Patrick St. Pierre, reporting in The Physician and Sportsmedicine, find that bicyclists' knee problems often stem from overly intense riding and improper alignment of the saddle and pedals. If you exper...
However, you can avoid and treat knee problems from bicycling by adjusting your bike's parts to fit your body, as well as modifying the way and amount of time you ride, especially if you are just starting out. If you experience...
Riding a bike is one of the childhood joys you can carry with you no matter how old you get. It's an excellent form of nonimpact exercise that will build your aerobic conditioning as well as strengthen and tone your lower body....
Riding with your child in a seat mounted to the bike can be lots of fun when properly and safely done. These seats can either be mounted to the frame over the rear wheel behind the rider or mounted to the top bar of the bike in...
Weight loss requires burning enough calories to lose excess body fat. To lose 1 lb. of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories, according to the Mayo Clinic. Riding a bicycle improves your endurance, muscle tone and performance of ...
Riding a bicycle is one of the most common summer pastimes of American children. Though most people do not remember how they learned to ride a bicycle, the combination of skill, balance and dexterity can be challenging for chil...
While all of these things improve your ride and some of them might help lessen the blow in case of an emergency, none of them do anything to prevent you from being hit by a car. A bicycle safety vest is one of the most importan...
