By Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND of Balance Wellness Center

Up until recently, I was convinced that the heap of metal in the basement that has been gathering dust since I was a teen was destined for bicycle heaven.  Then one day a friend convinced me to go out bike riding.  After dusting off my old wheels and suiting up with a helmet, I was off to ride some trails on my mountain bike.  After an afternoon of cruising amongst the trees in the fresh air it was enough to get me excited about taking up mountain biking. What girl wouldn’t love an incredible workout while enjoying the outdoors without even realizing how many calories you’ve burned!

Although I find there are more men than women out riding, I think that women have a lot to gain from the sense of strength and empowerment that mountain biking can provided.  There are a lot of women’s clubs sprouting up that are not only helping women to stay healthy and active but that are fostering friendships. 

If you don’t already have a bike, the initial investment in equipment can be intimidating.  In all fairness though, to begin all you really need is a bike, a helmet and some workout gear.  You can keep it simple by borrowing or renting a bike.  I picked up my first helmet at my local hardware store and even though I trading up my bike, the helmet still does the job. 

You may see all kinds of extreme mountain biking on TV but there a plenty of easy, beautiful trails everywhere.  If you don’t already know of trails in your area, search for some online and plan an afternoon to check them out.  It’s always best to keep it fairly easy in the beginning with wider paths upon which you can ride alongside a friend.  If you are up for an adventure look for single-track trails that may offer more rocks to ride over or big hills to climb. 

Biking has exposed me to incredible vacation experiences too.  Living in Ontario the terrain is fairly flat so I decided to step it up the next summer.  I took a vacation to Park City Utah to try some mountain trails.  I hadn’t trained for it and was a bit concerned that my legs or lungs wouldn’t take me through some of the longer rides.  I was amazed at how easy the rides felt.  The breathtaking views in the mountains we rode were unlike anything I had ever seen before and it was such an empowering experience. 

If you want to get out of the gym for the summer and your goal is to improve your fitness, this sport may be for you.  At the very least, it will help you appreciate the great outdoors and take you places you have never gone before.