If you decide to take it up, approach the sport carefully, get a bike that fits well, and get some good advice, he suggests. Play it safe, and pick routes appropriate to your fitness level and riding ability. Local bike shops carry maps of good rides around Austin, and various home pages list local routes and events . I ask people to begin their warming up and stretching routines for two weeks prior to starting a sport or fitness program, since the majority of injuries I see involve flexibility problems. I also ask them to slow down the process.
People tend to start with vigor and then burn out.
If weight loss is your goal, Dr. Weidmann urges you to think in terms of fat loss instead. A good fitness program will take off fat weight but also add muscle weight. You won't see much change on the scale, but you'll be slimmer and more healthy. Another way to measure progress is to have a body fat analysis before you start and again several months later. An inexpensive analysis using calipers is available at most health clubs and is accurate enough to give you a sense of how you are doing.