Contrary to popular belief, dirt biking is a great workout. More so, a 30-minute ride on the track or trail can leave your joints and entire body all pained the following day. If you truly want to enjoy your dirt bike ride, then you have to get ready for a full body workout. Your muscles become evenly toned, it strengthens your core, and in the end, you get a vigorous body. Additionally, bike riding increases your heart rate. Indeed, dirt biking is a great way to keep fit and healthy. To complement your dirt biking habit, try out strengthening exercises off the bike. This will not only enhance your riding experience but also improve overall fitness levels.
Health Benefits Of Dirt Biking
If you are looking for a perfect way to burn calories, or keep your muscles evenly toned year round, dirt biking is the solution you seek. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best ways to stay in shape without hitting the gym. You don’t have to worry about expensive gym memberships and the hassles of public transportation. Bike riding has similarities with other fitness activity such as jogging, and weightlifting. With dirt biking, you can keep fit with ease. The best part is this sports activity is safe and promises loads of fun time.
From increasing heart rate to burning calories to improved overall fitness, dirt bike can greatly improve your health physically and mentally. Here is a rundown of the essential health benefits of dirt bike riding
Heart rate
Just like low-level endurance exercise, dirt biking increases your heart rate. To see your performance level, wear a heart monitor. On average, your heart rate level should fall within 130 – 135s. However, if the ride is a bit more intense, you can expect your heart rate to fall into the mid-150s.
Great Balance
Regardless of the fact that you’re on a two-wheeled vehicle while dirt biking, you still need a considerable amount of energy to operate, lift and turn your motorized device. If you are riding over an uneven terrain, then you need a combination of your hamstrings, quadriceps and other leg muscles to maintain balance. Since your leg muscles are right in the center of the action, it keeps you balanced as you try to maneuver the uneven terrain. Additionally, arm strength is required for both lifting your handlebars when you go over jumps and pushing your handlebars wherever you go off jumps.
Provides varied versions of gym exercises
Dirt biking provides fitness exercise just as you’d expect in a gym facility. For instance, balancing a dirt bike while riding in rough terrains can be likened to sitting on a stability ball. It’s usually tough trying to steer the handlebars, particularly through the terrain. This struggle for control is like doing bench press and seated rows. Also, the squat practiced in the gym is the same as standing up and down while riding your dirt bike. Apparently, there is a slight similarity in the programs offered in a gym facility.
Dirt Bike Riding – The Best Weight Loss Tool Around
As earlier stated, bike riding is an activity that can be compared to physical exercise. If you’re looking to burn calories, try dirt bike riding. The number of calories you burn actually depends on several factors. If you’re applying a significant amount of effort while riding, you’re burning more calories automatically. Best of all, you don’t have to forego your favorite food as recommended by your doctor just for weight loss.
In truth, burning more calories results in weight loss, but do you know all of the lost pounds isn’t fat. About 30% of weight loss comes from muscle tissue. Apparently, dieting makes you lose weight yet there is a higher percentage of fat stored in your body. On the downside, dieting makes you weaker and slower while dirt biking. Keep in mind that the more muscle you have the more fat you burn and vice-versa. Now think of the effect of going back to your old eating ways – the end result is weight gain.
Unlike dieting, dirt biking regularly increases your muscle volume and reduces the fat in your body. The average rider burns up to 40 calories per mile. At a relatively steady 20 miles per hour, this means if you commit about 10 hours dirt biking on a weekly basis you burn no less than 6,000 calories. Impressive, isn’t it? Remarkably, dirt bike riding burns more calories than you could ever imagine.
So if you’re a proud owner of a dirt bike, it’s time to elevate your riding experience using dirt bike accessories to be safer. Also, you no longer see the need to hit the gym or trying to maintain a particular diet. And if you’re still thinking whether or not dirt biking is a good form of exercise, then you bet it is.
Author’s Bio
Jessica is a road sports enthusiast and journalist. She is enthusiastic about attending events like an offroad car and motorbike racing. Jessica is both thrilled of seeing this types of competition and capturing such moments on her camera. She spends her free time building her own custom motorbike as a hobby.