Cycle to Fitness: A Simple Exercise to your Ultimate Health
Cycling is cool! Cycling is economical. Cycling is fun! Cycling is healthy. And yes, cycling preserves the environment! This list goes on forever.
But is that an exaggeration? A hyperbole?
No, of course not! It is rather an understatement. Cycling has advantages that are immense and widespread. Since long, people have relied on bicycles as being one of the best means to achieve bodily fitness and good health. It is a simple exercise that allows people to achieve their fitness goals without straining too much on their bodies.
An extensive 15-year study was conducted at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, which concluded a 40% reduction in death rates among people who bicycled regularly (LB and P. et al. 1621-8). This is just a single example from thousands of other researches conducted to establish a link between regular bicycling and better fitness. People who cycle regularly are generally believed to live longer, healthier, and happier. Not convinced? Find out the reasons below!
Lose Weight the Easy Way
Cycling is highly rated for being one of the most effective exercises for weight reduction. It increases the heart rate and regulates strength and endurance within the body. Regular paddling helps burn out calories quickly and increases the metabolic rate, which eventually leads to weight reduction. A simple and an easy activity, cycling is something that everybody enjoys and can be exercised by any person, young or old. What can be better than allowing your body to shed the extra fat while you enjoy your ride!
Sleep Better
Regular cycling allows people to sleep better. It helps in improving performance at mental activities and thereby regulates brain for a better sleep.
The Stanford University School of Medicine conducted a research on a group of insomnia sufferers by making them cycle for about 30-minutes each day. The results weren’t surprising. All of the subjects were able to sleep much earlier than they previously did, and were even able to get an extra hour of sleep.
A Ride a Day, Keeps the Doctor Away!
Yes, the apple-times are gone and now you need some serious workouts to keep diseases at bay. Cycling is one such workout that reduces the chances of illnesses by almost half, and prevents many serious diseases. Researchers have proven that 30-minutes of cycling five days a week reduces the chances of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, according to Better Health Channel
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Say Goodbye to Stress!
A healthy physical activity, such as cycling, plays a significant role in reducing stress and makes it easier for individuals to tackle depression. People who bicycle regularly are able to lead a relatively stress-free life when compared to potato-couches, and are generally happier. The act of cycling elevates their moods and subsequently reduces the level of stress. They are also able to multitask efficiently, and thus improve their performances.
Neil Shah, a psychotherapist from the Stress Management Society, explains that riding bicycles regulates breathing, and expels carbon dioxide deeper from the lungs – both being key elements to ease stress.
Tone your Muscles
Cycling is a great way to tone your muscles, especially those in the lower half of the body. Regular cycling strengthens the leg muscles, and shapes the calves and the thighs. It also helps in mobility, making it more flexible for the knees to bend.
Cycling is equally helpful for toning the muscles in the upper half of the body. It enhances the shape of the muscles around the abdomen, and strengthens those in the upper arms. If you don’t want to waste all those precious hours lifting heavy weights at the gym, take your bicycle out and tone your muscles with 30-minutes of paddling each day!
Healthier Pregnancy
The Guardian reported that cycling in pregnancy helped keep women fit and made childbirths easier. Pregnant women who regularly bicycle maintain their well-being and prepare their bodies for labour. Such women are more likely to recover from the birth quickly, and are even able to get back in shape without gaining ANY weight!
Boost your Intelligence!
Cycling has been found to boost intelligence levels in people of all age groups. Regular cyclists increase the flow of blood to the brain and are thus able to retain information for longer, and have memories that are sharper.
Researchers from the Coventry and Bournemouth universities observed the effects of exercise on the academic performance of young students under 10 years of age. The findings confirmed that children who engaged in physical sports, including cycling, performed academically better, and were generally more intelligent.
No More Back Pains!
Are you sick of your aching back? Then wait, give it a thought. Would you actually enjoy the strenuous exercises at the gym to soothe your back? If not, then cycling is your option. People who ride bicycles improve their body posture and coordination between different parts of their bodies. Forget about the exhausting workouts, and simply add a 30-minute bicycle ride to your daily schedule. This will help you free of your back pain, and will allow you to enjoy the beauty of nature in the open.
Stay Young, Stay Attractive!
The benefits of cycling are so extensive that they eventually affect the way one looks. Regular cyclists not just shed all the extra fats from their bodies, but they also gain an attractive shape for their body muscles. The frequent excretion of sweat from the skin keeps the skin supple and young. These changes within the body slow the aging process and maintain an individual young and attractive.
The benefits of cycling are tested and researched, and the conclusions are reliable. Cycling provides a healthy alternative to strenuous workouts and is a complete package for bodily fitness. Researched has proven that people who paddle regularly do well at studies, mental tasks, physical activities and are even able to sleep better!
References
LB, Andersen, Schnohr P., Schroll M. and Hein HO. “All-cause Mortality associated with Physical Activity during Leisure time, Work, Sports, and Cycling to Work.” Archives of Internal Medicine, 160. 11 (2000): 1621-8. Print.
Cycling – health benefits – Better Health Channel. Better Health Channel, 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cycling_health_benefits
“How cycling reduces stress.” Body+Soul, 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013. <https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fitness/how-cycling-reduces-stress/news-story/29518b71ba340b575c566bb48518d048>.
Haddad, Sam. “Cycling while pregnant keeps you fit and prepares your body for the uphill struggle of childbirth.” The Guardian, 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/may/21/pregnant-cyclists>.
Stevenson, John. “Cycling boosts kids’ brain power, say researchers | road.cc.” Road.cc, 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013. <http://road.cc/content/news/90387-cycling-boosts-kids-brain-power-say-researchers>.
