In today’s fitness market, there are any number of workout options. Many people choose to purchase a membership at a local gym or fitness club. Other people decide that running is the way they want to get healthier. Some people prefer swimming, walking, hiking, etc. There are plenty of options for people looking for exercise.
One popular option is bicycling. Bicycling is less stressful on the joints than running and more convenient than dashing off to the gym. Most people already have a bike so it’s cheap to get into, and even if you don’t have a bike, the investment is well worth it. Which do you think you’re more likely to waste, a gym membership or a bike? At least you can loan out your bike or sell it if you don’t want it.
So you’ve decided that you’re going to get into biking as a way to improve your health. The first thing you need to do is get a bike. If you already have one that you feel is suitable, then feel free to skip this paragraph. For those of you looking to buy a new bike, your options can be narrowed down to a few basic choices.
First of all, how serious are you about bicycling? If you really intend to do some serious riding then you need to look at the more expensive, elite bicycles. The bikes carry higher price tags because of their decreased weight and increased features. They use space age materials such as carbon fiber and advanced designs. For most people a decent mid-grade bike will do. These bikes will have some of the features of more expensive bikes but without all the bells and whistles that a normal rider can do without. These bikes utilize reliable steel (or chrome-moly) frames and good shifters and solid brakes.
If you just want some kind of cheap ride to get around town, there are plenty of low-cost bikes out there, but you’ll end up with a heavier bike that’s more prone to falling apart. Such bikes should be fine for the short-term, but you’ll probably have to replace it sooner than you’d like, especially if you use it a lot.
Another question you need to ask yourself is where you’ll be riding the bike. Are you going to be mostly riding on sidewalks and roads, or will you be taking it on trails and rugged terrain? As you may’ve guessed, there are bikes designed specifically for the road and ones made for taking off-road.
Road bikes are light and fast and off-road bikes, popularly known as mountain bikes, are more rugged and often feature ride-softening suspension systems for the front and back wheels. There are also hybrid bikes designed to be taken pretty much anywhere.
After your bike, the next most important purchase you make will be safety gear. A good helmet is of the utmost importance. Many riders shun helmets but the smart rider knows how important they are. Nobody can predict an accident, and even the best riders have their bad moments so a good helmet is an extremely wise investment.
You may also want to look into gloves and possible knee and elbow pads if you’re going to be doing some serious mountain biking. Also a pair of shoes with a good sole is important. A safety item many riders forget about is a light. You should do everything you can to make yourself visible to drivers. Good front and rear lights are mandatory if you’re going to be riding in low-light conditions or at night. You may also want to consider clothing with reflective strips to make yourself more visible to drivers.
When it comes to the workout itself, remember the basics which apply to any kind of exercise. Eat properly. Drink plenty of water and sports drinks. Warm up before you take off on your bike. Do some stretches, and don’t forget to stretch afterwards. You won’t believe how much it’ll cut down on your soreness if you stretch after your bike ride. Bicycling is a great, fun way to get into shape. It works almost every muscle in your body and builds up your cardiovascular health.
Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/if-you-want-to-be-healthier-and-more-fit-you-should-consider-cycling-68211.html
Bearded Dragon Brumation, help!?
My adult male bearded dragon went into brumation without me even changing the light or heat at all. He started right about the time the outside temp went down, which lowered the indoor temp about 5 or 6 degrees. He’s eating very little and not pooping regularly. I know this is normal, but I wanted to know weather he would come out of this on his own or if I would have to lower the temp and then bring it back up. On hotter sunnier days he’s more active and eats a little more, but he still hasn’t pooped. (it’s been about 10 days since his last poop) My vet says that in the winter his beardies go for a whole month without pooping and his are very healthy. Should I do anything to make it easier for him or just wait for him to come out on his own? I found this about the subject:
Brumation:
A brumation or hibernation period is considered necessary for breeding cycles. Many bearded dragons will brumate or slow down eating and activity during winter months even without initiating any change in lighting and heat conditions. You may winter your dragons for approximately a two month period. We suggest following the natural light cycle and wintering during December-February. A slow reduction in daylight hours until you reach 8-10 hours of light per day helps to ease dragons into a brumation period. A temperature drop should also occur gradually until day temps are between 75-85 degrees F and night temps can drop to around 60 degrees F. Bearded dragons can safely tolerate temps down to the 50s. Before putting a dragon "down", be sure that your dragon is healthy and is free of undigested food. You may choose to provide a space in the enclosure for burrowing (we find aspen works well for this). Often dragons will dig and bury themselves for the winter. If you notice your dragon up and about, small amounts of food can be offered. A heavy hibernation period may not be necessary for many bearded dragons. When the winter period is over, slowly raise temperature levels to suggested highs and increase the photoperiod until it is around 14 hours of day to 10 hours of dark.
I’m thinking or doing what this says. Please only respond if you’ve done this before or own bearded dragons. Thanks!
He has two 10.0 Zoomed lights, brand new. His heat is kept at 120F basking and 78F on the cool end. He just pooped yesterday, and is now active and awake again, thanks to a slight increase in temp by placing a towel on the top of his tank.
I have 3 dragons. 2 males and one female. One of the males roams the house at all times while the other 2 stay in their tanks. Elfin <my house roamer> will find a spot and hide for a month or two in the winter. On occasion I will find him and pull him out to make sure that he is doing well and put him in the dogs water dish. He stays there a good hour or so then he is off to his room to go back to sleep <on his own>. The other two tend to not go into this stage but we do keep their tanks around 85 year round. We have not had any health issues or problems with them. My healthyest and strongest dragon is the one that roams the house. He jumps, climbs and rides the dog like a horse around the house where the other 2 like to stay in the tank and don’t move around too much unless we pull them out and play with them a bit.
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If the heating and lighting hasn’t changed at all then a brumation respond shouldn’t have happend. Just do as you would normally and try to influence him back to normal feeding response ect.. Maybe raise the temp in your enclosure
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If he is eating and not pooping he could be impacted or his lights aren’t right so he’s not digesting his food properly. If he is trying to brumate and has food in his stomach it can rot and make him sick or worse. I would strongly suggest soaking him in a warm bath like you would put a small child in. Just up to his shoulders for 20 to 30 minutes (making sure the water doesn’t get cold). If all goes right he should poop in the water.
I have a girl that wants to brumate that I just got a couple of months ago and I can’t let her brumate because i don’t know her history.
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Mom to 3 beardies