Can Riding Up Hills Be Considered Strength Training?

[Over50Newbie]

Wow, I guess this wasn't an easy question to answer after all!

Now let's see if I have this right:

• Bicycling up a hill will help build muscle strength, but not help increase bone density.

• But having strong muscles will help protect my bones, help my balance, and will help against bone breakage in a fall.

• I need to make sure that if I have strong quadriceps, I also need to balance that out by building strength in my hamstrings.

• And, like Grog, I also want to know if push-ups are considered a weight bearing exercise? And if the answer is no, then why are squats considered weight bearing? And what about pull-ups? All of these are done without weights - but you are lifting your own body weight. Are these exercises in the "resistance exercises" category? And, if so, does that mean that they help increase bone density, but just not as much as lifting weights?

And Velobambina, thanks for the encouragement. I do find that as I continue to do hills, they get a little easier each time!

Thanks everyone,

Lynette