As the other commenter said, biking is cardio. It has many overlapping benefits with heavy circles (resistance training), but they each have some unique benefits and they grant you those benefits through different biological mechanisms. So doing one or the other is very good, and doing both is extremely good.
American heart association has a very good breakdown of the benefits of cardio. They recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity cardio (biking slower than 10mph/16kph) or 75min per week of intense cardio (faster than 10mph) to fully cash in on those benefits.
On a personal note: before “taking the plunge” with any form of exercise, most people experience the same form of “temporal sticker shock” that you’ve expressed concern with. The “need to reserve time” for it.
It’s very deceptive though, because the short time you invest into it actually gives back so much more time to your life. Like multiple extra hours per day, every day, where you feel refreshed, energetic, and capable of pursuing your passions fully. It’s extremely worth the time you spend upfront
As the other commenter said, biking is cardio. It has many overlapping benefits with heavy circles (resistance training), but they each have some unique benefits and they grant you those benefits through different biological mechanisms. So doing one or the other is very good, and doing both is extremely good.
American heart association has a very good breakdown of the benefits of cardio. They recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity cardio (biking slower than 10mph/16kph) or 75min per week of intense cardio (faster than 10mph) to fully cash in on those benefits.
On a personal note: before “taking the plunge” with any form of exercise, most people experience the same form of “temporal sticker shock” that you’ve expressed concern with. The “need to reserve time” for it.
It’s very deceptive though, because the short time you invest into it actually gives back so much more time to your life. Like multiple extra hours per day, every day, where you feel refreshed, energetic, and capable of pursuing your passions fully. It’s extremely worth the time you spend upfront