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 | health information | health living | lifestyle | exercise | cycling | get on your bike | getting started
Getting started
The great thing about cycling - and what sets it apart from most other forms of exercise - is how well it fits into our busy, modern lifestyles. Apart from the need to own a bicycle (and a recommended protective helmet and lights) no other equipment is needed, no special time needs to be set aside to do it, and no special clothes are needed (although you might want to invest in some high-visibility clothing - see our article "Protecting yourself" (see below). Instead of spending time stuck in a car or bus, you spend it on the bike, so there is no need to find extra time to exercise.
So, why not get going? It's as easy as riding a bike.
One easy way to start cycling is to use the bike for short journeys where you would have otherwise taken the car or the bus. How much you ride depends on you, your fitness and your lifestyle. If you've been inactive for a while it is probably worth starting with short distances. New cyclists could start off by using the bike to pop a few hundred yards down the road to the shops or the post box, and gradually increase the distance they cover. Within a few weeks of cycling your aerobic fitness will have improved and you will be able to ride for miles without feeling anything more than a little puffed out.
Have you got a bike? If not our next article "Buying a bike" will help you to find the right bike for you.
If you have already got a bike, are you fully kitted out to be safe and be seen? Our article "Protecting yourself" may help.
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