A Brief Guide to Cycling and Fitness with Eugene Pallisco

Cycling can be a great way to achieve your fitness goals. For those who struggle with running because of joint pain, cycling offers a wonderful, low-impact alternative. While it can help you trim down, it can also help with balance and coordination. To get the most out of integrating cycling into your exercise routine, try these tips from fitness trainer Eugene Pallisco.

What Is Low-Impact Cardio?

Some cardio training is intense and has a high impact on the frame of your body. Running, for example, is high-impact and isn’t an option for those who suffer from extreme joint pain in their hips or knees.

If you have a compressed disc or two in your spine, it may be wiser to integrate a low-impact cardio routine into your exercise regimen.

Cycling is particularly beneficial if you suffer from these conditions because your feet are in constant contact with the pedals. This eliminates jarring motions that can cause pain. If you’ve been looking for a way to stay in shape but haven’t been able to find success as a runner, try cycling!

Use Good Technique

One of the most important things to know about cycling is cadence. This is simply the pace at which your feet turn the bicycle’s crank.

Your target cadence will vary over time and depend on the situation, such as whether you’re climbing. You’ll probably be more comfortable at higher speeds as you gain strength and endurance, but it’s a good idea to target a pedal cadence of about 60 when you’re beginning. You can work your way up toward 90 and even 120 in a sprint.

Get the Necessary Equipment

Another reason cycling so beneficial is that, in its pure form, it’s an outdoor sport. There’s just no substitute for being outside and breathing fresh air. And when you’re on a bicycle, you’re practicing using good balance, which, as you age, becomes more important.

If you can exercise on a bicycle instead of on a machine in a gym, you can get more than exercise from the experience. Though a gym machine is definitely a great choice to ensure you can get your cycling in year-round, rain or shine.

Whether you choose to cycle outside or in a gym, you’ll also want to consider using a heart rate monitor. These days, if you have a smartwatch, it most likely monitors your heart rate and sometimes even your blood pressure. You can also purchase dedicated heart rate monitors that cost considerably less.

The point is to get your heart rate into your target zone and keep it there for a certain amount of time in order to get the best results.

If you’ve been struggling to find a low-impact, effective exercise option, then cycling just might be the kind of exercise for you.

Reach Your Fitness Goals with Eugene Pallisco

Eugene Pallisco is a fitness instructor and a certified trainer in Dallas, Texas. He began his career in fitness as a group instructor and has invested considerable time into developing a training philosophy emphasizing the betterment of others. Today, he owns and operates a private training business and loves his work in the fitness industry.