But did you know that using pedal power could help to find a cure for one of the nation’s deadliest diseases? With your family, on your own or as part of a team you can ride your bike and raise funds for the Tour de Cure.

Take the Ride of Your Life
Tour de Cure, the American Diabetes Association’s nationwide cycling event, welcomes riders at all levels — from novice to experienced cyclists — to support the Association’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Last year more than 38,000 cyclists — people with diabetes, friends, families and supporters — raised more than $15 million to support diabetes research, advocacy and education.

Diabetes is a deadly disease affecting nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States. Another 57 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Whether you bike for fun or because you dream of being the next world champion, bicycling is great exercise that can have significant health benefits. Tour de Cure events feature routes that vary in length and difficulty, from 15-mile family distances to 100-mile “century” rides. It is a ride, not a race, so participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.

Are You a Red Rider?
If you have diabetes and plan to ride in Tour de Cure, don’t forget to join the Red Riders, a special section of Tour de Cure that the American Diabetes Association created to recognize participants who have diabetes.

“The Red Rider Recognition Program is a way for those of us with diabetes to gather the strength, courage and motivation to live well all the other days of the year when we aren’t riding in Tour de Cure,” says Mari Ruddy, founder of the Red Rider program. “It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the hard work, dedication and teamwork it takes to manage this challenging and complex disease. Best of all, when we can give a participant a red jersey that proclaims with joy, ‘I ride with diabetes!’ it brings a face to the disease with the heart, soul and passion of the participants who are riding with diabetes.”

Join Tour de Cure to benefit your health and to support the fight to stop diabetes. To register as an individual rider, a Red Rider, start a team, or learn more, visit Tour.Diabetes.org or call (888) DIABETES (888-342-2383).

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Living with Type II Diabetes?

“No one, and I mean no one has any idea how we’re going to financially deal with this when we wind up with 35 to 50 percent of Americans with Type II diabetes,” Donnelly said. “It will bankrupt the healthcare system.”

About 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, he said, a condition that can lead to a multitude of health conditions including Type II diabetes, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and arthritis.

“It’s a disaster and it’s not waiting to happen, it’s happened,” Donnelly said. “I don’t believe there’s another medical condition or disease that affects 66 percent of the population.”

Donnelly and a team of researchers recently released a study that says adults need 250 to 400 minutes of exercise a week to lose weight. That’s about 35 to 60 minutes a day.

The report prompted the American College of Sports Medicine to update its 2001 physical activity guidelines for weight loss, which had recommended 150 to 300 minutes of exercise per week for overweight and obese adults, or about 20 to 43 minutes a day.

If you’re of normal weight and you don’t want to gain, the 2009 guidelines say you need to exercise about 150 to 250 minutes per week or about 20 to 35 minutes a day.

The exercise should be moderate intensity, which can be compared to brisk walking, Donnelly said.

The study, called “Appropriate Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults” examined exercise only, but to lose weight, you must also restrict calories, Donnelly said.

Resistance training (weight or band exercise) is not effective in weight loss, but it is important to maintain muscle mass during weight loss, Donnelly said.

There are a constellation of weight loss/diet combinations, but the bottom line is, “good things happen” when you burn 2,000 to 2,500 calories a week with exercise, Donnelly said.

Is it realistic?

Spinning is a high intensity form of stationary bicycling done in a group setting. Amy Bruns, 43, of Ventura, goes to spin class two to three times a week because she can get more intense exercise into a shorter period of time. Like many Americans, time is at a premium for Bruns. The dietician was not surprised to hear that exercise guidelines had been increased. But she wondered whether it was realistic for people to follow them.

“I don’t believe it’s particularly achievable with our American lifestyle,” Bruns said. “People have children, jobs, sports and other commitments.”

Ventura Family YMCA Healthy Lifestyles Director Rich Gross believes the most important thing is to get moving for 15, 20, 30 minutes. Just get started.

“I would rather people take small steps in the right direction rather than set themselves up to fail,” he said. “By shooting for seven days a week and attaining only four or five and feeling like they didn’t attain their goal, they get discouraged and quit.”

Donnelly believes the 35 to 60 minute-per-day exercise goal is realistic. It’s a matter of re-setting priorities.

“The average American watches four hours of television a day,” he said. “Both (former President George W.) Bush and President (Barack) Obama are dedicated exercisers. I mean, they’ve got nothing to do? I don’t buy that at all.”

‘The Weight of the Nation’
How much our obesity epidemic will cost us will be released in a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a national conference in July in Washington, D.C., called “The Weight of the Nation.”

Dr. Beth Tohill, lead epidemiologist for the CDC’s Obesity Guidelines and Recommendation team, gave a preview.

“I can tell you that the obesity prevalence has continued to go up the past couple of years,” she said. “Not one state has slowed down.”

According to the CDC, 59 percent of adults in California were overweight in 2007 and about 50 percent said they were not engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity.

The last time the CDC released data about the national cost of obesity was 2000, when the obesity-related illnesses contributed an extra $117 billion to the national medical bill.

Tohill said the CDC is holding its conference in Washington to encourage lawmakers to create policies to help Americans cut the fat.

“The CDC’s direction is, we want to understand the behaviors,” she said. “We know what to do. Why aren’t we doing it? It’s going to be environmental or policy change.”

The CDC also has physical activity guidelines, but only for those seeking the health benefits of exercise, and not necessarily weight loss. Its guideline is 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week.

The experts all agree that it doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you choose, as long as you get moving.

“I’m not saying people have to come to a gym,” the YMCA’s Gross said. “If you can do it at home, find what works.”

Donnelly reminded those on the road to weight loss about the real work that begins once the weight is off.

“The key of course is maintaining the weight you have lost and for that, physical activity is king,” Donnelly said.

By Kim Lamb Gregory

Heart rate monitors that come with chest straps are without doubt the most accurate of the heart monitors available. The chest strap is worn around your chest (naturally), just a few centimeters below your breast. It contains an electronic sensor that is able to detect electrical activity of your heart and transmit it to the receiver, or brain of the machine – just like an ECG. The chest transmitter continually senses your heartbeat and constantly transmits that information to a display monitor, which is generally attached to your wrist like a watch.

The watch can be worn as a regular sports watch, and when not connected to the transmitter strap, will still give you time of day, alarms, stopwatch functions, etc.

If you are planning to buy a quality heart rate monitor, one of the more popular manufacturers around is Polar. Polar technology has been around for two decades now and the company has achieved the status of being the industry leader in the heart rate monitors field. They have different series for heart rate monitors, ranging from beginners and intermediates to professional athletes. You can also choose your heart rate monitor from different categories, depending on what your needs are: Cardiac Rehab, Jogging, Cycling, Swimming (this includes a waterproof monitor-watch), Fitness, Weight Management and so forth.

You can of course purchase one of the lower-end models but low quality heart monitors can lead to inaccurate results and that sort of defeats the purpose of buying one – and what price do place on your health.

increase the effectiveness of your exercise and get more out of each workoutBy monitoring your heart rate you can reduce the chance of injury from over training and know you are getting a great workout by staying in the “target zone“, drastically increasing the efficiency and benefits of your workouts.

One of the first things you need to know when using a heart rate monitor is what your maximum heart rate is. The standard formula used is to subtract your age from 220, however, we also provide a more accurate method, the Karvonen formula . You can then calculate at what percentage of maximum you should be exercising at.

When doing cardiovascular training, research says exercising at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate will be best for fat loss and to build endurance, while exercising in the 70-80% of maximum range will increase your fitness.

As I tend to focus primarily on cycling for my cardio/fat burning workouts I purchased a Polar S710 cycling heart rate monitor. I also purchased the speed/distance and cadence sensors that go with this unit and the infra-red serial connector for uploading my exercise information to a computer.

Although it seemed like an expensive purchase at the time, it does provide me with an incredible amount of information (see images below) allowing me to specifically tailor my exercise programs to maximise my fat burning. I have been using this Polar heart rate monitor for the past 8 years, so if I amortize the initial cost over that time frame, then it is quite affordable – working out at less than $100.00 per year.

It certainly pays to shop around for a good deal, especially on the internet. If my memory serves me correctly I purchased my Polar heart rate monitor and cycling sensors through the internet from Scotland of all places.

• Excellent calorie burn. (Typically 400 calories an hour for an exercise bike, 700-800 for a road bike, and 1000 for a spinning bike.)
• Superior cardiovascular conditioning. Cycling builds stamina and increases endurance while lower resting heart rate. Generally individuals who cycle regularly have a resting heart rate in the mid to low 60s.
• Lower body toning. Cycling is especially good to build leg muscles and for women, whose problem areas are often the hips and thighs, the slimming effect can be almost magical.

Many people prefer to cycle outdoors because there’s really nothing to replace the freedom and adventure to be had exploring under your own foot power.

1. A comfortable saddle appropriate to the rider’s gender.
2. A rack to carry a water bottle. (Drinking water is recommended every 20 minutes during a lengthy ride.)
3. A ride computer that registers speed and distance traveled.
4. Gears to assist with handling terrain.
5. Appropriate illumination via reflectors and/or lights.
6. Safety helmet.

These items represent the bare minimum for safe and effective operation. A ride computer is especially important as cycling is, generally speaking, an exercise in which the rider competes against himself for better speed and longer distances traveled.

Using a Heart Monitor
As an aerobic, fat burning exercise, cycling offers multiple health benefitsWhere weight loss is the goal, it is also recommended that the cyclist use a heart monitor which includes a chest strap and a wrist unit that measures duration of exercise, time in “the zone” (your target heart rate to accomplish fat burning), average and maximum heart rate, and calories burned. One pound equals 3500 calories. If you manage a 500 calorie deficit (burn or expend more than you consume) you’ll lose approximately one pound per week.

Indoor Cycling
For individuals who do not like to be out in the elements, an exercise bike can be a comfortable way to cycle daily in the comfort of your own home. Many riders watch television while they pedal and cycling DVDs are available to create the illusion that you are traveling through the hills of the California wine country or perhaps the French countryside. Recumbent exercise bikes with their bucket seats are especially comfortable. For some riders, the different angle at which the recumbent bike places the body is even more effective for body slimming and overall the position is easier for the back and the backside.

Spinning Bikes for Indoor Cycling
Spinning bikes are a special class of exercise bikes that have weighted flywheels to simulate, as closely as is possible, the feel of riding a road bike indoors. Generally, spinning is done at a gym in a class environment or, if done at home, to directions from a DVD. The workout involves “intervals” of intense riding where the cyclist is standing in the pedals and working at maximum output balanced by seated periods of a lesser cadence. Spinning is hardcore exercise with maximum calorie burn. If you have not been working out, it’s best to get moderately in shape and to check with your physician before beginning a spinning program.

When to Cycle?
Almost any time of day is appropriate for cycling. Depending on the climate in your area, it may be best to ride in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Some fitness experts recommend riding first thing in the morning before eating to stimulate the metabolism, while others suggest “fueling up” first. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid cycling just before bedtime as the stimulation will contribute to your insomnia. Regardless of when or where you choose to cycle, keep track of the numbers so you can monitor your improvement and work out at a pace and duration that will show effective results.

Benefits of Cycling
As an aerobic, fat burning exercise, cycling offers multiple health benefits. Upright exercise bikes can be purchase for as little as $150 while a recumbent will run from $300 to $600. These devices allow you to exercise regardless of the weather while road bikes get you out and about exploring and having fun while you get in shape. Spinning bikes can cost as much as $1500, so that’s an activity that will most likely send you to the gym. Regardless of the type of cycling you choose, you’ll begin to see results in a month or less, putting you well on the road to those lovely words — long and lean.