Everyone knows that one of the most important things for staying healthy and well is to be physically active. Cycling is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to ensure that you get the physical exercise you need to lower the risk of the diseases which unfortunately are the leading causes of death today – obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart attacks, depression and some forms of cancer.
It is a low impact exercise which just about anybody can enjoy – no matter your age or fitness level. If you are not prepared physically or mentally to get on that bicycle and start riding for miles, you can always switch to an electric bike instead. It too will provide you with the aerobic and cardio exercise you need, and yet its battery-powered motor will assist you on difficult terrains and uphill climbs.
So, whether you choose to ride a bicycle, use a home stationary exercise bike or ride an e-bike, there are numerous health benefits which you will soon start noticing.
Here are the 8 main health benefits of cycling
Cycling can help you lose weight
Obesity and being overweight is one of the number one causes of metabolic disease, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, and other dangerous health issues. By cycling regularly and of course eating a healthier diet, you can easily burn huge amounts of calories and fat very easily.
Just ride your bike once and twice a day for an hour and you will see that extra weight quickly decreasing. In fact, you can burn between 450 – 750 calories per hour of cycling, of course, this number depends on your weight, the distance and the speed.
By losing weight you will soon find that you are fitter and are ready for more cycling and exercising. You will feel energized, stronger, and as you get into shape you will find that your confidence is booming as well.
Just remember that cycling alone will not help you shed those extra pounds – you will need to watch your caloric intake, and ensure that it is lower than the number of calories you are burning if you want your weight to start dropping!
Cycling reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
Hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes are all serious and often fatal cardiovascular health issues. Cycling can help you improve your cardiovascular health drastically and thereby reducing the risk of suffering from any of these debilitating conditions.
Riding a regular, a stationary or an electric bike is excellent cardio which will stimulate your blood circulation, increase your heart and breathing rates. By riding a bike you will strengthen all of your muscles – including your heart. Also, you will have a healthier lower resting pulse and lower levels of fat in your body.
If you choose to cycle to work instead of drive, you can improve your lung function if you don’t cycle among the cars of course.
Study also suggests that riding the best kind of bmx bike also reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. So, you can get into bmx riding too!
Cycling can help prevent Diabetes type II
Diabetes type II is one of the most serious and unfortunately common diseases in the western world. Its main cause is the lack of physical activity, as well as obesity or being overweight.
You can help decrease your risk of getting this type of diabetes by cycling regularly and thus staying active and in shape. By normalizing your BMI and by ensuring that you are physically active you can rest assured that you are safe from this treacherous disease.
Cycling can help strengthen the bones
Cycling is a low impact exercise which places very little stress on the joints, which makes it perfect for people with bone injuries, osteoarthritis, and arthritis. By pedaling you will strengthen the bones and joints and improve their health. If you have a serious musculoskeletal disease or injury, you may want to stick to riding an e-bike, so that you can use the motor assistance whenever pedaling becomes too much for you.
Cycling will improve your mental health
As with any other vigorous physical exercise, cycling will cause the release of adrenaline and the “happy” endorphin hormones in your body. This will elevate your mood, alleviate stress and help you improve your overall mental health. Cycling has been known to be an excellent exercise to help reduce and even resolve mild depression and anxiety by making people suffering from these debilitating conditions to go out more meet more people and enjoy the “cycling high” caused by the rush of hormones.
Some studies have found that exercise such as cycling can cause a reduction of the cognitive changes which occur with aging and which can cause dementia at an old age too.
Cycling will improve your muscle strength and your flexibility
While cycling is a low impact aerobic activity, it still has an element of resistance. This means that not only will you be burning fat when riding a bike, but you will also be working out those muscles and strengthening them as well. The higher percentage of muscle in your body weight, the more calories you will be burning.
Of course, the fact that your muscles will become stronger and more toned will start becoming visible as you get a perfectly toned derriere.
Cycling will improve your posture, balance, and coordination
In order to stay safe on the bike and on the road, you will need to stay properly balanced on the bike. This will engage your core and upper body as well and will help you improve your balance as you go. Also, you will need to maintain a proper posture when cycling, so regular riding can help improve your posture as well.
Along with that, your coordination and navigational skills will no doubt improve if you choose to travel by bike, or simply use it to ride it through town. You will notice that your natural sense of direction will sharply improve once you start cycling on a regular basis.
Cycling can help reduce the risk of cancer
There are various studies which have shown that there is a correlation between regular exercising and cycling and a lower risk of certain types of cancers. This is especially true for colon and breast cancers. Cycling has been found to be an especially efficient way to help reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Final words
Overall, no matter whether you choose to ride a regular bike or an e-bike (you can also compare e-bikes or velo electrique pliant comparatif if you’re interested in one – sorry about that, I’ve been practising my french, haha!), there are numerous health benefits which you should expect. Also, you can expect to lower your bills for fuel or public transportation fees, decrease your carbon footprint, and start feeling much more energized, happier and confident if you switch to cycling instead of driving.
Plus, once you take up cycling you can expect your social circle to grow, as you will get to meet more people, especially if you join a local cycling or riding club or group. This can do wonders for your overall lifestyle and your wellbeing as well.
So, if you are thinking about taking up cycling in order to improve your health, wellbeing and your life, then just go for it.
Jump on that bicycle or electric bike and start enjoying all of these numerous benefits immediately!
