Biking, also popularly known as cycling (short for, naturally, bicycling) is one of the most popular competitive solo sports in the world. And this is for good reason: it offers a great workout on the body, an exciting rush. and terrific scenery… for relatively little investment.

The simple rapid mobility enabled by biking is one of the major advantages of the exercise that non-bikers often forget to take into account. It can help the time pass by much quicker than other exercises, making it more enjoyable and less frustrating.

It’s easily worked into most lifestyles, and can be done alone or with family and friends. And, of course, it can also double as a practical means of transportation, being much cheaper than filling up the car every time you want to go to the store.

Biking focuses on the legs and gluts to give your lower region an excellent workout, making everything from climbing stairs to walking easier over the long run. It also helps with one’s physical coordination, and can shed unwanted fatty tissue.

Perhaps the most medically significant trait of biking is that it helps combat certain heart diseases. Being aerobic in nature (but without that oh so annoying workout tape!), it increases the flow of oxygen to your heart and lungs, and gives them the strength and stamina to keep on going.

The combined traits mentioned above allow biking to offer very apparent benefits to your everyday life. After biking for a while, you’ll find yourself breathing easier when exerting yourself, moving around on your own legs more fluidly, and getting tired less often.

On the mental side, it’s already been mentioned that biking makes time melt away through the fun of seeing the quickly-changing scenery. But this is in fact so effective that a little regular biking can not only make your workout easier… it can help combat the emotionally damaging and productivity hindering depression almost all people in sedentary lifestyles are prone to.

As if all this wasn’t enough, it can also help fight diabetes and cancer in some cases. Isn’t that worth the investment in a bike?

Being environmentally friendly, practical, and fully within the control of the user, biking is consistently one of the most beloved ways of working out at little expense. As little as a hundred dollars can get you on a professional-grade mountain bike… although you should, of course, buy yourself a helmet too!

Safety should be emphasized with all exercises, but particularly with biking. Besides the helmet, you should wear elbow and knee pads, and have clothing that is protective but not constricting or overly heavy.

And, of course, you should finally pay close attention to your environment while biking. Watch out for traffic, unexpected curves in the road, ditches, and stray animals that might happen to roam in front of your path.

By keeping these simple hints in mind you can cycle your way to a new you in a startlingly quick amount of time. Give it a try and invest in a bike, and you won’t look back with doubt afterward.