Building a Basic Biking Program

This is the second in a 3-part series on developing an exercise program. Last month’s segment described how to develop a walking program. This month’s article will focus on biking.

WARNING: Do not undertake the biking program described below, or any other exercise program, unless your physician has cleared you for activity.

Biking

If you have been to a physical therapist or have seen the cardiac rehab area of your local hospital, you have probably noticed people using large stationary bicycles with moving handle bars. These special bikes allow you to work out your upper bodies in addition to your legs. Many rehab centers stock these bikes because cycling, indoors or out, is one of the best activities to help you get back into shape while putting minimal stress on your joints.

Building up to 30 Minutes of Cycling

The 2-minute walking program calls for taking 5, 2-minute walks each day, and adding 1 or more 2-minute walks to your activity routine each week until you are walking for a minimum of 30 minutes each day. Biking on a flat surface at low resistance is less stressful than walking; so to get an equivalent amount of exercise, you will need to exercise 3 times longer or cycle more vigorously.

Still, in the first week, it is best to bike for 2-minute intervals until your body adjusts to the increased activity and body adjusts to the pressure of the bicycle seat. If you are using an exercise bike or other indoor cycle, you can get your interval training during the commercials for your favorite TV program.

If you are problem free at the end of the first week, add 1 minute to each biking bout and increase the number of sessions each day from 5 to 6. During week 2, you will be cycling for a total of 18 minutes each day. Assuming you remain problem free, at the start of week 3, add one more minute to each bout of cycling. At that point, you will be cycling for 24 minutes each day. Continue to add minutes gradually. During week 4, you should be cycling for 30 minutes each day.

Increasing Speed and Intensity

Over the next 8 weeks, focus on increasing the intensity of your cycling. Starting with week 5, increase your speed. Aim for a pace of 17 miles per hour. Increase the pace to 20 miles per hour at the beginning of week 6. At week 8, increase the duration of your workout by 2.5 minutes so that you are cycling for 32.5 minutes at a pace of 20 miles per hour. At week 9, increase your cycling time to 35 minutes each day while maintaining a pace of 20 miles per hour. At week 10, increase the speed by 2.5 miles so you are cycling for 35 minutes at a speed of 22.5 miles per hour. If increasing the speed is too stressful, increase the time you cycle to 40 minutes over the next 2 weeks. Continue increasing your speed and/or longevity until you are able to hold a pace of 25 miles per hour for 40 minutes 5-6 times per week. If you do not walk for exercise, aim for 30 minutes of cycling at a 20-mile per hour pace on your “off” days.

If you encounter significant discomfort at any point in the cycling program, remain at the previous week’s workout level for an additional week until you are able to increase either the pace or duration of your workout without additional discomfort. Putting in more effort does not count as discomfort. The heavier you are and the longer you have been inactive, the longer it will take you to adjust to activity, especially during the first 4 weeks of the program.

Plenty of Peddling Options

The wide array of different cycling equipment, from portable stationary peddlers that can be used while seated in your favorite chair to titanium-framed road bikes, makes it easy to find a product that is right for you.

The heavier you are the more difficult it may be for you to maintain your balance on a typical outdoor bike or to get comfortable on the narrow biking seat (known as a saddle). A few companies, such as Super Sized Cycles, specialize in bikes for plus-sized individuals. The seats, shocks, and tires on the bikes sold through these vendors can support a person weighing up to 400 pounds. Super Sized Cycles provides bikes, adult-sized trikes, and recumbent bikes and trikes.

Many plus-sized people opt to invest in an exercise bike they can use in the privacy of their own home. Stationary exercise cycles usually have larger saddles than road bikes but if the seat on your stationary bike is too narrow for comfort, you can replace it with one that better suits your needs. Recumbent bikes, available in stationary and outdoor models, provide added support for sore backs and have wider, more comfortable saddles. Some obese individuals, however, have difficulty getting into and out of them.

If you are too heavy to use traditional equipment or have only a small amount of cash to invest, consider a portable peddler. These devices, commonly found in physical therapy clinics, can be peddled with your feet on the floor to exercise your lower body or set on a table and peddled with your hands to exercise your upper body. Although they look very low-tech, peddlers can help improve circulation, strength, endurance, and range of motion. Most peddlers are equipped with an adjustable resistance knob so you can increase the intensity of your workout as you gain strength.

Biking for 3 miles is equivalent to walking or jogging for 1 mile.