Cycling is a low impact aerobic exercise that has many benefits. You can cycle as a mode of transportation, for casual activity, or as an intense, competitive endeavor.
Cycling is a great workout that keeps you active and can help improve your physical and mental health.
Cycling is a great way to get in shape and improve your fitness level. Here are some of the benefits of cycling: 1. Cycling is a relatively low-impact activity, which means it’s easy on your joints. 2. Cycling is an excellent way to build endurance and cardiovascular fitness. 3. Cycling can help you lose weight and tone your muscles. 4. Cycling is a great way to reduce stress and improve your mood. 5. Cycling can help improve your balance and coordination. 6. Cycling is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air.
1. CYCLING IMPROVES MENTAL WELL-BEING
A study showed that people who had a physically active lifestyle had a wellbeing score 32 per cent higher than inactive individuals.
Exercise can improve your mood in many ways. The basic release of adrenaline and endorphins can give you a confidence boost, and achieving new things can make you feel good about yourself.
Cycling is a great way to both get some exercise and explore the great outdoors. You can choose to ride by yourself, which can give you time to think and process your worries and concerns, or you can ride with a group, which can help you expand your social circle.
Obree, who has battled depression throughout his life, said that cycling has helped him tremendously and without it, he doesn't know where he would be.
2. STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM BY CYCLING
Dr. David Nieman and his colleagues at Appalachian State University found that exercise had huge benefits on the health of the upper respiratory system – thus reducing instances of the common cold by studying 1000 adults up to the age of 85.
Wrongly, many people believe that they can only improve their health by exercising intensely. Actually, people can greatly improve their health by exercising aerobically on most days of the week. Thistype of exercise provides many other exercise-related health benefits.
Professor Tim Noakes tells us that mild exercise can improve our immune system by increasing production of essential proteins and waking up lazy white blood cells.
There are several reasons to choose biking over other forms of transportation. Cycling can reduce commute time, and it also gets you out of close quarters with other people where germs can spread more easily.
There is a downside, however. Evidence suggests that immediately after intense exercise, such as an interval training session, your immune system is lowered. However, adequate and effective recovery after cycling, such as eating and sleeping well, can help to reverse this.
3. CYCLING CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Cycling is a great way to burn calories, as it can burn between 400 and 1000 calories per hour, depending on the intensity and weight of the rider.
There are other factors that affect how often you need to refuel, such as the makeup of the calories you consume, the quality of your sleep, and how much you enjoy your chosen activity.
Assuming you enjoy cycling, you'll be burning calories which can help you lose weight if you maintain a healthy diet.
4. Cycling may lower cholesterol
Cycling has health benefits that can help improve cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In general, indoor cycling has a positive effect on total cholesterol, with potential LDL-lowering and triglyceride-reducing effects.
5. Cycling boosts mental health and brain power
Cycling can alleviate stress, depression, or anxiety. Paying attention to the road or your pedaling when cycling can help you focus and be more present. This may help take your mind off the incessant thoughts of your day.
According to research, biking outside can improve cognitive functioning and well-being for older adults.
If you are feeling tired, weak, or like your brain is not working well, ride a bike for at least 10 minutes.
The release of endorphins during exercise can help to improve your mood and lower stress levels. The above study found that these effects are even greater when you exercise outdoors.
If you ride a bike regularly, you may feel more confident and happy.
6. Cycling can help people with cancer
If you are undergoing treatment for cancer or are in recovery, adding cycling to your care plan can be very beneficial. However, many cancer patients often suffer from low energy levels and pain, so it's important to consult with your care team and listen to your body before starting to exercise.
Cycling can keep you slim and healthy, which may lower your chance of getting certain types of cancer, like breast cancer.
According to research from 2019, being active may help reduce side effects of cancer treatment for those who have breast cancer, including fatigue, and improve their overall quality of life (7).
Cycling is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular health. It raise your heart rate, gets the blood pumping round your body, and burns calories. This limits the chance of your being overweight, and as a result, it's among a selection of forms of exercise recommended by the NHS as being healthy ways to cut your risk of developing major illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.
A study conducted by the University of Glasgow earlier this year found that riders who cycled to work had a 50% lower risk of developing heart disease or cancer than those who didn't. The study followed 260,000 individuals over five years.
Dr. Jason Gill of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences said that riding a bike to work, even part of the way, was linked with much better health outcomes.
8. CYCLING IS LOW IMPACT
There are many benefits to cycling, including the fact that it is a form of exercise. Some people might think that it would be easier to just go for a run, but there are many benefits to cycling that make it worth considering.
Running is a weight-bearing exercise, which means that it carries a higher risk of injury than activities like cycling, which are not weight-bearing.
When scientists compared groups of exercisers, they found the long distance runners suffered significantly more muscle damage, inflammation, and DOMS than the cyclists.
Whilst cycling is less likely to result in an overuse injury, they can still occur. A professional bike fit is a good idea – skimping here is a false economy if you end up having to spend more money on physiotherapy.
Cycling does not help to increase bone density as much as other sports because you are not bearing any weight. To improve this, you should add some strength training to your programme.
9. CYCLING SAVES TIME
Compare these three experiences:
- Get in the car, sit in traffic, queue to get into the car park, park, pay to park, arrive
- Walk to bus stop, wait for bus, complain about bus being late, get on bus (pay), watch as it takes you round-the-houses, arrive, about half a mile from your destination
- Get on the bike, filter past traffic, lock the bike, arrive
out of time spent sat in traffic. Short journeys contribute to global pollution levels and often involve sitting in traffic.
For the way to work or University, or the shops, why not try cycling Cycling can save you money on things like petrol or public transport, as well as time. Instead of driving or taking the bus, try cycling the next time you need to go somewhere like work, university, or the shops.
10. CYCLING IMPROVES NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS
In today's world of car sat navs and Google maps, there is not much incentive to sharpen your natural sense of direction.
If you haven't invested in a GPS cycling computer with mapping capabilities, then riding your bike on different roads can help your ability to navigate, and with practice, you'll get better at knowing which direction is west.
11. CYCLING IMPROVE YOUR SEX LIFE
Most of us know that being active is a good thing, but not everyone knows that it's actually good for your overall health. In fact, regular exercise could indeed prolong your life.
The Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic has found that men who have 350 orgasms a year live about four years longer than the average man. This is due to the fact that orgasms release a chemicals that have various health benefits. Women also experience these benefits.
In other words, cycling can help to improve your sex life.
In addition to spending time showing off their bodies in skintight lycra, cyclists are also comfortable with their own bodies, which contributes to their success.
12. CYCLISTS SLEEP BETTER
A recent study has found that being less fit can result in sleep problems. The study, which lasted 35 years, observed men and women aged 20 to 85 and found that a drop in fitness of 2 per cent for men and 4 per cent for women resulted in sleep problems.
“The sharpest decrease in cardio respiratory fitness takes place between the ages of 40 and 60,” said Dr. Rodney Dishman, one of the study's primary authors. “This is also when sleep duration and quality issues are most prevalent.”
The scientists suggested that the link between sleep and exercise could be caused by a reduction in anxiety that comes from exercise. They also said that exercise protects against weight gain, which is another cause of sleep problems.
13. CYCLING BOOSTS YOUR BRAIN POWER
Many studies have found that people who exercise regularly are less likely to experience cognitive decline as they age, especially when it comes to problem-solving and memory recall.
A 2013 study found that during exercise, cyclists' blood flow in the brain increased by 28 percent, and up to 70 percent in specific areas. Furthermore, after exercise, in some areas blood flow remained increased by 40 percent.
The study concluded that we should cycle for 45-60 minutes, at 75-85 per cent of max ‘hear rate reserve' (max heart rate minus resting heart rate) four times a week.
14. CYCLING IMPROVES SPACIAL AWARENESS
Cycling on Zwift isn't just about raising your heart rate and getting you breathless. There are also technical elements, such as climbing, descending, and cornering, which teach you to use your body weight to get the bike to go where you want it to.
If you learn how to handle technical aspects well, it can really help increase your confidence – especially when you see that you're starting to get better. You might also find that you become better at dealing with other things that are difficult to control, like a shopping cart with wonky wheels.
15. GROW YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE THROUGH CYCLING
Cycling is a social sport that often takes places in clubs. These clubs typically meet on the weekends for several hours to ride and chat. Sometimes they'll stop for coffee.
Joining a cycling club or group is a great way to make new friends and get advice on riding and maintaining your bike.
Therefore, the evidence is fairly conclusive! The next step is to check our beginner advice for cyclists, buy a road bike if you do not have one already, and decide how often you want to go for a ride!
