Take the Cycling Quiz

Bicycling is easier on your back and joints than jogging. Biking is also a good alternative to running or jogging for people with osteoarthritis. Biking strengthens the large muscles of the lower body. When you climb hills, your upper body also gets a workout.

Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes, or until you feel warm. At the end of your ride, spend 5 or 10 minutes in a cool-down, pedaling slowly in low gear. This will gradually lower your heart rate and prevent lactic acid from pooling in the muscles.

Regular exercise also helps lower blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raises HDL (good) cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association says. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. The others are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.

The federal government’s health and fitness guidelines call for 150 minutes of medium-intensity exercise each week. That amount can be broken up into 10-minute chunks. To lose weight or to reap even greater health benefits, you should extend your workout to an hour. Riding a bike at a leisurely pace is considered a medium-intensity exercise. Cycling at a medium pace is considered vigorous exercise.

Bicycles come in different types, from motocross (BMX) and track racing bikes, to road touring and mountain bikes. Longer road trips call for a touring frame. If you are a heavy person, you will need a sturdier frame and broader range of gears. If you plan to ride in rough, hilly terrain, you'll need tougher tires and reliable brakes. Once you have decided on a type, you will find that most of the bikes within a price range are very similar. Getting a good fit is important for safety, so make sure you "try on" a bike before buying it. You should be able to stand astride the bike with both feet flat on the floor and have a crotch clearance of 1 to 2 inches for a touring bike, or 2 to 4 inches for an off-road bike. For more advice on purchasing a bike, visit the International Bicycle Fund website.

Look for a helmet that meets standards set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Snell Memorial Foundation. Make sure the helmet fits correctly. It should be snug and level on your head. You should not be able to move it or tilt it when it is strapped in place. These same criteria also apply to bike helmets for children.

No matter what kind of cycling you do, you'll need a bike helmet that meets safety standards and fits correctly.

Children should wear a bike helmet whenever they ride. Besides head injuries, children are more likely to be hurt in a bike accident because they hit the handlebars.