Rusty Ride

The Daily Telegraph is telling you to get out and ride this weekend

“If you can’t exercise every day, working out at weekend still gives real benefits,”

Weekend Warrior

Weekend Warrior

Ok. Those aren’t the Telegraph’s words, they belong to Professor Mark Hamer (@ma_hamer)of Loughborough University who is featured in this article in this weekend’s Telegraph (and the Guardian and the BHF website). Which makes them carry even more weight. He researches “Physical activity/sedentary and population health”, in other words what exercise can do for you.

The results of the research seem to have been that the benefits of vigorous exercise once a week give almost the same reduction in mortality risk (30%) as people exercising three times a week (35%).  That’s right, being a weekend warrior who “goes out hell for leather” at the weekend (or any other day of the week) can make a real difference to your health. Not as much as exercising several times a week, but significant.

In all honesty, I only read the article because there was a picture of a mountain biker next to it, but that’s not the point.

The point is if you’re looking to get healthier, then getting out once a week and doing something energetic can make a real difference. Backpedalling is here to make that a reality. The Rusty Rides are for people who want to get out and do something energetic, but don’t know where to start. Why sit in the gym breathing conditioned air when you can be exploring the countryside with fresh air in your lungs? No-one ever get out of the front door to “reduce my mortality risk by 30%” but having fun outside can work wonders.

It won’t make you into a superhuman athlete but, if the scientists of Loughborough are to be believed, being a weekend warrior could be a life and death decision.

Rusty Rides are on Saturday mornings at 9am and 11am. Oh, and knee pads are not necessary, nor is lycra.

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Posted by BackPedalling Andy