There is nothing quite like the feeling of jumping on a bike on a Sunday morning, having the wind blow through your hair (if you have any!) as you pedal around taking in the best scenery that your area has to offer. As cardiovascular exercise goes, it is one of the cheapest things to get started with and once you’ve got your bike and your helmet you are good to go. There are plenty of neighborhood cycling groups too to make your exercise a more competitive event.
In this post, we will look at the best benefits of regular cycling.
10 Best Cycling Benefits
Cycling is quite often a form of exercise enjoyed in solitary since biking in groups and holding a conversation throughout is tough, but now with Lucyd Bluetooth glasses, you can chat with your friends and listen to your favorite soundtracks as you go.
Here are the top advantages of cycling regularly:
Better Lung Health
If you live in an urban, high-traffic area, we understand that this may sound counterintuitive; but scientific studies suggest that cycling actually exposes you to fewer dangerous pollutants than any other form of transport.
King’s College London carried out a scientific study in 2014 which showed that cyclists are exposed to five times less air pollution than those driving or travelling in a car. Whatsmore, research shows that cyclists are exposed to almost half the air pollution of those who walked the same route.
As a cyclist, not only are you creating less pollution through your choice of travel, but you are also exposed to less too which all leads to healthier lung health and a better respiratory system.
Helps You To Lose Weight
If you are looking to lose weight, the equation is simple. You must burn more calories than you consume, so that your body can create a calorie deficit, which in turn brings a decrease in body weight.
Cycling for an hour can burn between 600 and 800 calories, depending on the weight, age and fitness of the rider, as well as the intensity of the riding. If your calorific intake equalled the dietary recommendations, and you cycled once a week for an hour, this could bring a 1-2lb weight loss each month.
If you are looking to burn more calories per hour of exercise, consider tackling the rowing machine in the gym, where you can burn 800-1,000 calories per hour.
Improved Immune System
Again, this may seem counterintuitive, but exercising outdoors actually supports an improved immune system. Studies by Appalachian State University have shown that regular cardiovascular exercise can reduce the number of sick days you take by nearly 40%.
Why? Well, the science isn’t too complicated. Cycling among other cardiovascular exercises increase the production of essential proteins and activate white blood cells to enable better body immunity.
So, cycling on the weekend may be helping you do better and be more present at work. Double win!
Its Low Impact
If you have family or friends who are keen runners, you’ll often be hearing about the stress and strains that it puts on their bodies. The frequency of injuries in runners is pretty high, especially with older runners.
Unlike running, cycling is not weight-bearing, which reduces the stress on muscles, bones and joints, while giving you the cardiovascular benefits. Fascinatingly, according to studies the impact of DOMS is 87% higher in long distance runners than cyclists.
If cycling is going to be your main cardio exercise, you should consider mixing in some strength training to help with bone density too.
Improve your sleep
It makes a lot of sense that those who exercise and tire themselves out during the day will tend to sleep better at night. According to the University of Georgia, a drop in fitness levels of just 2% in men or 4% in women can cause sleep problems.
While the primary reason is believed to be due to the general tiredness that comes from exercise, cycling can also reduce levels of anxiety which can be an impacting factor for sleep.
Makes You Smarter (Kind Of)
Ok, so cycling does not make you smarter. But, it does give you more brain power.
A 2013 study by the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, found that during exercise, a cyclist’s blood flow to and within the brain increased by 28% generally, and up to 70% in certain areas of the brain.
Increased blood supply and blood flow to and around the brain, brings the body all sorts of benefits. Benefits including, reducing the risk of dementia, heart disease and cognitive decline have been seen from studies.
Build Muscle
Cycling is a movement that generates two core considerations. The primary output from cycling is an increase in cardiovascular activity and this is the most obvious. However, the second output is muscle growth.
Cycling is an exercise with constant resistance on every revolution. Your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves will all be under continuous effort, which will help you build a more shapely and muscular leg.
Save Time
We’ve been very much focused on you using cycling as a leisure activity and a form of exercise for the weekend; but integrating cycling into your lifestyle and day-to-day routine can also help you save time.
If you would normally walk to the mall to get your groceries, save some time by throwing a backpack on and cycling. If you normally drive to work and spend 30 minutes backed up on the freeway, you might be surprised to learn that cycling could get you to work quicker.
Short car journeys not only waste your time, but they also massively contribute towards global pollution. Make a change for the better.
Improve Your Navigational Skills
Sometimes there is nothing more beautiful than discovering a new trail in your area, or a picturesque view that you’ve never seen before; and these things typically happen when you lose yourself in your ride and in your exercise.
We live and survive under the control of technology all too often nowadays, with Sat Navs and Google Maps ensuring that we never stray from our route; but that can take the fun away. Cycling unaided can help to improve your navigational skills as you have to use your initiative and ‘feel’ to find your way.
The great thing about Lucyd’s though, are that if you get well and truly lost, you can use voice control and receive audio instructions through your glasses to find your way back.
Increase Your Social Circle
If your social circle has been stagnant for a while, or you’ve recently relocated to an area, you might be wondering how you can kick start your social life a little.
Cycling can be a great way to improve your social life and increase your friendships. There are no shortage of cycling clubs or neighborhood cycling groups who ride together regularly.
What could be better than making new friends while getting fitter and healthier.
