You probably already know that cycling is good for you—any exercise is better than no exercise, right? But did you know that riding a bike offers a whole host of additional health benefits besides the physical perks?
Here’s 7 of the best benefits in our eyes:
It’s no surprise to most that getting those legs and feet pedalling will help burn through some of those excess calories and tone up your muscles.
You’ll be revving up your metabolism and the production of fat-burning hormones, suppressing your appetite, and burning more fat and calories all day long…YEP…your bike can do all that. And the longer you cycle the more you will burn through, so even more reason to get out into nature and lose yourself in some beautiful scenery.
The lungs particularly benefit from the rhythmic, cyclical nature of cycling. Continually receiving fresh oxygen is the key, and the increased breathing rate strengthens the surrounding muscles. As heart rate increases cycling up a steep hill, your lungs can absorb more oxygen, which allows for more oxygen-rich blood to reach your muscles, improving lung function. A perfect cycle whilst cycling! In fact, focusing on deep breathing whilst cycling is particularly beneficial to your overall respiratory health.
Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. In part, thanks to the effects of the exercise itself but also because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring. It can improve creative thinking too, and the regular, uniform movement of cycling has a relaxing effect on the brain, stabilising both physical and mental function.
HEART DISEASE & CANCER RISK
Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and overall circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cycling strengthens your heart muscles, lowers resting pulse rates and reduces blood fat levels. In fact, a number of studies have shown that people who cycle regularly are at lower risk from cancer and heart disease, and actually have significantly lower mortality rates overall. The stronger your heart, the more effectively it pumps blood through your body, which lowers your heart rate and reduces the risk of high blood pressure, so you’ll be reducing the pressure on your heart and in turn reducing your risk of heart disease.
For anyone who finds it hard to sleep, cycling could be just the thing to turn your fortunes around. Regular riding helps synchronise your circadian rhythm and can therefore assist in reducing the levels of stress hormones that can make proper regenerative, deep sleep difficult. It has also been suggested that whilst outside cycling and receiving the extra added benefits of Vitamin D, you’ll be contributing to the quality of sleep that you will have later on. The sunlight we have in our lives helps to keep our body clock in check and on a regular rhythm, while also lowering levels of cortisol in the body, therefore supporting deeper, more regenerative sleep.
Recently, it has been discovered that the effects of cycling can be traced to the cellular level and the exciting reality is that just a few hours of pedalling per week can have a profoundly positive effect on your body’s immune system and life expectancy. People who ride a bike are generally in better overall health and tend to age in a healthier, more graceful manner. Just 30 minutes of cycling exercise a day can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on your immune system.
BOOST THE BRAIN
Cycling can grow your brain in the same way it can grow your muscles. Blood flow to the brain increases just as it does with the muscles, bringing in more oxygen and nutrients that can improve its performance. Riding also increases the production of proteins used for creating new brain cells by two or three times the usual rate. Being active with your bike can even improve your brain’s cognition, functioning, and physical structure and slow your brain’s ageing, as well as encouraging its efficiency by building neurons and growing the hippocampus