The Six Benefits Of Riding A Bike
Riding a bike is a sport for all audiences. You can push yourself and aim to achieve high performance, or enjoy the pleasure of exercising solo or with friends and family.
The limits of riding a bike are pretty limitless, and all depends on what we put into practice. It also has terrific implications on the world we live in and provides a sustainable means of transport, and the perfect way to support the planet and prevent its demise, as highlighted so frequently in the news today.
Since moving to the Netherlands, cycling has become part of my daily routine. I cycle to work daily and significantly reduce the use of the car in between.
If you have not already started to ride a bike regularly, but feel it is something you would like to do, then take advantage of some of its many positives:
1. Cycling is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise. With one hour on the bike a day, you will burn around 500 calories.
Meaning, it is one of the best forms of activity for anyone trying to burn fat and fight against an increase in cholesterol levels, which happens to be one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease in the Western world.
2. Riding a bike is an excellent way to condition your body and indeed tone the muscles of the legs, such as the quadriceps or hamstrings. It can also provide an excellent option when trying to recover from the challenges of another sport. Many athletes incorporate spinning into their recovery routine.
3. Once the bike fit is correct, the position of the back can significantly improve and the overall posture.
This is due to the posture and slightly leaning forward on the handlebar. As a result, it allows us to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and spine, which begins to improve the resistance of the base of our back. Whereas in the long run, we decrease the possibility of having hernias, of course.
Be sure to heed advance and make sure the bike is the correct fit and that you make sure you maintain a correct position on your bike at all times. If not, it can have the opposite effect and inevitably lead to difficulties.
4. Cycling can also help strengthen the knees - one of the joints that suffer most when we play dynamic range sports. Thanks to the bicycle you strengthen the muscles that hold the knee, because in this exercise the knees do not support the weight of our entire body and, therefore, are not as punished as in other physical activities, it is about a low impact sport.
As an amateur runner, I find cycling offers a beautiful alternative to ease the pressure and lower impact injuries. As a result, I remain a keen runner with limited injury concerns.
5. Regular exercise on a bike helps to make stress levels regulate and in some cases, disappear altogether. On a recreational level, it is a sport that does not require high concentration or an effective training plan or strategy. Be aware of your surroundings, stay safe and enjoy the ride.
Dedicate that time for you, to think, to listen to music or to disconnect from the world. Out on the bike, you will become the owner of your thoughts. I love it! And find my daily ride forms the perfect way for me to collect my thoughts and unwind.
6. Finally, and one that has enormous implications on your overall health is that cycling helps your Immune System, and with regular riding, you will notice the benefits very quickly.
Like almost all physical activities, it begins to favour the strengthening of our overall defence system.
Also, regular cardiovascular activity increases the segregation of endorphins, the hormone of happiness, which will make you have a pleasant feeling of satisfaction after exercise.
Thanks for reading and I hope this inspires you to get outside, be active and enjoy what is around you.
