Benefits Of Cycling

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Cycling is an excellent fitness exercise which is good for the heart and your overall health too. Cycling every day helps control your breathing and improves your overall health and breathing pattern. 

Cycling is an effective and enjoyable form of aerobic exercise.  Cycling reduces the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and the most common form of diabetes.  Statistics suggest that a new cyclist covering short distances can reduce their risk of developing heart disease and their risk of death.

Cycling will help in weight management.  Cycling can be part of a program to lose weight, because it burns the energy supplied by a chocolate bar or a couple of alcoholic drinks in one hour (about 300 calories).  A 15-minute bike ride to and from work five times a week burns off the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year.

Cycling will improve your mood:

Cycling can have positive effects on how we feel.  Moderate exercise has been found to reduce levels of depression and stress, improve mood and raise self-esteem, and has also been found to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Cycling helps to maintain strength and coordination

There can also be indirect benefits in terms of reducing injuries from falls, which can be seriously disabling, especially in older people. The strength and co-ordination that regular cycling can achieve can help make the impact of such injuries less likely.  Physically active older people have much reduced rates of sustaining a hip fracture.

Who can carry out cycling fitness?

There are no real age barriers to cycling, and people of most fitness levels can cycle, even slowly and gently if necessary. Anyone with heart disease or other conditions affecting their activity should consult their doctor before starting any exercise.  People of all body shapes and sizes (except those of the most extreme body weights) can ride a bike.

To get started in cycling activity:

What sets cycling apart from most other forms of exercise is how well it fits into our busy, modern lifestyles.  Apart from the bicycle itself, no other equipment is needed, no special time needs to be set aside, and no special clothes are required.  Instead of spending time stuck in a car or on a bus, you spend it on the bike and there is no need to find extra time to exercise.

The more cycling a person can do, the more likely it is to benefit their health.  In general, the more active an individual is, the healthier they are.  Whichever form of cycling you choose to pursue, remember to have fun while you're doing it.