Mountain biking is one of the most adventurous things to try in Cape Town, South Africa especially at the majestic Table Mountain. Mountain bike tours are not just for fun but also have various health benefits associated with it and hence makes it a healthy adventure sport. And Table Mountain bike ride has become one of the most loved adventures in Cape Town because the above mentioned reasons and more.
Are you in Cape Town, South Africa and looking for some hard core adventure? Then you must try out the Table Mountain bike ride! It is the ultimate way to satisfy your adrenaline rush. The majestic Table Mountain is an ecological wonder and a strong icon for the entire African continent. What makes mountain biking on this majestic mountain is the unparalleled views from the mountain sides overlooking the Mother City and with Signal Hill and Lion’s Head nearby. Do you know mountain bike tours in Cape Town are not meant merely for fun and adventure but it also provides a wide variety of health benefits!
Let us discuss few of those health benefits that you can get by going for Mountain Biking in Cape Town.
Builds leg strength – Mountain biking helps in strengthening your leg muscles. By using a bike you can tone your quad, calf and glut (also known as buttock) muscles along with strengthening your tendons without any load bearing. It offers much better fun than working out on a stationary cycle in the gym.
Enhances fat burning-It is a fact that fat burning takes place when your heart rate is about 65 to 75 per cent of your maximum. And mountain biking helps you achieve that rate and hence enhances fat burning efficiently. To measure your heart rate you can use a heart rate monitor that will help you in getting trained at the optimum level for fat burning.
Improves cardiovascular system functions – Cardiovascular system comprises your heart and lungs. The fitter you are the efficient is the system. An efficient cardiovascular system means better flow of blood through the body and an increase in oxygenation. Your entire fitness level depends upon this functionality of the system. With proper mountain bike training you can improve the performance of your cardiovascular system over time which in turn helps in increasing your fitness level.
Cape Town mountain biking
Non-load bearing so reduces risk of injury – Mountain biking is a non-load bearing form of exercise that means unlike running your entire body is not being supported during the bike training. This helps in taking off the degree of pressure from your joints and hence reduces the risk of injury. And it is also seen that many people returning to training after an injury prefer the bike as a way of regaining fitness. This is because they can gradually increase fitness levels without adding any pressure on any affected joint or tendon.
Now that you know the various health benefits there are many other factors that make Table Mountain Bike Ride more enjoyable such as choosing the right bike as you will be spending many hours in the saddle so you must be comfortable during your ride. Another aspect is getting the right mountain biking accessories like elbow pad, helmet, a puncture repair kit, a spare tube, and likewise.
Next thing to make your Table Mountain Bike Ride a great experience is that you should know the ascending and descending techniques on a mountain bike well. This the most common aspect for which every beginner struggles. The key to master the ascent is to keep your pedal rate high and steady and also make sure that you lean forward as it provides you more stability. And when descents are concerned you just have to do the opposite. Also make sure that you lower your hips and keep your bottom balanced just above the saddle.
Martin Wynn
Priya
