How far do you have to cycle to get a good workout?

Answer 1

It is more a matter of intensity.

To get a good work out to be fit you need to get your heart rate at about 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate (220 - your age, mulitply by 60 or 70%), for at least 30 minutes twice or three times a week.

Another way to measure your effort is to ride where you can talk and say a sentence or two and then needing to catch your breath, if you can say a few words you are overdoing it, a speech and you are probably going down hill and have so for the last 10 minutes. Stick to the first alternative for 30 minutes (that is about 60 to 70% of your max heart rate).

Now, if the road is hilly or flat your speed and effort at the pedals will make a difference, so take that work load into consideration.

If you wnat to go beytond that point, then maybe you will have to train specificaly for cycling; hill climbing, endurance rides, sprints, intervals, etc.

This two sites could be of interest for you:

http://www.timeoutdoors.com/sitetools/Article_List.asp?
acd=bike

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3529

Answer 2

It depends on what your goals are. If you are looking for general conditioning and improving your cardiovasular system, then three days a week for a half-hour each day would be fine. Your main goal is to get your heart rate up and keep it up for 20 - 30 minutes (or more) several times a week. You can do this cycling, jogging, walking, swimming, or what ever. However, if you have a more ambitious goal, say complete an MS-150 charity ride, you will need a lot more miles. If you would like to stretch your boundaries, there are a number of books you can pick up at the book store or library that would give you training tips. Or, come back here and I and several other people on this answers sight can give you some suggestions. Good luck.

Answer 3

Your body doesn't understand distance. All it knows is time and intensity.

A good workout will depend on hoe fit you are. For a professional cyclist a good workout would be 3, 4, 5, 6 hours. For someone who has never done any exercise in their life a good workout may be 10 minutes at first.

You need to determine what you are capable of and decide on what your goals are. The standard 'what do you need to do to attain a reasonable overall fitness' answer is about 30 minutes 3x a week of hard effort. Obviously the more you do the fitter you will become.

Answer 4

Generally we're told that 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3 times a week is good for maintaining good health.

A few weeks ago I started cycling for 30-40 minutes at least 5 times a week, and in about 6 weeks I've noticed a marked improvement in my general fitness, and I'm slowly but surely losing a bit of excess belly.

I tend to cover about 8 miles in that half hour on road, or about 5 off road, so I'm not going like the clappers, but not slouching off either.

Answer 5

Good answers here. Time, intensity and frequency are the parameters for a good workout schedule. I do think the numbers given are a tad low. Here's my two cents worth:

Time: 45 min.
Intensity: 70% of max heart rate
frequency: 4 times a week

The 30 min. 3 times a week at 60-70% max is commonly accepted as the minimum. I think a little more gives you a lot of bang for the buck.

Heck, if your out riding for 30 min. do 15 more, you are already out there and 15 min on a bike is no time at all.

Answer 6

I also have a convenience motorbike, which started out me out on cycling 3 years in the past, and that i've got on no account regretted it. That first street motorbike will sense like a rocket, and extremely quickly you will get to word that there are much extra suitable motorcycles available, of direction at an enhanced value, yet with slightly larger overall performance. i'm a street motorbike rider and using my artwork schedule and holiday I often might desire to revert to the wellness center and a "Lifecycle" device. i could choose for to apply the motorbike extra on the line using fact the wellness center can not reproduce the line result. Even on the comparable direction there is often something diverse, in the wellness center it is totally lots the comparable. The wellness center device is physically powerful because it keeps you in shape. I set the device to a point 15 on a Hill exercising consultation and save my cadence above ninety. I set the device for fifty 5 minutes, and which will additionally supply me a 5 minute cool down on the tip. The final minute i'm sprinting, usually the cadence is above one hundred to a hundred and ten. So meanwhile earnings from even if is obtainable to you, it's going to make for an much less complicated transition. Oh, by utilising the way, get geared up for the motorbike that your making plans to purchase your LBS can continually supply help to out with this, you will continually take excitement in the holiday once you're extra gentle in the saddle.

Answer 7

Cycling is great exercise, it works the large muscle groups. Be sure to follow the rules of the road, and watch out for pedestrians. Be safety conscious, and watch out for sand. Never ride on a turn or curve on loose sand.
But it's not how far or how long. It's how hard you ride. If you're standing on the pedals and breathing hard, a half hour is plenty, a few times a week.

Answer 8

Its not how far its how long you cycle for and how much effort you put in.

Answer 9

you have to cycle for at least 30 minutes a day.

Answer 10

It's not how far really it's how long you do it for?
I'd say around 30minutes a time. 3-4 times a week.