One of the best parts about mountain biking for fitness is that not only will hitting the trails help you get in shape, but you get to have fun at the same time. Mountain biking is great for your physical health because it will keep you trim, increase your endurance, and help build muscle mass at the same time.
Technically speaking, mountain biking is known as a low impact workout because the suspension takes the impact of the ride while you travel through the hills on a trail. This obviously helps build up your legs, but mountain biking is in fact a full body workout, not just a leg exercise. If you are mountain biking correctly you will also build muscle in your arms and chest.
When you take on an intense climb your upper body will be guiding the bike using the handlebars and stretching with the bike as it follows the profile of the trail. As mountain bikers get in shape, they often find their upper body is as sore as their lower body. Additionally, the stress helps built your back and pectoral muscles at the same time. The general pulling and tugging as you hit bumps and dips gives every inch of your body a workout.
Did you realize that most mountain biking trails are free to travel on? This means that instead of paying for a monthly gym membership, you can put that money into a great mountain bike instead. Then you just grab it and go when you want to work out. Taking a few hours to ride the trails every week will allow you to tone up your body and get your adrenaline pumping. This great feeling of accomplishment will help motivate you to keep going.